East Tennessee firefighters, police, civilians place flags on graves for Veterans Day

Veterans Day is just days away, and some East Tennesseans are already starting to honor our area's fallen heroes.

Dozens of Knoxville-area firefighters, police and civilians gathered at the Tennessee Veterans' Cemetery early Saturday morning.

They were on a mission to pay tribute to those who have served our country and sacrificed so much.

"We understand the sacrifice these men and women have made for their country, and we just wanted to honor them for that," said Mike Pickett, a captain with the Knoxville Fire Department. "I get up in the morning and go home after work to my family. These people spend years away from their families and all, and it's a real hardship on them, and the good job they really do all over the world and through history that they've done, they just deserve a little recognition, more than just on Veterans Day, but a little special recognition on Veterans Day."

Pickett joined the others in places flags at each and every one of the 4,800 graves in the cemetery.

"I have a father that served in the Army for six years and also had a grandfather that served in Vietnam, and so that really makes it a very high honor for me to come out here and place these flags," said Zac Brown, an Explorer with the Knoxville Police Department.

Last year, only a couple of families turned out to help with the flags.

This year, the call went out, and so many people responded, all of the flags were placed in less than one hour.

The show of support meant a lot to Andrew Smith, a firefighter and former Marine.

"As I get older, I realize I may someday be buried in a cemetery just like this one, and I know I would appreciate someone paying their respects to me as I'm paying my respects to those that have come before," he said.

And he hopes the thousands of flags that will wave in the cemetery this Veterans Day will send a message to the community.

"I want them to remember that sacrifices had to be made, and they're currently being made, and they will continue to be made," he said. "It's a country worth living for and worth dying for, and that's something that we should all seek to honor and remember."