Volunteers place 4,400 flags on graves of veterans in Lynnwood ahead of Memorial Day

LYNNWOOD, Wash. - On Saturday morning, about a hundred people gathered in Lynnwood ahead of Memorial Day to place 4,400 flags on the graves of veterans.

Retired Sergeant Major Christopher Young served in the Army for 41 years and was among those who attended.

"Forty-one years came and went, and I still love wearing the uniform," Young said.

Volunteers of all ages, as well as veterans, gathered at Purdy and Walters at the Floral Hills Funeral Home and Cemetery to place flags on the graves.

Before they placed those flags, the American Heritage Girls held an opening flag ceremony. The ceremony was then followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, a prayer, and the national anthem.

The American Heritage Girls Troop Leader Bridget Simmons told FOX 13 she felt honored to be at Saturday’s event.

"It feels really important for the young people to learn about the veterans who have served our country, to protect the freedoms that we enjoy here in America," Simmons said.

"The flag, that has been trampled, that has been whatever, but it means a lot to us, and the blood and the tears that these guys shed," Young said.

For Young, seeing the next generation placing flags on the graves of the fallen soldiers this Memorial Day weekend brought tears to his eyes.

"It just makes us feel like there is hope for the future," Young said.

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