MILLBROOK — Under sunny autumn skies, Girl Scouts and Brownies visited several cemeteries in the area, collecting flags from the graces of veterans, and bringing them back to Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Post 9008.
Boy Scout leader Ed Olson explained the ceremony from his point of view.
“I see the flags put down on the graves of veterans in the spring; new, clean, fresh, as representing the new soldiers just going into service,” he said. “In the fall, when we collect them to retire them, to me that represents the soldiers who have served, who are tired, battle-weary, and deserving of a respectful retirement.”
Many are not aware that the proper way to retire a flag is though burning it; each flag is treated with reverence. At the burning ceremony, the poem “I am Old Glory” was recited, taps was played and the children handed the flags to the veterans, who put them into the fires located in three barrels.
The troops involved in the flag-burning ceremony included the Brownies/Girl Scouts Troop 10294, Leader Linda Obirzok; Boy Scout Troop 31, Millbrook, Leaders Ed Olson and Mike Herzog.
About 770 flags were removed from St. Joseph’s, St. Peter’s, Clove, Nine Partners, Union Vale and Verbank cemeteries on Saturday, Nov. 13.
Veterans who assisted included Wayne Butler, Susan DeMan, Walt Carrazone and Walt Jacob.
The participants enjoyed hot dogs and soft drinks after their labors were complete.
Firefighters and other uniformed first responders stand alongside flag bearers during Stanford’s ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Nearly 3,000 American flags covered the hillside at Stanford Recreation Park.Photo by Graham Corrigan
The early September sun greeted students as they stepped off their buses at Webutuck Elementary School for the first day of classes Tuesday, Sept. 8.Photo by Leila Hawken
