Making Memorial Day more meaningful

>>> flags are in abundance on this memorial day weekend as the country pays tribute to those who served and died defending it. but for one man in cape may , new jersey every day is about veterans and the flag. the story tonight from nbc's mike taibbi .

>> reporter: on sunday mornings on the southern tip of new jersey they raise a special flag each day. it's the coffin flag of a fallen u.s. veteran, brought by family members to sunset beach . on this day it's the flag that once draped the coffin of fell yooes uzalino, dora to her friends, who served in the army during world war ii .

>> my mother would be honored and very proud of this day. she's like up there. she's floating with the wind. you know. standing tall like my mom would.

>> reporter: the flags were the idea of sunset beach owner marvin hume , himself a world war ii veteran, who lost a childhood friend when the japanese attacked pearl harbor . his friend's body was never recovered, but hume wanted to find a way to salute his sacrifice.

>> i thought, here's the last flag in the southern part of our state. what a place to honor my friend.

>> reporter: and then in 1973 , to honor others who'd perished in service to their country, he ran a single newspaper ad asking for veterans' coffin flags to fly.

>> all filled up.

>> yeah. every other page we're all filled for the season.

>> we are now booking for 2012 . and i have just gone through the 2012 calendar and i'm absolutely amazed.

>> reporter: the families of some 6,000 veterans have seen their heroes honored on this beach in this way. the sunlight framing an expression of thanks and admiration for all the men and women of america's armed forces . hume 's habit at day's end has always been to make his way to the base of the flagpole to join the family of the veteran whose flag has been raised high.

>> being a veteran myself and my wife being a veteran, we thought it was important to be here.

>> reporter: a last salute to the colors. and with the help of her grandsons, dora uzalino's flag is lowered.

>> these are men and women that have served this country. and that means a lot to me.

>> reporter: a simple ceremony that for 38 years has made memorial day on the jersey shore even more memorable.

>> thank you.

>> reporter: mike taibbi , nbc news, new