Photos from this year's Coast Guard Flags Across America event at Arlington national Cemetery, Arlington, Va., nov. 8, from the top, Chief Petty Offcer
Chris Sims looks for graves of fallen shipmates to place American and Coast Guard ensigns, Chief Petty Offcer Michael Comess hands out a bundle of fags,
Coast Guard Honor Guard presents the colors, and volunteers pose for a group photo.
Petty Officer 1st Class Robert Garcia, a
food service specialist from Springfield, Va.,
echoed the sentiment, seeing Flags Across
America as, "a great opportunity to volunteer
and give back to those who served before us."
Attending with his wife Michelle and their
daughters, Marisa, Ariana and Veronica,
Garcia said he hoped his daughters, "will be
able to gain a perspective of the importance
of service in the Coast Guard and the
magnificent history we have."
This was not the first Flags Across
America event Senior Chief Petty Officer
Mary Cunningham attended, though it was
the first time she brought her family, which
included her husband Chuck and their
6-year-old twin sons Torry and Tavaris.
Cunningham, who serves as the enlisted
policy advisor in the office of diversity and
inclusion, actively seeks ways to instill in her
sons a commitment to service, taking them
along to volunteer for local activities with
programs like Meals on Wheels. However,
with Cunningham slated to retire while Torry
and Tavaris are still in elementary school,
she hopes events like Flags Across America
will help her boys gain a better understanding
of her role as a service member. "We will be
here every year, even after retirement,"
Cunningham said.
— Story by PA3 Charlotte Fritts
and photos by PA3 Lisa Ferdinando
Issue 1 • 2015 � RESERVIST 13