Every year on the Thursday before Memorial Day, more than 1,500 soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment fan out across Arlington National Cemetery and place a small American flag in front of every single grave. Every one. More than 260,000 of them. The tradition is called Flags In. It has happened every year since 1948, and it is one of the most quietly devastating things this country does.
The short version
- The Old Guard places a flag at every Arlington grave before Memorial Day.
- Each flag is centered one boot length in front of its headstone.
- Many other national cemeteries welcome civilian volunteers.
- The flags are removed after Memorial Day in a ceremony called Flags Out.
Quick Facts: Flags In 2026
| Where | Arlington National Cemetery |
| When | Thursday, May 21, 2026 (Thursday before Memorial Day) |
| Who | 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) |
| Soldiers | About 1,500 |
| Flags placed | More than 260,000 |
| Flag distance | One boot length in front of each headstone |
| Time it takes | About 4 hours |
| Started | 1948 |
Featured in this post
Because of the Brave Tee
VIP price · 50% off
$12.00What Is Flags In
Flags In is the formal name for the ceremony where the Old Guard places a small American stick flag at the headstone of every service member buried at Arlington National Cemetery. It happens once a year, on the Thursday before Memorial Day. The flags stay in place through the weekend and Memorial Day itself, then come down on the Tuesday after, in a separate ceremony called Flags Out.
The size of it is hard to picture until you see it. Arlington covers 639 acres. The headstones run in straight rows across the hills above the Pentagon and the Potomac. By the time the Old Guard finishes, there is a flag in front of every grave from the Civil War section all the way to Section 60, where the soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan are buried. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier gets a flag too.
Each flag is centered one boot length in front of its headstone.
The placement is not random. The Old Guard has a rule that every flag goes exactly one boot length, about 12 inches, in front of the center of each headstone. From a distance the result looks like the whole cemetery has come to attention. Up close, every grave has its own small flag standing on its own small dowel, one for one, no exceptions.
Who the Old Guard Are
The 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment is the oldest active-duty infantry unit in the Army. It has been around since 1784. The nickname "The Old Guard" came from General Winfield Scott after the regiment fought through the Mexican-American War in 1847. Since 1948 the regiment has been headquartered at what is now Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, right next door to Arlington.
Today the Old Guard does the ceremonial work most people associate with the U.S. Army. They guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier twenty-four hours a day, every day, in every kind of weather. They escort the caskets of fallen service members during full honors funerals at Arlington. They march at presidential inaugurations and state funerals. And every May, they place a quarter of a million flags before Memorial Day weekend.
If you have ever seen a picture of a soldier standing at the Tomb in a hurricane, that was the Old Guard. If you have seen the team that carries a flag-draped casket up the steps of a horse-drawn caisson, that was the Old Guard. Flags In is the same regiment doing the same job. The audience just changes.
|
260,000+ American flags placed in roughly four hours, one in front of every grave and at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. |
How Flags In Actually Works
The morning of Flags In, the regiment forms up before dawn. Soldiers carry bundles of small American flags, the kind on a wooden dowel, into the cemetery on foot. Each soldier is assigned a section. Sections are divided into rows, and rows are divided into grave runs that one soldier can cover at a steady walking pace.
They do not walk the rows quickly. The pace is deliberate. A soldier steps to the front of a headstone, kneels or bends, places the flag in the ground exactly one boot length in front of the center, presses it firmly into the grass, stands, and moves to the next grave. The motion repeats. After a couple of hours, the rows behind a soldier are a sea of red, white, and blue. The rows ahead are still empty.
Uniform rows of flags make the scale of Arlington's sacrifice visible.
| 1 | Step to the grave. The soldier approaches the headstone from the front, facing the inscription. There is no shortcut across rows. Every grave gets the same approach. |
| 2 | Measure with the boot. One boot length in front of the headstone, centered on the stone. About 12 inches. The boot itself is the ruler. No tape measures, no markers. |
| 3 | Plant the flag. The wooden dowel goes straight down into the grass. Pressed firmly enough that it stays vertical through wind and rain. The flag itself is a standard 12 by 18 inch cotton stick flag, 50 stars, 13 stripes. |
| 4 | Pause. Some soldiers salute. Some say the name on the headstone. Some just stand for a beat. There is no required gesture. The act of placing the flag is the gesture. |
| 5 | Move to the next grave. Same row, same pace. The soldier finishes that row, then turns and starts the next one. By the end of the morning, every grave in the section has a flag. |
The Old Guard does not race. Soldiers have said in interviews that they read the names on the stones as they go. Some of those names belong to relatives. Some to friends from earlier deployments. The whole point of doing it on foot, one grave at a time, is that the work feels like what it is. There is no faster way.
|
Memorial Day Essential Because of the Brave Tee For Memorial Day weekend at the cemetery, the cookout, or the front porch. Honors the fallen without making it about you. Shop VIP Discount → |
Flags In Happens at Other Cemeteries Too
Arlington gets the most attention, but several other military cemeteries hold their own Flags In ceremonies on the same weekend. Many of them are open to volunteers, which Arlington is not.
If you want to be part of placing flags this Memorial Day weekend, the Veterans Affairs cemetery near you almost certainly has a program. Check the cemetery's website for the volunteer sign-up. Many fill up fast.
|
For Veterans & Their Families To All Who Serve Tee A clean tribute to everyone who has worn the uniform. Good for cemetery visits, parades, and quiet Sundays alike. Shop Now → |
How to Honor Flags In from Home
Most people will never stand at Arlington on the Thursday before Memorial Day. That is fine. The ceremony does not need a crowd. It needs witnesses. Here are simple ways to mark the day from anywhere in the country.
Things People Get Wrong About Flags In
MISTAKE 01
Thinking volunteers can sign up to help at Arlington.
Arlington's Flags In is a closed military operation. Only the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment places flags there. Other VA cemeteries, including Quantico and Houston, do welcome civilian volunteers. Arlington does not.
MISTAKE 02
Calling it the Old Guard's only ceremonial duty.
The Old Guard runs the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, conducts full honors funerals at Arlington, and represents the Army at state funerals and presidential inaugurations. Flags In is one job among many.
MISTAKE 03
Assuming the flags stay year-round.
They do not. The flags come down the Tuesday after Memorial Day in a ceremony the Old Guard calls Flags Out. The cemetery returns to its usual state of plain white marble until next May.
MISTAKE 04
Confusing Flags In with the Memorial Day wreath-laying.
The wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a separate ceremony, usually attended by the president or vice president, held on Memorial Day itself. Flags In is the Thursday before, done by the regiment, no audience required.
MISTAKE 05
Thinking the spacing is approximate.
One boot length in front of the headstone, centered, every time. The uniformity is the point. Done at scale, the discipline of the spacing is what makes a quarter-million flags look like a single act of respect rather than a craft project.
If you want to see Flags In in person, the cemetery is open to the public during the ceremony. Visitors are asked to stay clear of the soldiers and to keep voices low. Most people who have witnessed it say the same thing: the soldiers say nothing, the cameras stay off, and the sound of footsteps in the grass is the loudest thing in the place.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Flags In at Arlington in 2026?
Flags In 2026 is on Thursday, May 21, 2026, the Thursday before Memorial Day. The Old Guard typically starts at dawn and finishes by mid-morning.
Can civilians volunteer to place flags at Arlington?
No. Arlington's Flags In is a closed military ceremony run exclusively by the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment. Civilian volunteers are welcome at many other VA national cemeteries, including Quantico, Long Island, Houston, and Florida National.
How many flags are placed at Arlington?
More than 260,000. There is a flag in front of every grave in the cemetery, plus the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The number grows slightly each year as new burials happen.
What kind of flag does the Old Guard use?
Standard 12 by 18 inch cotton American stick flags on wooden dowels. The same kind you can buy at any veterans' supply store. The placement is what makes them meaningful, not the flag itself.
How long does Flags In take?
About four hours from start to finish. With roughly 1,500 soldiers covering 260,000 graves, each soldier averages around 170 to 180 flags placed at a deliberate walking pace.
When do the flags come down?
The Tuesday after Memorial Day, in a ceremony called Flags Out. The same regiment that placed them removes every one. The flags are sometimes redistributed for use the following year or retired according to flag code.
Is the public allowed to watch Flags In?
Yes. The cemetery is open during the ceremony. Visitors are asked to stay back from the soldiers, keep noise down, and respect the work in progress. There is no formal viewing area. People walk the paths and watch from a respectful distance.
Why one boot length in front of the headstone?
Tradition. The boot is the ruler, and it produces a uniform line of flags across every section of the cemetery. Twelve inches forward, centered on the stone. Every grave is treated the same way. The uniformity is what makes the result work as a tribute.
If You Want to Go Deeper
Flags In is one piece of the larger Memorial Day picture. The same regiment that places these flags also guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the rifle salute at military funerals is the three-volley salute, and at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day the whole country is asked to pause for the National Moment of Remembrance. If you are heading to a cemetery this weekend, our guide to visiting a national cemetery on Memorial Day covers what to wear, what to bring, and how to act.
If you want to be ready for the Sunday night before Memorial Day, our piece on the National Memorial Day Concert covers when to watch, who hosts, and how to honor it from home.
|
Honor Them at Home A flag on your house. A name spoken out loud. A moment at 3 p.m. That is how the rest of us stand with the Old Guard. |
