An annual Flag Day tradition continued in Danville Monday as dozens of worn and tattered American Flags were honorably retired.
American Legion Post 210 conducted a formal retirement ceremony on a parking lot at their headquarters along North Jackson Street.
Tom Morse, out-going Adjutant for the Post, says citizens bring their old flags for the ceremony…
{AUDIO: ‘’We collect them throughout the entire year here at the Post, and we preserve ‘em until Flag Day. And then we have a ceremony retiring the flags. And we think it’s the proper thing to do to retire the flags. And – you know – it’s the American way.’’}
During the ceremony the condition of the flags is confirmed which requires them to be retired…
{AUDIO: ‘’There’s only one way to retire the flag. And that is to have a ceremony saying the flags have been tested – and they’re ready to be retired.’’}
The Post 210 Honor Guard fired shots and played Taps as part of the ceremony as a small group – including some children – watched.
Morse adds Post 210 accepts flags throughout the year that need to be retired….
{AUDIO: ‘’At Post 210 we have a mailbox that says ‘American Flags only’. Well, we’ll take any flag you have, and 24 hours-a-day you can put flags in that mailbox – just to the left of the west door. Or you can give it to somebody at the Post and we’ll make sure it gets retired properly.’’}
Black smoke rose from the pile of burning flags Monday, just off the American Legion’s parking lot. The ceremony marked the start of a busy day at Post 210 that included baseball and bingo.
