May 29, 2011

Weekend Flags





I’ve been trying for years to duplicate a shot I took years ago with a three pixel camera. Taken the day after memorial day, it shows a gathering of American flags bundled ready to be stored for another year. Even grainy and fuzzy, it’s a very moving photograph. I’ve never again gotten up to Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery when the flags are still in bundles.



I drove up Friday. No flags. We drove up yesterday, Saturday, and we found thousands of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts just finishing placing one flag before each headstone. Missed the flag bundles again. So while we were there we visited G’s mom and dad. If we do this I take a picture for the family in Utah. They can see how G is looking, and how the grave site has changed. I take a picture of Dales grave too. He’s just a couple of hundred yards away from G’s folks. I wouldn’t be alive today if not for Dale.



At first, there was grass, then mud, then as the trees grew, the dirt grew bare and only tendrils of grass met Dales stone that I often found covered with tree orts. This year, after the massive stone and grave realignment, Dale has grass again. Only because the trees were still there could I find him.





I’ll be back tomorrow with some more flags. In the mean time, we wish you all a good start to summer and holiday.

9 comments:

  1. Loved the photos of the flag bundles....it is beautiful as is the picture of the flowers with the lady in the blue and white striped shirt....

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  2. Still a rather striking picture (or set as it is)!

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  3. I especially love the last photo of the flowers. And what a beautiful smile to go with that bouquet!

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  4. The small flag bundle picture is especially poignant.

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  5. Interesting! I never thought of flags in terms as bundle.

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  6. Thanks sweetie for such a lovely memorial.

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  7. I think it is possibly the equivalent of our Armistice day in November but the flags make it seem much less gloomy.

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  8. These are gorgeous photos for Memorial Day. In Hawaii the crosses at Punchbowl cemetery are draped with flower leis.

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