The red, white and blue stars and stripes were quickly engulfed in flames to the point it was unrecognizable as the symbol of America. A group of men placed Old Glory in a barrel of fire - not as a demonstration, but out of respect.

It was Friday – Flag Day – and American Legion Post 52 was holding its annual flag retirement ceremony at the Clark Fork Valley Elks Lodge 2757 to properly dispose of 240 unserviceable U.S. flags. There is no law that requires that an American flag be disposed of in a specific manner, but according to the U.S. Flag Code, it is recommended that a flag that is no longer usable "should be destroyed in a dignified and ceremonious fashion, preferably by burning."

"A flag may be a flimsy bit of printed gauze, or a beautiful banner of finest silk. Its intrinsic value may be trifling or great, but its real value is beyond price, for it is a precious symbol of all that we and our comrades have worked for and lived for, and died for a free nation of free men, true to the faith of the past, devoted to the ideals and practice of justice, freedom and democracy," said Post Commander Bill Beck at the start of the ceremony. Beck also noted that the flags they were about to retire by fire would be replaced by "bright new flags."

Some of the seven American Legion members present went through a short scripted narration that included a prayer by the Legion chaplain, Bob Jackson, a veteran of the Army and Navy.

"I thought I'd never burn a flag, but here I am retiring flags," said Jackson, a Hot Springs resident and a Vietnam War veteran. "It's still painful, but it needs to be and this is the right way to do it," said Jackson. This was Jackson's first time to participate in a flag retirement ceremony. "I've seen demonstrators on TV burning the flag and I wanted to light them off a little," he said.

The post normally holds the flag ceremony each Flag Day, June 14, but didn't have enough flags last year, said Post Commander Bill Beck. A collection box for people to drop off unserviceable flags is located in front of Harvest Foods. Most of flags came from the west end of the county. The majority of those on the east end of the county drop their flags off at the VFW in Plains for their flag ceremony that is held on each Dec. 7, the anniversary of the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

With nearly two dozen people watching last week's 45-minute long ceremony, the men of Post 52 retired the flags one by one. Some of the flags looked barely worn while others were badly tattered, torn and faded. The flags ranged in size from 4X6 inches to 5X9½ feet. There were also two flags of Montana state, one from California state and three Prisoner of War/Missing In Action flags. Beck first doused each flag with lighter fluid so they would burn faster as the vets alternated between three burn barrels behind the Elks Lodge building.

Beck has participated in several flag retirements for the American Legion and for the VFW in Plains, but this was his first as post commander. "I look at it as a solemn ceremony, something to be looked at with reverence and dignity," said Beck, who retired as a Navy senior chief after 26 years. "I feel sorry for those people that burn the flag to show disrespect. They don't understand the true meaning of what the flag stands for. It actually gives them the right and privilege to protest by showing disrespect," he said. Beck nevertheless doesn't believe there should be a law that makes it illegal to burn a flag out of protest because it's a basic freedom of speech.

Thompson Falls resident Ron Chisenhall, a Vietnam War veteran who served in the Army from 1970-1973, disagreed. "When people burn the flag in the street, it shows disrespect for the flag and disrespect for the men and women who fought and shed their blood and died for the freedoms the demonstrators have in this country," said Chisenhall. Ken Matthiesen, who served in the Navy from 1966-1971 and Army from 1972-1995, and retired as a first sergeant, agreed with Chisenhall. "I feel an obligation to do what's right," said Matthiesen, who has participated in six flag retirements, "and the right thing is to retire the flag in a fitting ceremony."

Ed Moreth

NO LONGER USABLE – Unserviceable American flags await their final destination by American Legion Post 52 in Thompson Falls in the form of a retirement ceremony.

The other Legion members to participate in the ceremony were: Don Burrell, Grant J. Bailey and Marv Tanner.