How to Retire the American Flag with Dignity, Honor & Respect
On July 8, 2015, a small group of people gathered at the Coastal Bend Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Corpus Christi to perform a U.S. Flag Disposal Ceremony. Those present included the Honorable Judge Gregory T Perkes, 13th Court of Appeals, Nueces County Veterans Service Officer, Mr. Toby Cross, and members of the community. Also in attendance were a Color Guard and an Honor Guard.
The ceremony was hosted by the Veterans Band of Corpus Christi, under the direction of Mr. Ram Chavez. Mr. Chavez, who served as a combat medic in Vietnam, is a well-respected advocate for Veterans in the Coastal Bend community and coordinates many of the ceremonies at the Coastal Bend Texas State Veterans Cemetery.
The flags were cut into sections along the 13 stripes and separated from the field of blue. The Veterans Band of Corpus Christi accompanied the ceremony while members of the Honor Guard and community carried the flags and placed them gently in the fire. Thus, twenty-one American flags were retired with honor, dignity and respect.
So, how do you conduct a similar ceremony to retire your own American flag?
“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.” — U.S. Flag Code (Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 8)
The code does not specify a procedure for burning the flag, just that it be in good taste and show no direspect to the flag. The following are some suggested steps to retire your American flag in an appropriate way:
- Fold the flag into its traditional triangular fold or carefully cut the flag along each stripe into 13 strips, seven red and six white, then cut the field of blue to separate it from the strips.
- Light a fire that is intense enough to completely burn the flag to ashes. Please make sure to conform to local and state fire codes or ordinances.
- Place the flag on the fire with reverence and dignity.
- As the flag burns, show your respect through words and actions: salute the flag, recite the Pledge of Allegiance, play the national anthem and/or observe a brief period of silent reflection.
- After the flag is completely destroyed, safely extinguish the fire or allow it to gradually burn out on its own (don’t leave the fire unattended as it burns down).
- Bury the ashes in the earth.
For a more formal ceremony, contact the Veterans of Foreign Wars or the American Legion, as they regularly organize dignified flag-burning ceremonies.
As stated in the U.S. Flag Code, burning is only the preferred method of retirement. It is perfectly acceptable to conduct the same reverential ceremony above, and bury or recycle your flag in a dignified manner instead.
To bury the flag, fold it or cut it respectfully, and place it in a dignified wooden box, one that is worthy of serving as a vessel for the flag while its interred in the ground.
As an alternative, you can recycle your flag. When the flag code was initially signed into law in 1942, American flags were generally made from wool or cotton. Many of today’s flags are made out of nylon, polyester or other synthetic, petroleum-based materials that can produce noxious fumes and toxic residue.
The Boy Scouts of America advocate recycling the American flag and suggest delivering the flag/s to a facility that recycles nylon. Sometimes flag recycling boxes can be found in community centers such as libraries, fire stations, post offices and town halls. There are also resources for recycling your flag online.
No matter which method you choose, as the revered emblem of our great nation the American flag should be held in the highest esteem, and given the proper retirement from service. The Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB) has four Texas State Veterans Cemeteries located in Abilene, Corpus Christi, Killeen and Mission. To find out about upcoming events, including U.S. Flag Retirement Ceremonies, please visit www.TexasVeterans.com or call 1–800–252–8387.
