How Do You Retire a Flag?

Me | Me

[baseballfanjm]

I was just wondering, what is the proper, respectful way to retire a damaged flag? Thanks for any info.

[JRandomFreeper]

Take it to your local VFW post. They will retire it rightly. There is a ceremony, and it is burned. With respect.

/john

[dennis1x]

it should be burned in a dignified manner

[mdittmar]

VFW's perform this service.

[Arkinsaw]

Just remember, when it is burned, it should be in a private ceremony, not a public one.

[1stMarylandRegiment]

Remove the Field (the blue part) from the Union (the stripes) by cutting it out. Once this is done it is no longer a Flag, merely cloth. It may then be properly retired by ceremonially burning the cloth.

Ask your local Boy Scout Troop or VFW post if they have an annual Flag Retirement Ceremnoy.

My son's Boy Scout Troop collects tattered Flags year-round and properly retires hundreds of them every Flag Day.

[baseballfanjm]

Thanks for all the info! You guys really know your stuff here.

[Dale 1]

Thanks for asking. I just happen to have a flag needing to be retired too. I'm reading the responces carefully. Thanks.

[herzo]

For the last few years, our Boy Scout troop has had a flag retirement ceremony as a closing to our fall Court of Honor. The field is cut from the union and the union is further cut into strips of the individual colors. After a ceremony that reflects on the meaning and history of the flag, the scouts and their parents are asked to lay the cloth reminants in our bonfire. Once the meeting is ajourned, the ashes are buried by the scout Honor Guard.

The ceremony is strongly emotional for all involved and gives a new respect for this Emblem of our nation. I am certain that any scout troop would be willing to retire your flag for you.

[baseballfanjm]

You're Welcome.

[rpbooze]

Try this URL for Flag Etiquette Page: http://siteservice.com/flag_etiquitte__usa_.htm

Unfortuately I don't think it contains the information you are looking for, and it may not be the definitive source for Flag Etiquette, but it is still a good reference site.

[airborne]

I would suggest that you take your old glory to your local Boy Scout unit. The Boy Scouts do a beautiful ceremony. I saw one at summer camp last year, where 25 flags were retired. They tore each stipe off the flag, while naming each state that it represented, and a little backround history of that states role in the founding of the nation. Then each part was respectfully placed in the bonfire. As this was going on, Scouts were entering from the sides, and placing folded flags in the fire, causing an eerie, colorful effect.I will never forget it!

[LibKill]

I am highly gratified to see the Flag take it's rightful place in America again. Patriotism is in full flower.

That's the way it should be.

[1stMarylandRegiment]

The field is cut from the union and the union is further cut into strips of the individual colors.

In my Post #6 I neglected to mention that while separating the Field from the Union symbolically renders the Flag of the United States of America merely cloth, it remains protocol to separate the individual 13 stripes, which represent the 13 colonies, from each other.

The bond of voluntary, Constitutional Union thus severed, it is appropriate to retire the elements of our Flag by burning them.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Good question.