Burning ceremony retires unserviceable flags — PHOTOS
Community members gathered Saturday morning at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery for the 24th annual Unserviceable Flag Retirement Ceremony.
The Boulder City event, sponsored by the Valley of Fire Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, concluded with the burning of American flags that are too damaged to be flown.
The ceremony was started 24 years ago by Rose O’Grady when she saw a flag being stomped and trampled on, said Nanette Spector, corresponding secretary for the DAR.
“It just broke her heart,” Spector said.
“We have thousands of flags brought to us by citizens and veteran groups,” chapter regent Vikki Allen-Gaskill said. Allen-Gaskill is decorated with 52 pins, each representing an ancestor who served.
Unserviceable flags are also donated by representatives of gas stations, fire and police departments, and others in the community who want the damaged flags to have an honorable retirement.
“Sometimes the flags are so damaged that it makes it hard to fold them,” Allen-Gaskill said.
Boy Scout Troop 7 demonstrated the proper 13-fold process for the flag while retired Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Roberta “Bobi” Pike-Oates explained the significance of each fold.
The natural cotton flags are burned in a custom-made fire pit at the cemetery, and nylon flags are taken to a pet cemetery to be burned to avoid releasing harmful chemicals into the air.
Becoming a DAR member requires proof of ancestors that served in the American Revolution. Proof of lineage requires much research, including marriage, birth and death certificates, Spector said. Fifteen-year-old Rachel Perry, one of the honorees at Saturday’s event, served as western regional vice president of the Children of the American Revolution from 2014 to 2015 and has 11 ancestors who served.
In addition to the DAR, ceremony participants included Sons of the American Revolution, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Scottish Rites, Women Veterans of Nevada, Boy and Girl Scouts of America, Children of the American Revolution, Red Rock Renegade Bagpipers, Liberty High School Junior ROTC and the Green Valley High School Madrigal Choir.
Also in attendance was 98-year-old World War II Normandy invasion veteran Tech. Sgt. Elmer J. Hess.
The Valley of Fire chapter will hold another event at the Parlor Lounge inside the Mirage at 5 p.m. June 23 in honor of Vietnam War veterans.
Contact Lawren Linehan at llinehan@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0381. Find @lawrenlinehan on Twitter.
