Active, former and deceased servicemen will be honored Monday at the annual Avenue of Flags display at Orange Grove-Graceland Cemetery.

The event, operated by the local chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, is one of the largest display of flags in the country. More than 1,000 flags – each dedicated to a member of the military – will be on display. The event will also include a History Walk, a display of every American flag throughout history, as well as a display of each flag from the various branches of the U.S. military.

A ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. at 2023 Broad St. The display will be up until 4 p.m. SAR member Ted Harless said the event has grown in magnitude since it was started four decades ago.

“In 1983 we started with 50 flags, over 40 years we’ve grown,” he said. “Each flag is too large to fly at home. We get 50-100 flags loaned to us every year. Some are from families where a member recently passed, some are from families who found a casket flag or just found out about the event. The loans are permanent, from the families to us. The flags are flown on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

“The SAR organization is a patriotic, non-profit organization with chapters in all major cities. The Avenue of Flags is a project of the Lake Charles chapter, the Oliver Pollock Chapter. There are other Avenue of Flags ceremonies throughout the country. To our knowledge, we have the largest ceremony in the country.”

Every flag is numbered, and information about the honoree is cataloged for reference.

The memorial flags measure 5 feet by 9 ½ feet and are the “casket flags” given to families at funerals.

“Each flag has a number,” Harless said. “We have a binder with all of the information in numerical order and alphabetical order, so you can come to our tent, give us the name, and we can tell you where the flag for your person is located. We have info like branch served, years served, rank and other information. We have maps to show exactly where each flag is so you can go take a picture with it. You can view the Avenue of Flags by walking, cycling or driving along the four routes.”

The display will be set up Monday morning.

“At 6 a.m. we stack boxes with the flags on trucks and volunteers from the area, throughout the state and Texas help us set up the display,” Harless said. “We can put all the flags up in as little as an hour.”

Harless said the flags are stored in a purpose-built, insulated room with a dehumidifier to keep them in pristine condition.

Two years ago, Boy Scout member Kambree Malone created the History Walk for her Eagle Scout project. That part of the display includes every iteration of the American flag as well as all 50 state flags.

“The American flag was changed 27 times as the nation grew,” Harless said. “We went out and bought every flag and put them along the route. In between those, we have the flag of the states that were added each time. We have yard signs with QR codes that tell you about each state flag. It’s rare you can go somewhere and see all 50 state flags.”

The History Walk can be viewed only by foot.

Also included is a military circle with the flag of six military branches – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Space Force, the newest edition.

The annual memorial ceremony will be held at 9 a.m.

“The purpose is to honor a recently deceased SAR member or military veteran,” Harless said. “This year we will honor Brad Mayo, a former SAR member who passed away last year. His son will eulogize him, followed by the keynote address by Rear Admiral Joel Whitehead. At the end of the ceremony, buglers will play taps followed by a 21-gun salute and a bagpipe performance of “Amazing Grace.” We’ll have SAR members in period costume with muskets.”

For more information, call Harless at 337-437-7810 or email ted.harless@nm.com.