PDA

View Full Version : Flag disposal important to vets



thedrifter
06-15-07, 06:53 AM
Flag disposal important to vets
By EMILY PREVITI - epreviti@nwnewsgroup.com

HARVARD – Gary Swanson had set flame to plenty of American flags.

Swanson, 60, enlisted in the Marines in 1966 and served a 13-month tour in Vietnam.

He’s now the commander of Harvard American Legion Post 265, which, like other chapters, often takes unusable flags off the hands of civilians who’d rather let veterans dispose of them – by burning the flags in a low-key ceremony.

Harvard Girl Scout Troop 14, Boy Scout Troop 117 and Cub Scout Pack 117 joined Post 265 as the group ceremoniously disposed of about 150 American flags Tuesday evening in the backyard of post member Charles Kelly.

The disposal preceded Flag Day, which is today.

Although American Legion posts typically conduct such ceremonies, they don’t have to, nor do you have to be a veteran or member of the military to dispose of a flag.

“My girls are all in first grade, and it's all a matter of learning ... that you can't just throw one away – or you're not supposed to,” Carrie Harvey, leader of Troop 14 said.

In reality, few hard and fast rules actually govern the proper disposal.

The U.S. Flag Code is a five-page explanation of the correct method for hanging or flying a flag – don’t let it touch the ground or fly during inclement weather or at night, unless it’s illuminated.

The only reference to flag disposal is that the preferred method is burning, ideally with discretion, lest the act be viewed as a form of protest.

For Legionnaires, the ceremony fosters patriotism and respect for the flag among themselves, but more so for others who might go to or hear about the occasion.

“For most people, Memorial Day is a three-day weekend,” Swanson said of patriotism among the general public.

The steps outlined on the national association’s Web site dictate that the ceremony be held outside at night near a small fire. They provide a script assigning tasks by rank.

Unserviceable flags are dipped in kerosene, then placed into the fire and saluted.

Flags are considered unserviceable if they are “torn, ripped, dirty, faded, or visibly damaged,” according to Wade Habshey, deputy director of public relations at the American Legion.

“We find people get busy in their day-to-day lives and may not notice [the wear],” Habshey said.

What is Flag Day?

It was first observed in 1877 on the 100th anniversary of the Continental Congress' adoption of the official flag of the United States. In that year, Congress asked that all public buildings fly the flag on June 14.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Flag Day as a national celebration. However, the holiday was not officially recognized until 1949 when President Harry Truman signed the National Flag Day Bill.

Ellie