Peachland gets ready to host a new flag dropbox to help residents honorable and correctly retire the American Flag.
PEACHLAND — To truly honor the American Flag, the American Legion passed a resolution in 1937 to ensure the flag is retired properly. Now, Peachland is working towards collecting and honoring the local worn out flags.
Members of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) are refurbishing old newspaper boxes Retired American Flag dropboxes. The dropboxes will be placed in accessible locations for community members to donate old or torn flags.
It is considered disrespectful to just throw out an American Flag if you are in need of a new one, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Rules on how to properly fly the flag, the Flag Code, were established in 1923 at the National Flag Conference. The Flag Code states, “The flag represents a living country and is considered a living thing.”
Because the flag is a considered living, there is a proper way to retire the flag.
“The primary purpose is to honor the flag for the service the flag has given,” said Kay Jo Baucom, president of the American Legion Auxiliary at American Legion Post 440. “Within the service, it lets you know the flag is just not a piece of material.”
The flag can represent many things. For one it is a symbol for the United States, but it also represents honor and service.
Once flags are collected in Peachland, it will be given to the American Legion Post 440 in New Salem to be properly retired. Any flag can and should be retired properly.
The American Legion is the nation’s largest wartime veterans service organization focused on enhancing the well-being of American’s veterans, their families, the military and communities.
“If your flag is torn, if your flag is discolored, if there is anyway the flag is damaged or look as good as it should, then it is time for retirement,” Baucom said.
The American Legion Post 440 in New Salem hosts the retirement ceremony a few times a year due to the significant amount of flags submitted for retirement.
“It is our intent to make sure each and every flag, regardless of size, regardless of material, is retired respectfully,” Baucom said.
The new dropbox in Peachland, which will hopefully be ready to place by the 4th of July, will take the burden off of residents who are worried they are not properly disposing of the flag.
The dropbox is currently in the final step of getting a makeover. A custom tint shop based out of Charlotte is adding vinyl wrap to convert the old newspaper box to a dropbox.
“It’s been a true community project and is anxiously awaited by our entire community who’ve been following the progress along on social media as each step occur, at each supporters location,” said Peachland resident Michael Letterman-Williams.
Anyone is welcomed to attend a flag retirement ceremony.
During the ceremony, the flags will be honorably destroyed by burning. A color guard presents the colors and a chaplain offers prayer. The crowd salutes the flag as it begins to burn.
“It really is kind of a reverent time,” Baucom said. “As you’re standing there watching the flag burning in little fragments or going up into the sky, it’s like you’ve done your job.”
Baucom said the symbol of the ceremony to honor the flag that has flown diligently, admirably all over the county as the flag has completed its service.
There are other proper ways to dispose of the flag. According to the VFW, residents can dispose of the flag themselves but you must fold the flag in its customary manner. When you burn the flag, make sure your fire is big enough to fully burn the flag. Then salute the flag and say the Pledge of Allegiance of hold a moment of silence.
Other veterans service organizations say you can also properly bury the folded flag in a special dignified box.
