Hawarden residents celebrate Memorial Day with 400 American Flags

HAWARDEN, Iowa (KCAU)– More than 60 Hawarden residents paid their respects Monday morning to those who died while serving their country.

“Any time you can have the opportunity to honor the fallen, honor the ones that didn’t come home, take a time out of your day,” Derek Allen with the “Avenue of Flags” said. “It’s very humbling.”

Hawarden’s Memorial Day service is a tradition for many in the community, and what makes this town’s ceremony stand out from the rest is the more than 400 flags strung across the cemetery.

“The flags that we have currently flying are flags that are donated by family members after someone passes away,” Allen said. “There’s a handful of KIAs, but the majority of these, when a loved one passes away, they donate a flag to add it to the avenue of flags.”

This year, three new flags were hung during the service. Iowa Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg, a Hawarden native, spoke at Monday’s event and said the amount of flags flying and the people they represent is sometimes overwhelming.

“One of those names that’s read is somebody who was killed in action,” Gregg said. “Each one of those, it’s a family that lost a loved one. It’s a person who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our service.”

Lieutenant Governor Gregg said Monday was a great day to honor veterans and not just a day off from work.

“There are few things that are more moving, really, than sitting here on a beautiful sunny peaceful day and to have these 400 flags blowing gently in the wind,” he said. “It’s absolutely beautiful. And I hope people take the opportunity to appreciate what it took to give us the opportunity to enjoy that today.”

“When you’re having the three day vacation, remember why you get the three day vacation,” Allen said. “And remember those that didn’t get to come home. That’s all I can ask. Just remember those killed in action. You know, there’s many of them. I’ve been serving in the military for 23 years, I’ve had friends that didn’t make it home.”

All 400 flags set up for the ceremony were taken down around 4 p.m. with help from the community.

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