HUDSON, Ohio — Flying one American flag was never enough for Lou Smith.
Every year for Memorial Day weekend, this Hudson resident and U.S. Army veteran enlists the help of friends and strangers to plant as many flags as they can, all in an effort to honor those killed protecting the United States.
"This year I had the most volunteers ever: more than a dozen out here," Smith told News 5. "This is for the families left behind [so they can] say somebody appreciates me."
A sight along Stow Road in Hudson that stops cars passing by and connects Smith with the community.
While News 5 spoke with Smith for this story, we observed a half dozen people stop to take photos, and another dozen honk their horns to acknowledge and thank Smith for this memorial project.
"This is obviously a very large labor of love," Patty Hinze, who stopped by to take a picture, said. "It really is and it affects so many people he’ll never know or meet."
Hinze's father served in World War II, and she told News 5 she makes a point to drive by Smith's house around Memorial Day.
It's a tradition Smith started with just a handful of flags more than 30 years ago.
News 5 first introduced you to Lou Smith in 2022, when his display consisted of 3,000 American flags.
RELATED: Hudson veteran honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice by placing 3,000 American Flags in yard
This year, he’s at more than 7,000 with a little help from Mother Nature and a softer ground surface.
"There were years we had to use drills to put these in," he said.
The 74-year-old accumulates flags from the nearby American Legion and from people he’s never met.
"I got that [flag] in the mail last year," he said, while pointing to a brand new flag atop his flag pole. "[The note said] fellow patriot. That’s all it says."
7,000 flags are enough to account for every U.S. veteran killed in the War on Terror following 9/11.
A thought not lost on Smith.
"The more flags I put, the more people I feel like I’m putting a tribute to," he said. "I’d love to put in a million flags. Need some more acres."
Lou Smith hopes to keep the flags up past the Fourth of July.
Clay LePard is a special projects reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on Twitter @ClayLePard, on Facebook Clay LePard News 5 or email him at Clay.LePard@WEWS.com.
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
