Memorial Day Need Discovered
2,700 little 3″x 5″ American flags are bought, donated, and brought to the cemetery for distribution by 15-20 patriotic Americans just looking to make a difference on Memorial Day.
It all began
with a need to honor…
Join Flags for Fort Snelling to restores the annual tradition of remembrance in honor of our fallen. Every donation, every volunteer, every share makes a difference to our mission. #MNRemembers
It was May 2015, when Minnesotans learned it had been over three decades since American Flags were placed at Fort Snelling on Memorial Day. Learning that this tradition had been lost on everyone was a shock nobody could ignore. Step by step, a small group of patriotic Minnesotans had a plan to slowly grow the organization’s systems both operationally and logistically, to ensure a strong, sustainable structure to support the tradition year after year.
In 2018, four local Minnesota businesses stepped up to join Flags for Fort Snelling in partnership roles, blowing the doors of opportunity wide open: VantagePoint Marketing, Richfield-Bloomington Credit Union and KARE 11. With leaders from each organization dedicating their time and effort to the Flags for Fort Snelling goals, Minnesota was able to place an American Flag at every headstone of Fort Snelling National Cemetery for the first time in over 35 years! It was an incredible sight to see the flowing sea of red, white, and blue- One we intend to see year after year as long as we have the drive to keep this tradition alive.
TIMELINE
2015
2016
10,000 Flags Placed
The non-profit, Flags for Fort Snelling, was officially formed! We placed 10,000 regulation-size American flags throughout the main ceremony area of the cemetery on Memorial Day morning.
2016
2017
50,000 Flags Placed
In our second year as an official non-profit, Flags for Fort Snelling raised enough funds to add to last year’s flag count, increasing the 2017 count to 50,000 American flags.
2018
MINNESOTA REMEMBERS- 200,000 Flags for 200,000 Heroes
MINNESOTA REMEMBERS became the Memorial Weekend Event. 2018 was the first year Minnesota honored every hero laid to rest at Fort Snelling National Cemetery with an American Flag on Memorial Day since the 1980s- placing nearly 200,000 American flags!
2018
2019
2nd Year Placing Nearly 200,000 Flags
2019 will be a repeat of the last year, working with thousands of volunteers to honor every headstone of Fort Snelling Cemetery with an American Flag- nearly 200,000 American flags!
2020
Shocking Pandemic Shadows the Release of the New Retractable Flag
In 2020, we wanted to present this wonderful design that will meet all of our needs for a sustainable tradition, but everyone’s world was rocked by a pandemic called Covid-19. With how fast it was spreading and the information was too inconclusive to depend on, we had to make the safe decision and cancel the 2020 Minnesota Remembers Memorial Day Event.
In the meantime, we announced the new flag and are driven to get them manufactured as soon as possible- Let’s raise those funds to ensure the flags last for generations to come!
2020
2021
Shocking Pandemic Shadows the Release of the New Retractable Flag
Covid-19 still has a hold on us, but there is light at the end of the vaccine needle, my friends! Between people behaving and staying home, going out only for essentials, masking up and washing often, there is even more hope for the Minnesota Remembers Event to happen this year. The day has yet to pass and the final decisions need yet be made, but we will update with what happens after the fact!
PS: We are drastically behind schedule on raising the funds for the flags. Don’t forget to Donate and share with friends!
The History of Memorial Day
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America. Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War and a desire to honor our dead. It was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle. It is now observed in almost every state on the last Monday in May with Congressional passage of the National Holiday Act of 1971. CLICK HERE to learn more about Fort Snelling National Cemetery
Flags for Fort Snelling
Flags for Fort Snelling was born with the mission to continue the tradition of honoring our Veterans on Memorial Day by placing flags at their headstones. The Fort Snelling National Cemetery is operated by the Veterans Administration with a limited number of civilian staff, thus do not have the funding or assistance to provide a flag for almost 200,000 graves. This is where we step in. We work to collect donations for the funding of the American Flags, and then organize volunteers to distribute the flags on Memorial Day. As an added effort to keep the public’s interest in our mission, we offer the opportunity for those to request a special recognition for their loved one if they cannot personally make it to the cemetery. We collect their loved one’s names, and provide a photo of the flag we place in their honor.
