The Honor Guard lined up, tattered and faded flags carried gently to their rest to the pit to be purified by and retired to the flame. These flags’ tours of duty are over.

It’s a time-honored tradition that on June 14, the national holiday known as Flag Day, that the American flags which have flown high above local edifices and homes and agencies and offices are laid to rest. Instead of the dishonor of being abandoned to the trash, the stars and stripes are set aflame.

The National Flag Conference met in June 1923 and established the Flag Code, which declared “the flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing.”

In 1937, the American Legion passed a resolution regarding flag retirement ceremonies and the disposal of unusable flags: “The approved method of disposing of unserviceable flags has long been that they be destroyed by burning.”

Locally, the James Dickey Post 23 American Legion conducted their solemn flag retirement ceremony on Flag Day with flags that were faded, torn, and no longer fit for service. Most flags the post receives for this annual retirement have flown at least a year.

“These flags today have come from people’s residences, from businesses, and they’ve come from government facilities where they have flown for well over a year,” said Post 23 Commander John Simon.

It can be a shocking sight to those who may not understand the difference between burning a flag in a retirement ceremony and burning one in political protest.

“These flags are dipped in kerosene and they’re placed in the fire to be burned. This is a respectful, honorable retirement of the flag,” Simon said. “This is not something being done in protest.”

Each officer of the post has a specific part of the ceremony. Some may handle the flags and lower them to their rest in the flames. Others pray, speak at the event, or play bugle. Still other members of the Honor Guard hold post with the American flag and the Post flag in salute to the ones being retired.

“These flags are worn, they’re tattered, they need to be replaced,” Simon said. “So, what we do is end the year on Flag Day and hold a ceremony and retire these flags from service.”

Residents are invited to bring their old American flags to Post 23 for retirement any time throughout the year. Everyone is invited to attend the flag retirement ceremonies, which occur behind the James Dickey Post 23 American Legion on Court Street in Portsmouth.