CEREMONY WILL DISPOSE OF FLAGS RESPECTFULLY

On Wednesday, the nation will turn its attention to the Stars and Stripes, hanging it proudly for Flag Day ceremonies everywhere.

In the Cape Girardeau area, American Legion Post 63 will conduct a flag retirement ceremony at 6 p.m. at the Veterans' Home. At the same time, Jackson Elks will honor the U.S. flag at Brookside Park.

The events will mark the day John Adams introduced a resolution to Congress establishing stars and stripes as the design for the U.S. flag.

Since that time, Old Glory has come to mean a lot to many people, but perhaps war veterans appreciate it most.

Charles E. Woodford, past commander of the local American Legion and flag disposal chairman, said the sight of a U.S. flag overseas moved him greatly.

"When I joined the Navy, they always had a morning ceremony at boot camp where they displayed the flag and played the National Anthem," he said. "We had to stand at attention, and it gave us a lot of time to think about our flag and how good our country is."

Woodford went on to fight in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam. Living conditions where he fought were often unacceptable by American standards, and it made him feel blessed to live in the United States.

"We have our faults, but we're better than anything else in the world," he said. "We have a very nice country here, and the flag symbolizes that."

But when flags become worn or ripped, they don't reflect well on the country they represent. Thus, the American Legion conducts flag retirement and disposal ceremonies annually.

Simply throwing a flag away is seen as an act of great disrespect. Woodford compared it to throwing an older family member into the trash when he was no longer in good shape.

During a flag disposal ceremony, a qualified member of the American Legion inspects a ceremonial flag, judges it ready for retirement and then burns it in a respectful manner.

This year, the American Legion already has accumulated numerous flags to be disposed of on Flag Day, but there won't be an individual inspection for each.

Herb Nance, a former commander of the American Legion, sells flags. He said there are many rules of etiquette that go along with them.

Some are very precise, like the one dictating that flags should be suspended vertically with their tops to the north on east-west streets or to the east on north-south streets.

Others are simple, like the one that says flags displayed at night should be lighted.

A good rule of thumb is to hang the flag in a respectful manner, keeping it off the ground and allowing it to move freely in the breeze.

FLAG ETIQUETTE

The blue field.

The blue field should be to the observer's left, and a flag suspended over the middle of a street should be hung vertically with the blue field at the top.

Half staff.

The flag should be flown at half staff only on Memorial Day from sunrise until noon. On other occasions, the presidents, governors or heads of government agencies can order the display of flags at half staff.

Night flying.

While it is customary only to display the flag from sunrise to sunset, it can be flown at night if properly illuminted.

Bad weather.

A flag shouldn't be flown in bad weather unless it is made of nylon or other non-absorbant, all-weather material.

Flag don'ts.

Don't use the flag as wearing apparel, print it on anything that will be used or discarded or draw it back in folds.