
If you display the U.S. Flag or a State Flag, then you know that with time it wears out. The wind will eventually cause damage, the sun will fade the flag, and sometimes just time itself will cause the flag to come into a status where it no longer should be used. When this happens, many people have heard that the retirement of a flag has established rules. In many cases, the flag is put on a shelf and replaced with a new flag instead of having a retirement for the flag. While everyone may not know the established rules to retire a flag, on Saturday, January 5 a Flag Retirement Ceremony will be held in Fouke, Arkansas at the Fouke Veterans Memorial Park. The event will start at 2 p.m. and will allow anyone from the community to bring worn, faded or damaged U.S. Flags for a free, and proper retirement. While the focus of the event is the national flag, the organizers say that state flags will also be retired properly at the event, and they are offering this service.
Ronnie Dancer, Sr., a local Fouke resident and veteran, said
that he and a group of veterans from the area wanted to do something to allow
people to retire flags appropriately. He
said that Home Depot and Walmart had already given flags to be retired to the
group and that the community is encouraged to bring flags which need to be
retired. The Walmart Neighborhood Market in Wake
Village provided three flags for retirement.
Ronnie also stated that active military in the area, and veterans in the
area are encouraged to attend and participate in the event.
The event is being hosted by the Major John B. Burton S.C.V.
Camp #1664 of Texarkana, Arkansas. The group and veterans in the area hope to
make the event an annual one to allow community members to retire their state
and national flags appropriately and according to the established standards in
one place yearly. Ronnie Dancer stressed
that all flags will be treated with respect, dignity and retired according to
appropriate and established rules and regulations.
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