On Saturday morning at Pikes Peak National Cemetery, a volunteer carefully placed a small U.S. flag in front of a headstone. The flag was centered 12 inches in front of the headstone and five inches into the ground. Neatness and uniformity mattered.

After placing the flag, the volunteer stood, read aloud the name on the headstone and thanked the departed former service member for their service.

That scene played out thousands of times at the cemetery, east of Colorado Springs, as more than 200 volunteers spent a portion of their Saturday honoring fallen service members ahead of Memorial Day.

Some participants saluted each fallen warrior after placing their flag. Others knelt in prayer. Some shed tears for departed loved ones.

“They served our country and helped get us where we are today,” said volunteer Ray Gross, a retired Air Force veteran. “So it’s important that we remember and honor them.”

The flag-placing event was one of several held by the Texas-based nonprofit Flags for Fallen Vets, which partnered locally with Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care to supply about 4,500 flags and other materials.

“We believe each veteran that rests in a national cemetery deserves to be honored, if only for a day,” said Morrison Fussner, founder and president of Flags for Fallen Vets.

Founded in 2012, the nonprofit placed about 850,000 flags at cemeteries in several states, including Texas, Florida, South Dakota and Colorado. A similar event took place at Fort Logan National Cemetery, in Denver, on Saturday.

“Flags for Fallen Vets has been a great partner,” said Sonya Bergeron, veteran liaison for Pikes Peak Hospice. “And we have had really good attendance from the community.”

The veteran-run organization depends heavily on community support, officials said.

“It’s the community members that make this happen,” said Fussner, a third-generation Marine. “Some people have lost loved ones in the military. Some have family members who are currently serving. And some people just want to honor fallen service members any way they can.”

In many cases, volunteers showed up with their children, a practice Fussner encourages.

“Even if they’re just there to watch the flag go in, I think it’s important for kids to take part,” he said. “It helps give them an idea of why they have the freedom to enjoy a summer break in peace, or go boating over a four-day weekend, and who paid the price to allow that to happen.”

Kellie and Andy Collier brought their 10-year-old son, Derrick, to the event.

“They gave up a lot more than just a Saturday morning,” Kellie Collier said. “They gave everything. We want to make sure our son understands that.”

“This is our way to give back,” Derrick said. “It’s what Memorial Day is all about.”

The flags will adorn the veterans’ gravesites for a week, with a flag-removal event scheduled for Saturday morning.

“Each flag placed represents a life honored, a story remembered and a sacrifice never forgotten,” Bergeron said.