Community members gather to retire American flags

Dozens of community members, veterans and Scouts gathered Sunday afternoon in the parking lot of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3838 in Cape Girardeau to participate in the inaugural flag retirement ceremony.

Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Auxiliary, Girl Scouts of America, Boy Scouts of America, Boy Scouts of America Venturing Crew, Air Force JROTC and the Civil Air Patrol all participated in the ceremonial process of retiring five American flags.

An American flag is deemed no longer suitable for use if it has rips, tears or holes, or is faded or falling off the pole, according to VFW Post 3838 Commander Bonnie Hampton.

�The flag, when it is retired, it is to be burned,� Hampton said. �When it is no longer serviceable, you bring it to an organization like ours and then we burn it in a ceremony.�

Each participating organization had representatives who presented each flag for retirement. After the flags had been presented, the representatives simultaneously placed the flags on a fire, while taps was performed on the bugle by Narvol Randol, Jr.

Hampton said the most important takeaway from a ceremony such as this is the respect and importance of the American flag.

�We�ve (veterans) all fought under that flag and fought for that flag,� Hampton said. �And we�re trying to bring that back into our community again.�

The ceremony is planned as an annual event. Anyone who has American flags that need to be retired may drop them off in a repurposed mailbox located in the VFW Post 3838 parking lot.

kjackson@semissourian.com

573-388-3636