American Legion honors American flag

Vince Rost, former American Legion Post 5 commander, scoops ice cream at Sunday's annual Flag Retirement Ceremony at the American Legion.
Vince Rost, former American Legion Post 5 commander, scoops ice cream at Sunday's annual Flag Retirement Ceremony at the American Legion.

American Legion Post 5 honored the American flag Sunday with its annual Flag Retirement Ceremony, followed by a meal of hot dogs and hamburgers.

The noon ceremony was held outside the American Legion Post 5 on Tanner Bridge Road. The event took place on Flag Day, which celebrates our country's freedom through adopting the U.S. flag on June 14, 1777, by resolution of the Second Continental Congress.

"The flag has a lot of meanings to me and other veterans," Post 5 Commander Jim Rosenberg said. "First of all, it's a symbol of our nation. It is America, it's hot dogs and apple pie, and it goes with us wherever we go, whether in peacetime or in war. So we take care of it, we respect it, we honor it."

Flags are made of cloth and nylon, he said, so they don't last forever. When they become sun-faded and tattered - they've had bullet holes in times of war - the American Legion gives them a proper retirement, Rosenberg said.

The ceremony, held in Post 5's upper parking lot, featured two vice commanders inspecting the flags, then turning them over to the commander, who ordered them to be properly retired. After burning the flags, "Taps" was played, followed by a 21-gun salute.

Sunday's ceremony also featured a two-bell ceremony from Post 5's auxiliary. The ceremony normally takes place at a Memorial Day event at National Cemetery. The event was changed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, so the two-bell ceremony didn't happen then.

The two-bell ceremony honored the 55 members of the American Legion Post 5 who died in the past year.

"It was too many," Rosenberg said. "They come from three different wars: World War II, Korea and Vietnam."

He encouraged members of the public to bring their worn-out flags to Post 5, so it can properly retire the flags next year. The public can bring the flags inside if the American Legion is open. Otherwise, they can drop them in the old-style mailbox painted with an American flag on the front of the building.

During the past year, they've gathered thousands of flags, enough to fill a 26-foot box trailer, Rosenberg said.

Charlotte Dudenhoeffer, a veteran and former school teacher at Thorpe Gordon Elementary School, recalled talking about Flag Day to her students years ago. Some of the students were having a hard time understanding the significance of a flag retirement ceremony.

"They couldn't understand why we would burn the flag when we're supposed to stand up and do the salute. They thought it was a disrespect," she said.

She spoke with the principal, who let her bring a worn flag and hold a flag retirement ceremony at the school. "Then the kids understood, and it actually meant something to them for Flag Day," she said.

She believes that respect will stay with them for the rest of their lives. She wishes schools did more to teach students about the importance of the American flag.