Memorial Day 2012
"Flags-In" has become an annual ceremony since the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) was designated to be an Army's official ceremonial unit in 1948. Every available soldier in the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment participates in these events.
For 29 years members of the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and American Heritage Girls have placed flags on the 42,000 graves at the Memphis National Cemetery during a ceremony honoring veterans for the Memorial Day Celebration.
At 101 years old, Eastman is the oldest USCG veteran in Oregon, and will be the grand marshal for the parade.
Eastman's first rescue was in 1936 on the Rogue River Reef, he said. Four pirates snuck out to a ship that ran aground in a skiff to see what they could pillage. Once they boarded the ship, "They lost their skiff!" Eastman said. "They were stranded and we had to put up a beach apparatus to rescue the pirates."
Fleet Week, which has been held in New York City since 1984, celebrates the U.S. Navy and Marines Corps with a week of ship visitations and military demonstrations, concluding on Memorial Day with a military flyover honoring those killed while serving in the military.
Pry, based at nearby Fort Campbell, came to the cemetery to help place flags at headstones for Memorial Day.
The ceremony is part of weekend events marking the 25th anniversary of the Rolling Thunder Ride for Freedom, a motorcycle rally in the nation's capital. Started in 1988 as a protest to bring more awareness to issues involving POW/MIA service members, Rolling Thunder now has 90 chapters across the United States, and expects more than 900,000 veterans and their supporters to participate in this year's ride.
Five hundred military children and teens, most of whom lost a parent or sibling in the Afghan and Iraq wars, are attending the annual four-day camp in Arlington and Washington, D.C., which is run by TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors). The camp helps them learn coping skills and build relationships so they know they are not alone in the grief of their loved one. They meet others of their own age group, learn together and share their feelings, both through group activities and one-on-one mentors, who are all active duty or former military service members.
Some 1,200 adults, most of whom are grieving parents and spouses, also attend the National Military Survival Seminar held concurrently with the children's camp. The TAPS slogan is "Remember the Love. Celebrate the Life. Share the Journey."
At least 17,000 graves are in the park that pays tribute to American and Philippines soldiers who fought side-by-side during World War II.
Across America, towns and cities celebrated veterans of the United States Armed Forces and the sacrifices they have made. Memorial Day is a federal holiday in America and has been celebrated since the end of the Civil War.