Photos by john larson
PATRIOTIC DUTY. Sheryl Anderson (left) and Martha Beech (right) of the post’s ladies auxiliary hold the largest flag at the ceremony, while Commander Elmer Clark holds the smallest. (below) Ashes of burned flags were placed inside this container on the post’s grounds.
American flags big and small that had seen better days received a proper disposal during a ceremony in Tacoma on Flag Day.
Each year on June 14, M/A Wild West Post 91 of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) holds a flag retirement ceremony at the facility on Union Avenue. The flags are faded, soiled, torn or have frayed edges.
This year more than 1,000 flags were collected. Elmer Clark, commander of the post, said they were brought in by individuals, Boy Scouts and Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) members at Foss, Stadium and Clover Park high schools. Members of one VFW post in the area delivered 200 flags, while members of another brought in 70. City of Tacoma employees brought in old flags from city-owned buildings.
Each flag was folded properly inside the post before being taken to a burn barrel in the parking lot, where a VFW member placed them in the fire one at a time. The ashes were placed in a container sunk into the ground.
A short presentation was held in the post’s main room. Cynthia Vasquez, a JROTC cadet at Clover Park, shared her thoughts with the audience on the meaning of the American flag. “It is more than just a piece of cloth. It is a symbol of liberty and freedom,” she said.
Brigadier General Stan Flemming of the U.S. Army Reserves described the flag as “a great symbol of power, a symbol of a great nation.”
A member of University Place City Council who was the city’s first mayor, Flemming served his country in combat during the Persian Gulf War in 1991.
He told the audience about the night before his unit went into Kuwait to confront the Iraqi military. As he and his comrades prepared to head off to battle, he affixed an American flag on top of his vehicle.
In that war the United States was part of a coalition of nations, many of them in the Middle East, which banded together to drive the Iraqis out of Kuwait. An American commanding officer had ordered that no American flags be flown into battle, so as not to offend any of the coalition partners. Flemming’s superior noticed him mounting the flag and reminded him of the commander’s order. Flemming told him that he planned to disobey the order. The superior told Flemming this was a matter between him and the commander and walked away. “At that moment, the flag meant more to me than anything,” Flemming recalled.
He kept the flag up during his entire time in combat and never received a reprimand. When he returned, his wife had the flag framed and it is displayed in his office.
Flemming told the audience the flag serves as a reminder of the sacrifices American military personnel have made to keep our country free and to confront tyranny around the world.
Flemming joined a member of Cub Scout Troop 209 and Clover Park JROTC cadets in demonstrating the proper technique for folding a flag.
Clark said this was the first time the Cub Scouts participated in the ceremony. He is glad the boys were able to learn flag etiquette from the veterans. “We want to spread the knowledge,” he said.
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