MECHANICSVILLE, Va. β Drive past Mechanicsville High School and you'll see thousands of American flags in front of the school.
Students in the Navy JROTC program spent the day placing 2,977 flags to honors those killed during the 9/11 Attack on America 24 years ago.
"I think it's a really great way that we kind of reach out to the people, and I think it's a great way that we can show our patriotism to our community," Lt. Nadia Maxfield said.
The cadets said planting each flag and making sure they had the right number showed they really do care about every life lost that day.
"We're just trying to help the cadets remember this attack and although those fallen are not with us today, there's many family, friends and relatives that will see this, right? And they'll know that their loved ones are not forgotten," Navy Commander Peter Greenwald said.
"A short time after 9/11 happened, our country came together as one big family," Cadet Senior Chief Seth Hardy said.
Hardy said the country united despite differences.
"It was like, we don't care what you're from, what our differences are, our country needs to come together and fight for a common goal. I feel a sense of unity throughout all of this," Hardy said.
"We have these things called learning intentions," Greenwald said. "It's not about what we're learning, it's about what we're doing. So the cadets out here living out their cadet creed today, and that does my heart a lot of good."
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