5 Interesting Facts About Memorial Day

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Monday, May 29, 2017

4. Over 6,000 Flags

Grace Place Church of Enterprise, Alabama placed 6,809 American flags on their property during Memorial Day Weekend 2014 in memory of the 6,809 Americans killed in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003. | (Photo: Grace Place Church)

A common tradition for observing Memorial Day is the planting of flags. This includes those put at the graves at Arlington National Cemetery.

Each year, one Alabama congregation plants over 6,800 miniature flags on their property in remembrance of American soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003.

Grace Place Church of Enterprise annually does this, with Pastor Donny Thrasher telling CP in an interview in 2014 that a major reason for the display was to "remind our congregation that freedom isn't free; that it often is paid for with the lives of our military."

"[2014] is our first year, but I can assure you it won't be the last. Our church really got behind this project; from paying for the flags to putting out the flags today," said Thrasher in 2014.

"Many of those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan sponsored flags with donations and dozens of them were present today to put out the flags."