ATHENS COUNTY, Ohio —
The flag of the United States of America flies on flag poles, stands in local cemeteries and is handed out at parades – but where do the flags go once they’re tattered?
Proper U.S. flag disposal is often taken on by local veterans groups. In Athens County, groups including the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7174 in The Plains or VFW Post 9893 in Albany collect damaged American flags to ensure they are treated with respect when retired from use.
“It’s our duty and it’s our right to do it, because most of us did over 20 years serving for our country, it’s one of the things that we expect to do every year,” Brian Johnson, quartermaster of the Albany VFW, told the Independent.
Flag etiquette
Flag collection and storage follows the U.S. Flag Code, advisory rules for how American flags should be displayed and maintained. Though Congress considers the U.S. Flag Code to be generally unenforceable, notable provisions include:
- The U.S. flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor or water.
- The U.S. flag should never be used as apparel, bedding or drapery.
- No part of the U.S. flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, flag patches may be affixed to the uniforms of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations.
- It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.
The section of the law pertaining to flag disposal reads, “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”
The type of burning described in the U.S. Flag Code is different from flag burning as an act of protest, which the U.S. Supreme Court has deemed protected political speech.
Flag retirement
Locally, flag retirement ceremonies begin with veterans organizations that collect the flags from multiple sources.
“We collect flags from the surrounding areas,” Brian Johnson said. “We partnered with the Athens Title Office, they have a drop-off box there that we started a couple years ago. We also partner with the American Legion Post 21 and they bring [out the ones they collect]. We also collect the flags from the cemeteries, memory gardens in Alexander Cemetery, and then a few others, like the Athens Catholic Cemetery.”
These collection points gather flags of all sizes, including smaller American flags from veterans’ graves and casket-sized flags used in funerals.
Ahead of this year’s flag retirement ceremony, the Albany VFW collected 22 trash bags full of flags, Brian Johnson said.
After collection, flags are cut up in a specific manner, a process intended to strip the fabric of its symbolic meaning.
“To retire a flag, we cut the stars out of it,” John Keirns, quartermaster of The Plains VFW, told the Independent. “We separate the stripes, and now we have a whole bunch of rags.”
The first cut removes the flag’s blue square containing the 50 stars, which represent each U.S. state. The subsequent cuts separate each stripe by color, leaving behind a pile of fabric pieces.
“You don’t want to separate the stars, because that signifies unity,” Fred Johnson, of The Plains VFW, told the Independent.
Not every group retires the flag in the same way.
Instead of cutting, the Albany VFW folds it into the iconic triangle shape before disposal. This is known as the 13 folds, with each fold having its own separate meaning.
Gathered and prepped flags then are stored for the next flag retirement ceremony. The Albany VFW holds its annual flag ceremony National Flag Day, June 14, while The Plains VFW does its ceremony annually Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
On the day of a flag retirement ceremony, a fire is lit and fueled with only wood. A speech is given honoring the flag, which is then usually followed by prayer.
If cut, the fabric scraps are then placed into the fire in bunches. Each person who places a piece in the fire says “thank you” as they do so, Keirns said. Individual whole flags are folded and burned one flag at a time, Brian Johnson said.
Once all the retired flags have been burned, the fire is put out and the ceremony ends
Keirns told the Independent that it’s supposedly “good luck” to pick up a grommet, the metal ring circlet by which flags are hosted, from the retired flags’ ashes after a flag retirement ceremony.
Local residents can drop off flags for retirement at the following locations, among others:
- Albany VFW, 3025 Dickson Road, Albany.
- Athens County Title Office, 936 E. State St., Athens.
- Athens Elks #973, 600 W. Union St., Athens.
- American Legion Post 21, 520 W. Union St., Athens.
- The Plains VFW, 12 Pine St., The Plains.
While veterans groups and the military offer flag collection services, the U.S. Flag Code permits anyone to dispose of a U.S. flag. The general guidance is a large to medium-sized fire should be built that can fully incinerate the flag.
