I had the honor of being a part of The Great American Flag Swap. We teamed up with a few stations in our Beasley Media Group cluster here in Augusta for this great event. We were set up at SRP Park in North Augusta. And all you had to do was bring an old or worn flag and we would exchange it for a new one. Then, we make sure that the old flag is ceremonially retired. The retirement procedure is laid out in the National Flag Foundation.
We took in over 100 flags. From there, they were turned over to The American Legion Post 71 in North Augusta on East Spring Grove Ave. They will be holding a retirement service. The American flag is a symbol of our nation’s history and values. It deserves to be treated with respect, even when it is time for it to be retired.
If you have an old or worn American flag that needs to be retired, here is what you need to know:
- Turn your old flags over to someone like the VFM or American Legion who will have a proper ceremony.
- Never just put your flag in the trash or a landfill.
- You should make every effort never to let your flag touch the ground.
- There is an official ceremony for retiring flags.
- There is a United States Flag Code. It tells you how to treat all flags and what is expected
If you are not in a position where you can be a part of a proper retirement you can bury the flag or cut it into small pieces before disposing of it. The most important thing is to ensure that the flag is not thrown away or treated disrespectfully. June 14th is when we celebrate Flag Day, which is considered the most appropriate day to hold flag disposal ceremonies.
You will find the official ceremony instructions here.
Here are some photos from yesterday and The Great American Flag Swap
