Local officials retire American flags at ceremony

JACKSON, Tenn. — The burning of an American flag may not be what you would expect to see from a group of patriotic West Tennesseans.

But what they were doing Thursday afternoon in downtown Jackson was actually laying to rest the flags that once lined Liberty Street.

“There’s a specific protocol on flags,” Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist said. “There’s how to display it, but there’s also a protocol on how to retire one.”

The Tulip Grove Daughters of 1812 and the Vietnam Veterans 995 held their annual celebration to retire the old flags and replace them with new ones.

By law, an American flag, if frayed, dirty or faded, should be retired in a specific way — by cutting it in a certain manner, burning it, then burying the ashes.

“A flag that is the symbol of this great nation should not be tattered and torn,” said Sherry Taylor, a representative of Tulip Grove Daughters of 1812. “It should be in the shape of good repair, as our nation is.”

The new flags look beautiful waving high on Liberty Street, but it’s important to remember that the flag is more than just a decoration.

“When we was in Vietnam, it was so important to be able to see the flag,” Vietnam Veteran Bennie Denton said. “It made me think of our country, and that’s what it boils down to is country.”

Jackson residents and organizations, the mayor and the Jackson Fire Department were in attendance.