American Legion, Boy Scouts retire the Stars and Stripes
On the 240th Flag Day, the American Legion Post No. 25 and Boy Scout Troop 4070 inaugurated a flag retirement ceremony at the Veterans Memorial at Bucklin Park in El Centro on Wednesday.
A specific protocol is followed to retire a flag too worn to be flown and it must follow tradition— out of respect, noted Tracy Rascoe, incoming District 30 commander of the American Legion, that oversee nine posts locally.
The unserviceable flag was sheared in strips along the stripped borders after the broad band of blue was first trimmed away before being retired. As the embers consumed the remains, dignitaries such as El Centro Mayor Alex Cardenas, Anacleto Trevino Post No. 25 commander, Tomas Oliva (Rep. Juan Vargas) field representative and Stella Jimenez (Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia) field representative recited verses of “My Name is Old Glory.”
One flag was then burned in a pit as a ceremonial retirement. Once the ceremony ended, dozens of flags were burned in a metal receptacle a few yards away. Those flags came from organizations or private citizens that had flags that were no longer serviceable. About 150 people attended the ceremony.
“The flag is so much more than a piece of cloth and today is not just about the flag, it’s about what it represents,” said Rascoe. “We’re here for appreciation and respect for our flag … white is for purity and innocence, red for hardness and valor and blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice.”
Rascoe went on that it was an honor to have a park like the Veterans Memorial in El Centro.
“It helps residents appreciate veterans, their service, the POWs and MIAs,” he said. “Jason (Councilman Jackson) and I will sit down in a couple of weeks and discuss the lessons learned today and reach out to other organizations who’d like to participate. We’d like to do the retirement at least once a year.”
Rascoe added that the American Legion and the Boy Scouts of America go hand-in-hand because their beliefs and mission run along parallel paths.
“So a lot of our Legion posts sponsor a scout troop,” he said. “We sponsor Troop 4070 out of Imperial.”
Ross Simmons, scout master of Troop 4070, noted they were there to show support for Post No. 25 and that it was a culmination of learning the appropriate protocols of flag retirement etiquette.
“The flag symbolizes our country and all it stands for and believe in,” said Simmons. “But today to retire flags on this scale (hundreds) is an honor. And showing the community how it’s done is a unique experience and hopefully turns into an annual event. But for me to mentor these kids on flag etiquette is a special privilege.”
For Joaquin Reclosado Jr., Marine Corps 1st Sgt. and Korean Veteran, he was thrilled to be handling the musical accompaniment and audio system.
“Being Marines, we’ve been honoring the flag since we raised it at Iwo Jima (WWII/Pacific theater),” he said. But this is our first flag retirement at Veterans Memorial and we hope to get it right. More than that, we want to welcome our citizens and make them aware of the retirement ceremony.”
Speaking for Post No. 25 members and many others Anacleto Trevino, commander, remarked it was an esteemed privilege to participate in the retirement ceremony.
“The flag looks over our country,” he said. “It protects our home and the world. I’m honored to be a part of that.”