He shouted instructions to the more than 50 volunteers who came to remove the flags before the sun went down. "One person grabs the pole, dips it while the other person collects it, places it over your shoulder, kind of drape it over yourself so you can unhook it. Certainly, if at all possible we don't want the flags to touch the ground."
The volunteers included Trevor Reis, and his family. "We've been wanting to teach our kids about Memorial Day and the importance of it instead of just sitting around and having a barbecue andso we decided we'd come over here and help take down flags."
For daughter Faith, it was an event and an education. "It's really fun to see how many people have served for our country. But it's really actually sad too." The 9 year old said.
Lori Miller, a member of the Blue Star Moms, was among those helping. "I think it's awesome, we had a whole bunch out here this morning and looks like a lot out this afternoon. It's awesome this community effort."
Blue Star Mom's is an organization of mothers with children serving in the military. Lori has three children in the service. One son is in the Army serving in Iraq. Another son and a daughter are in the Navy.
The flags, symbolizing those lost in war take on a real for those with loved ones still in harm's way. "The fear and the trepidation we go through every day knowing that we could be getting that knock on the door." Miller said.
The avenue of Flags started in 1963 with just 35 flags. It's grown to 1,400. Each flag was donated by the family of a loved one who served. The flags are flown just once a year to honor their sacrifice.
