Estero community lines street with flags for Memorial Day

An Estero community decided to honor those who paid the ultimate price to protect our freedom by lining their streets with flags.

“It almost looks like you’re running the gauntlet of red, white, and blue,” said John Tuttle.

American flags and patriotic bows were placed on the mailboxes along La Bianco Street in The Reserve at Estero.

It’s a small sign of appreciation for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Sam Mokhiber loves it. “It’s a great thing to see the community remembers Memorial Day and do something about it.”

This weekend is bittersweet for Mokhiber. He served in the Army for six years, including a tour in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Division. He takes the time to remember his friends who didn’t make it home.

“We have a new generation of veterans like myself who’ll be remembering fallen friends in close order, not just grandparents or older relatives,” Mokhiber said.

When neighbors on this street drive to and from home every day, they see these flags waving in the breeze. Tuttle said they serve as a true reminder of what this weekend is all about.

“It makes me thankful for what we have, what we’ve been provided as an American citizen, and I’m thankful for the people who helped us get here.”

Mokhiber used these flags as a learning opportunity for his kids.

“America’s a very unique place and it’s a place of freedom and opportunity. It’s a place where freedom is not free,” he said.