The annual flag day ceremony performed by the Kewanee Veterans Council on Saturday, June 14, got some out-of-town visitors this year.
Girl Scout Troop 1626 from Sheffield joined the event and lent a hand to the KVC members at retiring worn-out flags. The scout leaders said the girls are working on their flag ceremony badge and visited Kewanee to participate.
The KVC annually performs the duty of flag disposal. Before the flag retirement begins, the KVC members conduct a Dignified Disposal of Unserviceable Flag Ceremony, followed by a Rifle Salute.
The flags are collected all year from residents, businesses and organizations that wish to retire worn flags. The flags are then gathered together at the American Legion for the ceremony.
Jerry Thompson, finance officer for the KVC, estimated that about 1,000 to 1,200 flags were burned Saturday over the course of several hours. This year, the flag retirement ceremony occurred in the parking lot of the Flemish American Club. The ceremony was formerly held in the parking lot of the American Legion but the legion’s move to its Third Street location necessitated a change.
The Girl Scouts assisted in the disposal of the flags collected from the local cemetery but they also joined in preparing the largest flag for burning.
Like last year, the flag that flew over Berrien Park downtown needed to be retired. Frayed and tattered at the edges, the flag was brought to the veterans by the executive director of the Kewanee Chamber of Commerce Mark Mikenas.
