by Dalles Carey
For over two decades, American Legion Post 517 has honored veterans each Memorial Day with its Avenue of Flags, a striking display along the road beside the cemetery. Each year, the sight of hundreds of American flags waving in the breeze reminds the Marcus community of the sacrifices made by those who served our country.
For years, volunteers have risen early on the Saturday before Memorial Day to carefully place the flags along the Avenue—a tradition they continue each year. Then, on Monday afternoon, volunteers are called upon again to take them down. Until now, cotton flags had always been used, but they came with a significant drawback: if rain was in the forecast, or even if light droplets began to fall, additional volunteers had to rush out to gather the flags to keep them dry and in pristine condition. When there weren’t enough volunteers or the rain came down quickly, those beautiful flags would need to be dried before they could be put back up for the Memorial Day ceremony. This labor-intensive process is challenging when taking into consideration the unpredictable spring weather of Northwest Iowa, where showers or sprinkles could quickly disrupt carefully laid plans.
Now, Post 517 hopes to replace all cotton flags with durable nylon flags that can withstand the elements. Thanks to Randy Feenstra’s office, the Legion can purchase the flags at a lower cost than other sources, making this goal achievable—but they still need your help. The total cost for the new flags and clips is approximately $8,500, and the group is already about halfway toward that goal.
Each year, approximately 240 flags are placed along the Avenue, including six by the speaker’s stand for the Memorial Day service. These flags are more than decorations—they represent the Legion’s ongoing commitment to honoring veterans. Beyond Memorial Day, Post 517 provides honor guards and presents flags to families at military funerals, participates in the Marcus Fair and homecoming parades, and takes part in Veterans Day events at the Marcus school.
“Nylon flags will save our volunteers from racing to take them down in the rain and ensure our Avenue of Flags looks beautiful for many years to come, no matter the weather,” said a representative of Post 517. “It’s a small change that will make a huge difference in maintaining this beloved tradition.”
American Legion Post 517 welcomes donations of any size to help complete the project. Donations can be sent to:
American Legion Post 517
PO Box 37
Marcus, IA
Your support ensures that the Avenue of Flags continues to honor our veterans with the dignity they deserve—and allows the Legion to focus on its ongoing mission of service to the community.