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Service members place flags at Arlington National Cemetery

Soldiers honor the fallen in a 'flags in' ceremony every year.

ARLINGTON, Va. — This Memorial Day is taking a different tone.

It's clearly the first time in a long time that people feel safe being around their family and friends. 

But for many military families who have lost loved ones, it's a time of reflection and remembrance. Here in the DMV, we take that seriously.

Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for hundreds of thousands of service members who died fighting for our country.

On Thursday, troops had the duty -- and the honor -- of placing a small flag at every headstone.

They call this the "flags in" ceremony... And it's an annual tradition at Arlington's hallowed ground. They place a flag one boot-length from each headstone. More than 260,000 flags are placed in all.

It's a DC thing to honor our fallen heroes in this fashion, as we head into Memorial Day, and we'll continue to do it year in and year out.

Arlington National Cemetery relaxed its coronavirus restrictions ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, along with dozens of other military cemeteries around the country. 

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