At the beginning, we only had 220 flags and we extended it.

We have 345 now.

About two and a half miles long.

We do it nine times a year right now.

It takes eight vehicles and 16 people every time we do the flags.

We have close to 75 volunteers that put in through the internet and email when they're going to do it.

I have been helping to put out the flags for about three years.

I love doing it.

The American Legion had reached out to Venture Crew 220 for a little bit of extra help.

They have a lot of volunteers, but sometimes they need somebody else to help out, so I thought that was a great way for me to help as well.

And I loved seeing the flags and just supporting our veterans.

It was the Friday after 9/11.

That was a very bad week for us.

Decided we were just gonna put some flags up and leave them up.

But walking down that highway on a Friday, that was the day of prayer.

Every car.

This was rush hour at 7:00 in the morning.

Werent just shooting the horns, they were laying on the horns the entire three miles.

It was like a New York City traffic jam.

That was probably the peak moment of my life.

I don't know that I'll ever have another feeling like that one.

I think after you do it so many times, you know, like anything else, you find efficiencies and ways to do it a little better or different.

You start to learn to know where the flags are.

Bob knows where every one of them are because he's got a map in his head, because he's put them all in.

I do this because I like to celebrate America and the veterans.

I do it for the veterans.

Probably about three years I've been doing this.

The pace is pretty fast.

We try to keep up with Bob.

And also the pace is set so we don't slow down the traffic.

So I usually take 2 or 3 out of the trailer and then hand them off to people so they can put them in those posts.

The markers are on the on the curb.

There's a white spot on the curb.

And then Bob goes through and marks the the plants with a red marker in the grass in the morning so that we can find them relatively easy.

It's a hot one.

The American Legion took this up probably 10, 15 years ago, and we wouldn't be here today, if it wasn't for the veterans that have fought for this flag, and given the most sacrifice they could give.

People drive by, they beat their horns, they yell, you know, great things like, thank you.

Way to go, USA, all kinds of things like that.

And so, you know, it just really makes you feel good that you're able to do something like that.

And they're so beautiful.

It's great exercise.

It's a lot of fun when you drive down and see all the flags yourself in the community.

It's like, I help put that up.

That's that's kind of a nice thing to see.

You don't always see the benefits of what you've done.

If you multiply it out, we put the flag in the ground over a hundred thousand times in the 25 years.

The most important thing I've ever done in my life.

Happy birthday, America 250.