Flag retirement ceremonies honor the dignity of Old Glory | Local News | Summerville Journal Scene

Printer friendly version |

E-mail to a friend

Flag retirement ceremonies honor the dignity of Old Glory

Published Tuesday, June 30, 2009 11:22 AM

By Jenny Peterson
Summerville Journal Scene ®

Jenny Peterson/Journal Scene

Robert Hill takes part in flag retirement ceremonies three times a year.

For the members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the red and white stripes on the American flag represent the servicemen who didn’t make it though battle. It pains the veterans to see the flag disrespected by not being disposed of properly.

That’s why several times a year, members at the VFW volunteer as state honor guards to give each flag a proper retirement ceremony — a burning ritual that is the only “official” way to properly honor the flag, according to the national VFW organization.

Robert Hill, a Sergeant E-5 U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, moved to Summerville four years ago and has been organizing the flag retirement ceremonies at the Ladson VFW Post 3433 on Bellwright Road.

“You get a feeling of pride after having done it,” Hill said. “We do it for the vets that aren’t here anymore.”

Hill has been part of five flag-retirement ceremonies at the post, properly disposing of torn, frayed and faded flags.

Hill and two other VFW members retired more than 60 flags at the most recent ceremony in June — a process that included unfolding the flags, placing them into a burning fire pit, and then burying the ashes — all executed in complete silence and closed off from public viewing. Cameras are not allowed.

The veterans wear a uniform of black pants, black patent leather shoes and a white button-up honor guard shirt with the state honor guard patch and American flag patch woven on the sleeves. A gold braid is attached to one side.

The types of flags retired vary from American flags to service flags and military flags. Hill said even Dixie flags have been retired at the post.

A special hand salute is given to flags that once flew over state and federal buildings, Hill said.

The rules for properly retiring state flags vary among Veterans of Foreign Wars posts, but they always include burning the flag in a solemn and ceremonial manner.

One ceremony detailed on the national VFB Web site states that local officials and members of the Ladies Auxiliary attended a ceremony in Winslow, Ariz. in 2004.

"Let these faded flags of our country be retired and destroyed with respectful and honorable rites, and their places be taken by bright, new flags of the same size and kind, and let no grave of our soldier or sailor dead be unhonored and unmarked,” said Post Commander Ron Gibbs at the ceremony, according to the article.

The only guests that have been invited to the ceremony at the Ladson post are local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, so they can learn about the history of the flag retirement ceremony, Hill said.

More people in the community are learning about the service provided by the post, and the retirement ceremonies have been much more frequent.

“We used to do it once a year; (now) it’s every three months,” Hill said. “We don’t want people to throw flags away.”

At least one local company is helping to get the word out about the retirement ceremonies.

Ins-ty Prints, on Old Trolley Road, has put a box outside the business where residents can drop off their worn and used flags. Employees will deliver them to the VFW free of charge.

Vivian Taylor, with Ins-ty Prints, said the idea came from her father, owner Bob Antonsen, a retired Chief Master Sergeant in the Air Force, who fought in Vietnam.

“His real big thing is (that) you don’t take our flag and throw it in the trash can,” Taylor said. “If (my father) sees flags, he picks them up and brings them to the Summerville VFW. There’s a protocol to follow.”

This is the third year the company has been collecting flags from residents and customers. Ins-ty Prints is located at 320-A Old Trolley Road in Summerville. The company will be collecting flags throughout the summer. People also can drop flags off to the post directly.

The VFW provides a whole host of services and activities for its veteran-members, which Hill said is currently around 1,160 people. The post is having a Fourth of July party Saturday from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. and a horseshoe tournament at 2 p.m. The tournament costs $5 to enter with proceeds going towards the post’s Wounded Warrior Program. The party is open to the public. Call 843-871-0607 for more information. The post is located at 10154 Bellwright Rd.

Contact Jenny Peterson at 873-9424 ext. 216 or JPeterson@journalscene.com.

Comments

Notice about comments:

Journalscene.com ® is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Journalscene.com ® does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not Journalscene.com ®. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.

Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by reading our terms and conditions, and then signing up below!

Full terms and conditions can be read here.

Poll Question

Which high school team are you cheering for this football season?

Most Viewed
Most Commented

104 East Doty Avenue | Summerville, SC 29483 | 843-873-9424 office | 843-873-9432 fax