I am a member of the Knights of Columbus and read your article about their flag retirement ceremony. A nice article.
I have done this ceremony many times. I have done it a few times at the veterans’ home in Hanson. That one can be a little tough to do. These people have fought for this flag, so you want to be sure that you do it in a respectful manner.
One time in particular, one of the veterans was concerned that we were going to burn the American flag. He said that he had fought for that flag and did not want to see it burned. We then explained to him that when we cut the flag into four pieces it was no longer a flag. Now he understood and felt much better that we were not burning the “flag,” only the pieces that were once the American flag.
