Flag Collection and Retirement Ceremony

Do you have an old flag to get rid of?
Do you want to give it the respect it deserves?

Two burning questions.

CCRWA recently provided a needed service for the county — how to properly dispose of that worn American Flag. One by one, in some cases eight or ten at a time, the flags came in, tattered, torn, faded and frayed.
 
When a Pennfield resident brought in two flags she told her story. Her husband had served proudly in the military and flew the American Flag like a beacon throughout their marriage. He had always replaced the flag every six months so as to never fly a less than perfect flag, and then off he would go to “take care of” the properly folded old flag. She never knew where he went or what happened to the old one. As she deposited her two flags in the basket she said, with great emotion in her voice, “I so appreciate this, I have changed the flag every six months for two years, since my husband died, but I didn’t know what to do with the old ones. Thank you very much.”

After collecting almost 500 flags at sites at Albion Ford in Albion,at Darlings Hardware and Herman’s Hardware in Marshall, and at M-66 Auto Body & Frame, Justice Fence, and Henkel Chrysler Plymouth in Battle Creek, a formal retirement ceremony was held, giving these Old Glorys the respect they deserved.

At 7:00 pm on Flag Day, Thursday, June 14, 2007, before a quiet and reverent crowd of guests, members of the Calhoun County Vietnam Veterans, as well as BSA Venture Crew 308 performed the formal Flag Retirement ceremony honoring each flag retired. Centerline of Calhoun County was also collection site for worn flags, and the setting for the flag retirement event.

Following the Flag Retirement Ceremony everyone was invited into Centerline’s Club House to enjoy cookies and cold drinks and the speaker, Colonel Tommy L. Lancaster, United States Army, Chief of Staff, Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service.

Col. Lancaster shared his experiences from around the world and at the Federal Center. The words he shared were thought provoking. You may read them by clicking HERE.