This is Al Meyer, Brunswick County Resident and Secretary of the Lower Cape Fear Chapter Sons of the American Revolution at the latest American Flag Retirement of the Chapter.  As flags are worn out or damaged they should be properly and ritually burned.  To properly retire a flag, the field of stars is cut from the flag, the stripesare cut apart and for the first flag in the ceremonial group that stripe and the state represented  name is announced as the stripe is placed into the burn container.  The star fields are burned as a part of the ceremony. The later flags are retired without further dismantling.   After all flags are burned, the ashes are buried at the base of the flag pole at the entrance to Oakdale Cemetery.  Flags are accumulated for a time to allow up to 400 flags for a retirement.

The Stamp Defiance Chapter, DAR, led by Regent Meg Smith, assisted in the reading of remembrances of the meaning of the flag.  Raymond Greene, a local singer, sang the National Anthem and several patriotic songs as the flags were retired.

For information regarding the Sons of the American Revolution local chapter and it’s activities, please contact Gene Funderburk.