The event at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C. that featured a large U.S. flag made of flowers took place in November 1986.
This event, called "A Rose of Remembrance," was organized in observance of Veterans Day that year. A U.S. flag of 58,113 roses was placed at the monument, with one rose representing each name of a dead or missing service member on the wall. The project was inspired by a woman from Virginia who had seen visitors placing individual flowers at the memorial.