Respecting the flag: Properly retiring flags is a community tradition
SHERIDAN — Boy Scout Jake Aitchison solemnly places a worn flag into the fire, ensuring its proper retirement. Quietly, he honors the tradition of disposing of the nation’s symbol with dignity.
In Sheridan, residents can find several flag deposit boxes, including ones at the American Legion and The Home Depot. The American Legion takes care of these boxes, using them as collection points for worn and tattered flags in need of proper retirement.
Once gathered, the flags are stored until they can be ceremonially retired with respect.
The Home Depot flag deposit box originally served as an Eagle Scout project, done by former scout Riis Card.
Troop 117 Scout Master John Aitchison was not around when the box was constructed; however, he understands the importance of properly retiring the flag.
“The box is partnered with the American Legion so they help service and take the flags to be properly retired,” John Aitchison said.
Once collected, both the American Legion and Sheridan Boy Scouts hold their own separate services to retire the flags. The Sheridan Boy Scouts have a flag retirement ceremony each spring, usually featuring a full trash bag of flags.
“According to the U.S. Code, they recommend that the flag is retired through cremation so a well-lit fire and if you have enough fuel in the fire, you can place a folded flag into it or you can actually tear up the flag so the pieces are smaller, but they want you to fully get rid of the flag,” John Aitchison said.
After all of the flags have been retired, the Boy Scouts will often collect the grommets — the small metal rings sown into the flag — and attach them to their vests to remember their participation in the ceremony, Jake Aitchison said.
The American Legion completes a nearly identical ceremony, retiring quite a few flags collected from each of the boxes. Oftentimes, there are too many flags to retire at one time, so American Legion Adjutant John Bennett said they will bring the flags to the crematorium.
“That is the most helpful way because boy, we get a lot of them,” Bennett said.
Currently, the Legion is experiencing a flag backlog and having a difficult time finding the time to retire the flags.
“We used to do it at the VA, but with COVID, we didn’t do it (there) anymore,” Bennett said. “I want to try and get that set up again.”
Bennett does not have a time frame for restarting the ceremony. However, he hopes to find a moment to retire the current flags in storage, respectfully taking them out of service.
“It is respect for the flag,” Bennett said. “You don’t just throw it in the garbage. It is a respect thing for our colors.”
This story was published on December 27, 2024.