Local News
American Legion hosts American flag retirement ceremony
Elizabeth Spencer | Lehi Free Press
Patriots gathered at the Quail Cove Amphitheater on Wednesday, April 15, to honorably retire dozens of American flags. Each year, the American Legion Post 49 in American Fork hosts the event.
Vice Commander Gary Steele said preparing for the event is a lot of work. “We enjoy showing the communities we serve patriotism,” said Steele. “We like to show people how to respectfully retire a tattered and faded flag. It’s important they learn how to pay respect in doing that. We collect these flags all year long.”
The ceremony started off with a prayer and the national anthem sung by Molly Watson.
“This event shows young people what it’s like to celebrate our nation. We can celebrate those who’ve died, and we can keep doing it for generations,” Watson shared.
It was appropriate for Watson to share the national anthem. Her mother said that when Molly first heard “The Star-Spangled Banner” as a child, she was in awe. “She loved that song so much, she wanted to learn it. We worked really hard at learning the song, and that’s been her favorite and most-sung song. I don’t know what connected her to the national anthem, but she has always loved it.”
Commander Keith Hall of Post 49 served in the army. He was just two days out of school when he went to army boot camp. He serves with the Timpanogos Color Guard, who perform “Taps” at military funerals. Hall says you can feel the soldier there when they perform.
Hall buys new flags and keeps them in his vehicle. If he sees a worn-out flag flying, he will offer to replace it with a new one at no cost. This honors Old Glory by keeping flags looking crisp and new.
Carrie Fox with Follow The Flag (FTF), an organization dedicated to honoring Old Glory and veterans, was touched by how many flags were laid on the table for retirement and noted how patriotic our community is.
Kyle Fox, founder of FTF, was also present. His organization flies enormous flags over canyons, remembering our servicemen and servicewomen and the sacrifices made for our nation. “These American flags have thousands of threads, and each of these flags has stories like the threads,” he said. Whether the flag flies in your home, yard, on ships, out at war or in enemy territory, he says those flags have their own stories, and their loved ones are part of that thread in those flags.
“It’s interesting to see each person bringing the flags up to the fire, throwing them in, and knowing there’s so much more than red, white and blue; stars and stripes. It carries our own stories,” added Kyle.
Colonel Mark Howard served in the air force in a medical hospital in Vietnam.“I love the flag,” said Howard. “The flag is everything to me.” Howard has attended military funerals where the veterans always have the flag over them. One of the highlights for him is handing the folded flag over to the family of the soldier. He shared that it gives him chills.
The annual flag retirement ceremony is held on the third Wednesday every April at the amphitheater. “It’s important to teach our children and grandchildren a lot of respect for the American Flag and not just throw it in the garbage. They need to be retired with respect, and we’re glad to do that for them,” concluded Steele.
