Flag retirement event Tuesday

By: 
Ryan Fitzmaurice

The Robert Boyd Steward American Legion Post 11 will conduct a flag retirement ceremony for American Flags on Tuesday at the Lovell Veterans Park. 

Program leader Jim Thomas said the program will help educate citizens on how to retire the flag properly while also giving those attending information on the history of the flag. 

“There is not a set procedure, but it is to be done with dignity and respect, and to be properly done the flag should be burned and the ashes buried,” Thomas said. “We developed a program that gives us the opportunity to do that with dignity.”

Legion members will first retire a flag ceremonially, carefully cutting, removing and burning each of the 13 stripes, with each stripe representing a different aspect of American history. After the ceremony, other flags will be retired and burned, collected by American Legion members or given to members of the post before the event. Families can contact any post member ahead of time or bring the flag to the ceremony themselves.

“We started it because we have noticed a growing lack of concern and respect for the flag. As we started talking to some of the school-age kids, they didn’t know its history and other things about it. For those of us with a military background, that was distressing,” Thomas said. “We held the retirement program in several venues, with youth groups and others. The kids have received it well.”

All residents are welcome to attend, Thomas said.