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Fifth-grade students place flags at Fort Logan

By the end of a few hours on Friday, the foreman of Fort Logan National Cemetery estimated that they placed a few thousand flags.
Credit: Nelson Garcia
Karoline McKinney places a flag on a headstone at Fort Logan National Cemetery.

DENVER — This is the kind of field trip where students from Traylor Elementary School don't need a bus. They're walking.

"We take this opportunity to teach our kids a little bit about respecting," said Christina Lombard, a fifth-grade teacher.

Lombard is leading the way as Traylor's entire fifth-grade walks over to Fort Logan National Cemetery to place flags on thousands of headstones in preparation for Memorial Day Weekend.

"A lot of these kids have no idea how many people served our country, how many people have died for our country," Lombard said.

This year is the 50th year that fifth-grade students like Karoline McKinney have been placing flags right up against the tombstones of soldiers who have died.

"It's important putting a flag down because it resembles that they have done this for our country," Karoline said.

Every time Karoline puts a flag down, she reads the name on the grave and sometimes lists what war they served in. For Karoline, each name means a different story.

"It's a mixed feeling, " Karoline said. "It's sad and grateful at the same time."

Lombard she said believes this experience can build character.

"This is our chance for those kids to experience paying back, community service," Lombard said.

Rebecca Goff is visiting the grave of her brother, James A. Strode.

"We call him Jimmy," Goff said.

She was surprised to see the kids placing all the flags including one at Jimmy's headstone.

"Well, it made me feel proud that they did it, very appreciative," Goff said.

She said the gesture is especially nice for those who have no one left to visit them.

"All their family had died, they don't have nobody to come and decorate their grave," Goff said.

After planting several dozen flags, Karoline said her arms are starting to hurt. She said it's hard work and that's OK.

"When we push the flags into the ground, we're working hard to help them be remembered," Karoline said.

By the end of a few hours on Friday, the foreman of Fort Logan National Cemetery estimated that they placed a few thousand flags. Saturday morning, the Boy Scouts of America will place flags on the rest of the headstones. The cemetery has more than 122,000 graves total.

"To think that they were fighting for the same causes we do now, still," Karoline said.

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