In the early morning on May 21st, soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) marched into Arlington National Cemetery, their rucksacks packed with small American flags.

Their mission: Honor America’s fallen heroes by placing a flag in front of each headstone and columbarium column, approximately 250,000 at Arlington and 13,500 at the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

This tradition, known as “Flags In,” takes place annually at both cemeteries on the Thursday before Memorial Day.

To truly revere our fallen warriors, we need to preserve those ideals for which our soldiers fought and died. May we never forget that the preservation of freedom is a gift from one generation to another.