Flag Fieldtrip

While working at the resturant I met Mr Herrod. He is with the local VFW post 3308. I was talking to him about the flag and he said that they do a 40 hour class on the history of, display of and retirement of the flag. I asked him if he could shorten the class for a group of home school kids. He said sure he could get it down to an hour. I set one up for Thursday and one for Sunday. The man is very informative but obviously not used to doing children because sometimes he talked over their heads but gave lots of good information. I learned things I did not know.
This flag was being flown over a local business and they brought it to the VFW for retirement.

Mr Herrod told us that as the flag is being made at the factory the fabric touches the floor all the time while they are making the stripes and then the cannon( blue with stars ) but as soon as the cannon touches the stripes the flag is born and it can no longer touch the ground. In order to retire the flag you must take the cannon off and then it is just fabric and can be burned.
After the flag is burned they gather the ashes and take them to the cemetary. They have a plot there where they bury all the flags that they retire. while it is being buried they play Taps.

When this part was over we went back in and had a tour of the little museum they have of the different armed services.