>The distinctive roar of F-15 Eagle fighter jets will cut across the central Oregon coast this Memorial Day as Lincoln County marks the day in its own unmistakable way, with flags on the ground, flowers on the water, and thunder in the sky.

On Monday, May 25, the 81st Annual Fleet of Flowers in Depoe Bay will be joined by a military flyover from the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing. The fighters are scheduled to pass over the harbor at 11:07 a.m. The ceremony itself begins at 11 a.m. at the main charter dock across from the U.S. Coast Guard station.

One of the two pilots flying the mission, Capt. Dustin Kopp, grew up in the local area. He said the flyover carries special meaning.

“It’s a great honor to fly the U.S. Air Force’s newest fighter, the F-15 EX Eagle II, over the Pacific Northwest this Memorial Day, especially because we both grew up in the local area,” Kopp said. “It is very fulfilling to have the opportunity to pay our respects to those who have gone before us and made the ultimate sacrifice.”

The jets’ appearance isn’t just spectacle. It’s a visible salute to those who died in uniform and, in Depoe Bay’s tradition, to all seafarers lost at sea. After the flyover, a procession of boats will carry cedar wreaths and flowers out of the harbor. Participants drop the tributes into the Pacific as the fleet forms up offshore. The event has run for more than eight decades and continues rain or shine.

Last year the county saw another powerful aerial tribute when the 142nd Wing flew over Eureka Cemetery in Newport during the Memorial Day observance there. Volunteers had placed flags on more than a thousand veterans’ graves. The U.S. Coast Guard posted the colors, a student sounded TAPS, and the jets provided the final, unmistakable punctuation.

These flyovers have quickly become part of how Lincoln County does Memorial Day. In a place where the ocean both sustains families and takes lives, the combination of military aircraft overhead and flowers on the waves carries extra weight.

Newport will also hold its own observance at 10 a.m. at Gardner Memorial Park, hosted by the city and American Legion Post #21. Lincoln County administrative offices will be closed for the holiday.

If you want the full experience, head to Depoe Bay early. Watch from the dock for the close-up ceremony or from Highway 101 for the fleet heading out. A shuttle service will bring people down to the harbor for the ceremony as the bridge is under construction and the view will be obstructed. For up-to-the-minute news on this year’s event, parking information or tips on attending, visit fleetofflowers.com/event-info.

You’ll hear it before you see it — and that sound is the point.