DEARBORN, Mich. – For the last 25 years, every Flag Day, American Legion Post 364 veterans gather at Ford Field in Dearborn to properly dispose of tattered and worn United States flags.
Flag code and etiquette say the Stars and Stripes should be burned and the ashes buried.
“I think the majority of people don’t really know they should be burned and taken down when they’re tattered and faded,” Rick Neveu from Post 364 said.
We here at Local 4 made it a station event to put out the call that if you had old flags that you wanted to see properly disposed of, come see us in Shelby Township.
We collected nearly 2,000, and we turned many of them over to Post 364 for proper disposal.
--> Honoring the Symbol of Freedom: How to respectfully retire worn American Flags
One of the most heartwarming aspects of the American Legion’s Flag Day ceremony is the warm welcome extended to the public. This inclusivity is a testament to the shared responsibility we all have in honoring our national symbol, the flag.
As they hoist a fresh flag in the park, they take the old one down and present it for inspection.
It’s then added to the display, and members lovingly drape it with all those worn flags and set it on fire under the watchful eye of the Dearborn Fire Department as Taps is played.
“The flag represents not just the country,” Neveu said. “It represents all the people who fought and died for the flag.”
---> We’re collecting worn-out American flags in Shelby Township on May 23: What to know