2 ceremonies held in Cedar City highlight proper way of retiring U.S. flags

Written by Jeff Richards
June 16, 2023

CEDAR CITY — Two separate flag retirement ceremonies were held in Cedar City on Wednesday evening, in conjunction with Flag Day. 

Troop 1848 Boy Scouts and Iron County Veterans Coalition members prepare flags for flag retirement ceremony at Pyramid Ridge campground south of Cedar City, Utah, June 14, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The first one took place at the Pyramid Ridge campground just south of Cedar City. It was conducted by members of the Iron County Veterans Coalition, which includes members of the local posts of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars and other organizations.

Five Boy Scouts from the Enoch-based Troop 1848 assisted with the ceremony, namely Cameron Shaw, Carson Shaw, Brighton Dutson, Tyler Bird and Austin Womack. The boys, along with their leaders and other adults, started by preparing dozens of worn-out and unusable flags by folding them and placing them on nearby picnic tables. 

Then, following the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and short welcoming remarks by Lloyd Kartchner, a Boy Scout and a veteran brought forward the first flag and lowered it into a bonfire as “Taps” was played in the background.

After that, the rest of the Boy Scouts, along with several other people in attendance, took turns bringing dozens of flags, one by one, to the fire pit.

U.S. Air Force veteran Dennis Robison said such ceremonies are meant to help the public “know how to properly retire these colors and how important it is to do it the right way.”

Flag retirement ceremony at the Pyramid Ridge campground south of Cedar City, Utah, June 14, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

“I never want to forget to honor the flag when I see it,” Robison told Cedar City News in a short interview beforehand. 

“I think it’s important for the country to continue to honor the flag, because it’s a symbol of our freedoms, a symbol of all that our country has done,” he added. “The flag’s always been there, in every major battle and war … torn, blown apart, and it’s still flying over our country and in many places. I feel blessed to be in this country. It’s an honor to honor the flag.”

Less than an hour later, a second ceremony took place at Cedar City’s Veterans Park at 200 North and 200 East. It was conducted by members of the Veterans Association of Southern Utah, assisted by a group of youth Civil Air Patrol cadets.

Following a welcome by association vice president Gerald Van Iwaarden, a retired U.S. Navy veteran, Utah National Guard Captain Eric Heaps provided instructional remarks about U.S. flags and their disposal.

“We follow the guidance found in the U.S. Flag Code,” he said. “We are not compelled to. We do it of our own free will. And just as someone may exercise their right to burn the flag while making a statement we may not agree with, we too make our voice heard by following an unenforceable law that reads as follows: ‘The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.’”

Civil Air Patrol cadets at flag retirement ceremony at Cedar City Veterans Park, Cedar City, Utah, June 14, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

That single sentence found in Section 8 of the U.S. Flag code, Heaps noted, is the only thing the code has to say about flag disposal.

Heaps, who is also a corporal with Cedar City Police Department, said that as a school resource officer, he’d see tote bins full of worn-out flags sitting in storage.

“When we don’t retire flags regularly, they tend to accumulate,” he noted.

“Many organizations have generated procedures that are religiously adhered to for the task of retiring a flag,” Heaps said. “Those ceremonies can be powerful but it’s important to remember that anyone can retire a flag at any time, and are encouraged to do so in a dignified way.”

After Heaps’ remarks, the Civil Air Patrol cadets took turns unfurling and lowering flags into a small fire bin, followed by a solemn salute. Two buglers played “Taps.” Later, a bagpipe player provided musical accompaniment as Vanlwaarden read aloud a poetic tribute to “Old Glory.”

At the conclusion of the short ceremony, the cadets then presented brand-new flags to representatives of four local law enforcement agencies, namely Cedar City Police, Iron County Sheriff’s Office, Utah Highway Patrol and Cedar City Fire Department.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons and one granddaughter. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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