LAKE ORION, Mich. – On Saturday, July 20, 2024, the VFW (post 334) hosted a flag retirement ceremony at the Orion Veterans Memorial on Lapeer Rd. Representatives from the post as well as the Memorial Board properly and respectfully disposed of approximately 200 United States flags that were torn and tattered after years of use via a ceremonial burning.
ONTV spoke to both Bob Smith, the Orion Veterans Memorial Board Chairman, and Chuck Haskin, Quartermaster for the VFW Post 334 about the event taking place that day and why it is necessary for these flags to be disposed of this way.
“This is a very solemn ceremony that we try to do every year during summertime, where we have a collection of the flags and give them a proper disposal. We call it a flag retirement…” Haskin said. “The only way to properly dispose of a U.S. flag is to put it in the flag and burn it.”
Flag collection boxes are scattered all across the Orion area, places like Ace Hardware and grocery stores feature these collection bins at the entrances.
The flags that were burned that day were only made of cloth, since nylon or plastic fumes are toxic and members of the Board thought it was better to dispose of them separately via burial
Orion Township purchased the land that would become the Orion Veterans Memorial from the Michigan Department of Transportation over 30 years ago, now, it is a staple of not only the armed forces community here in Orion, but with the community at large. The Memorial has several events coming up, including “Patriot Day” on Sep. 11.
“A lot of these flags were donated throughout the last couple years, this is the first one we have done since COVID,” Smith said. “It’s a real honor to do it here, because this is one of the most beautiful memorials that you’ll see and to be able to do it here today is quite an honor.”
For more information on the Orion Veterans Memorial, visit orionveteransmemorial.com.