Flag retirement

On Tuesday, June 14, Boy Scout Troop 316, led by Scout Master Heather Kennerson, performed a Flag Retirement Ceremony for Unserviceable Flags for the Lake Oconee Elks Lodge. The ceremony started out with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag led by Elk Bob Colie. Scouts Major Dukes and Jasper Kimbrough, assisted by Scout Leader Craig Johnson from Troop 316, began by unfolding the first flag and preparing it for a dignified retirement. Scout Master Kennerson gave the meaning of each of the thirteen strips and the blue field as the stripes were cut and placed in the fire.

The first stripe is in honor of the thirteen original colonies and our forefathers who founded this great nation, we salute you.

The second stripe is to the men who died in the War for Independence, we salute you.

The third stripe is to those men who fell in the War of 1812 to preserve our freedom, we salute you.

The fourth stripe is to the brave soldiers on both sides, The North and The South, in the Civil War, we salute you.

The fifth stripe is retired in memory of those who shed their blood in the name of hope and freedom in The Great War, we salute you.

The sixth stripe is for our fathers and sons who died in the terrible battles of World War Two, Pearl Harbor, Anzio, Midway, The Bulge, Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, Normandy and Berlin, we salute you.

The seventh stripe is to the men of the First Marine Division, who in a rear guard action at the Chosin Reservoir in Korea saved their battalion and the lives of their brother Marines, we salute you.

The eighth stripe is for the brave men and women of our armed forces who died on the fields of fire in Vietnam and whose names will live on forever on that hallowed wall, we salute you.

The ninth stripe is for our commander in chief, who leads our nation in good times, and bad, we salute you.

The tenth stripe is for the Boy Scouts of America and all the Scouts who have gone before us, we salute you.

The eleventh stripe is to God, our parents and our families who we love and respect, we salute you.

The twelfth stripe is to the men and women of our armed forces, the Arsenal of Democracy and the Hammer of Freedom, we salute you.

The thirteenth stripe and last is to freedom because without freedom there is no honor, without honor we are not Americans, and on this we vow, that as long as this flag flies, we salute you.

After the last stripe was burned, the Blue Field was retired. “At last we retire this blue field upon which are the fifty stars that represent the states of the greatest nation that God in his wisdom put upon this earth, we do this with honor, dignity, and respect.” This is the most solemn ceremony associated with the American flag. This is the only time the American flag is burned.

While the remainders of unserviceable flags were being disposed of Dan Jones played taps. Troop 316 did a wonderful job with this most dignified ceremony. Let us always remember to give the Flag of this great nation the respect that it deserves.