Anyone ever burn an American flag? 4th of July story

[halfdome109r]

I know this sounds like a crazy question, but I put a new flag up in the yard and I didn't know what to do with the old one.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs117.snc4/36189_1461543091147_1010524570_31274017_3081957_n. jpg
I wanted a new and bigger flag and that's when I realized just how bad my old flag was. That's the old flag under the over hang on the other side of the pic.

I googled it and turns out if the flag isn't in the proper condition to display, you can turn it in to some local gov't office, "which I can't remember the name of" or give it a proper send off by burning it.

So I burned it and it.??? My friend was with me and it was very quit. When it was done, we looked at each other and both agreed that it felt strange. But I would have felt bad if I had just put it in the trash.


When I see someone burning the American flag on T.V. or a movie it bothers me, but some how when I did it, it felt like a proper fair well.

Something I just wanted to share with you guys.

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July.:bigthumbsup:

[scotty109]

your going to get shot down lol.

could have been a good polishing rag

[BamBam70]

Hmmm I'm not sure of the proper protocol for this?

HOWEVER you could have brought it to Vegas and got everyone there to sign it... as a momento

[Gramps]

Normally any V.F.W.,American Legion,D.V.A.,Boy Scouts or Girl Scout troop...among others will properly dispose of any flag when it's worn out. When a flag is in bad condition it is considered to have lost it's symbolism and must be disposed.

[jtrich]

My son's cub scout pack did this ceremony with a really large flag. We cut it up by dividing the strips and explain the different parts of the flag as you burn the different pieces. It was unusually quiet during the ceremony even the boy were silent. It didn't feel right but is the correct way to dispose of an American flag.

[scotty109]

could have made some gay ass chaps out of them too! or a G- String lol

[BamBam70]

LOL good on ya Scott.

Don't knock them til you try em. :bigthumbsup:

[jdmitchell]

As long as the US Flag is folded and placed into a fire in a respectful manner then burned completely you did the right thing.

[nukeblade]

My flag is old and ready to be retired. What should I do?
Section 8k of the Flag Code states, "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." We recommend that you contact your local VFW Chapter and ask them for help properly disposing of your flag. And be sure to consider providing a small donation to them for their assistance. Or you can contact your local Elks Lodge (who created the idea of Flag Day, established officially by President Truman, himself a member of the Elks), the American Legion, or the Knights of Columbus. Some Boy Scout and Girl Scout troups also can provide this service.
See Flag Burning Service and Ceremony.
In earlier times, most American flags were made of cotton or wool. But today's flags are often nylon or other petroleum-based materials. Burning them can release hazardous gases, including formaldehydes, ammonia, carbon monoxide, and traces of hydrogen cyanide into the air. In some states, it is even illegal to burn nylon, so adhering to the Flag Code puts you in direct violation of the law. Burning is preferred for cotton and wool flags. Nylon and flags made from other synthetics can be buried.
Modern flag retirement ceremonies, often held annually on Flag Day, sometimes feature the symbolic burning of a single flag (cotton or wool) and the burial of the others. This is both safe and respectful.
American Flag Recycling: A group advocating recycling nylon flags

[nukeblade]

My son's cub scout pack did this ceremony with a really large flag. We cut it up by dividing the strips and explain the different parts of the flag as you burn the different pieces. It was unusually quiet during the ceremony even the boy were silent. It didn't feel right but is the correct way to dispose of an American flag.Not to cut it up first:o

[STLTGR]

could have made some gay ass chaps out of them too! or a G- String lol


Not cool!

Your flag may not mean much to you but ours has a bit of pride behind it.

[pynikal]

As long as the US Flag is folded and placed into a fire in a respectful manner then burned completely you did the right thing.


good to know but that would still be weird/hard to do and feel ok with it.:dontknow:

[purvistechie]

your going to get shot down lol.

could have been a good polishing rag

That's way not cool.

Not sure what your taught on that side of the pond but over here we're taught respect for our countries flag.

[Minibrinks]

Take it to your local Fire Dept they will dispose of it properly!

[halfdome109r]

good to know but that would still be weird/hard to do and feel ok with it.:dontknow:


I did feel weird, but I knew it wasn't going to end up in a land fill somewhere, but I never thought of being in a position to burn the starts and stripes. At least the tattoo on my back will last as long as me, but in the end it will be burned too.

[halfdome109r]

Take it to your local Fire Dept they will dispose of it properly!


Good to know Mini, google didn't mention anything about local FD's. :bigthumbsup:

[eastcoastblur]

At the risk of getting bombed here I'll add this: It's just a piece of fabric. When my jeans are worn out I toss them. It's just material boys. As long as you are proud of your country, that is all that matters. I'm a fiercely proud Canadian, and I would not worry about disposing of a multi coloured piece of polyester.

F

[CMHGUY]

My son's cub scout pack did this ceremony with a really large flag. We cut it up by dividing the strips and explain the different parts of the flag as you burn the different pieces. It was unusually quiet during the ceremony even the boy were silent. It didn't feel right but is the correct way to dispose of an American flag.


ITS A MUST to disassemble the flag if your gonna burn it... the white, red and the blue must all be seperated... stars can stay on if I remember right but MUST BE DISASSEMBLED to burn..

[jdmitchell]

ITS A MUST to disassemble the flag if your gonna burn it... the white, red and the blue must all be seperated... stars can stay on if I remember right but MUST BE DISASSEMBLED to burn..

There are 2 ways to do it, and I have seen both. One is to cut out each stripe and star individually. The other is to fold the flag (lengthwise twice, then on a 45 degree angle to form a triangle, like when presented as an honor).

[BlkM109r]

At the risk of getting bombed here I'll add this: It's just a piece of fabric. When my jeans are worn out I toss them. It's just material boys. As long as you are proud of your country, that is all that matters. I'm a fiercely proud Canadian, and I would not worry about disposing of a multi coloured piece of polyester.

F


that's not the way it works here.

[eastcoastblur]

I just did some reading on the subject. All Canada states is that "it should be destroyed in a dignified way." I guess my fire pit would suffice, with some Alexander Keith's hoisted for a send off. Now I know :bigthumbsup:

[crdj40m109]

I gotta agree with jtrich and the Cub Scouts. It should feel strange and wrong to destroy our flag. Many, many men have given their very lives to defend it. Ask our current troops what it means to them. Ask the people of Iraq and Afghanistan what affect its presence has meant to them. I guess ask anyone, except Australians and Canadians.

[jdmitchell]

I gotta agree with jtrich and the Cub Scouts. It should feel strange and wrong to destroy our flag. Many, many men have given their very lives to defend it. Ask our current troops what it means to them. Ask the people of Iraq and Afghanistan what affect its presence has meant to them. I guess ask anyone, except Australians and Canadians.

I have been to two separate flag retirement ceremonies, and yes they make you think about all the sacrifices that were made so that we can have the freedoms that we do. But flying an unserviceable flag is a sign of disrespect, so paying respect to a flag that has flown and disposing of it in a respectful manner is what should be done.

[BamBam70]

I gotta agree with jtrich and the Cub Scouts. It should feel strange and wrong to destroy our flag. Many, many men have given their very lives to defend it. Ask our current troops what it means to them. Ask the people of Iraq and Afghanistan what affect its presence has meant to them. I guess ask anyone, except Australians and Canadians.


Settle down idiot! I place great value in my flag and so do most Australians and Canadians I know. Just because two people have a differance of opinion than you doesn't give you the right to tar us all with the same brush.

It would be like saying all Americans say STUPID stuff about other Countries they know nothing about... Just because you do doesn't mean all my other US and Canadian friends are the same. And if you meant your comments in jest try using one of these next time :joke:

And I expect an Apology. Direct your comments specifically not generally

[eastcoastblur]

Are you serious crd? Canadian troops are in Afghanistan fighting and dying alongside US troops. All I said was it is a piece of fabric, never did I insult what it stands for. Take your ignorance elsewhere. Another young soldier was laid to rest last week in my home province, fighting to bring freedom to those denied it.

And I'd like to know how the military in Afghanistan/Iraq is in any way "defending" the USA?

[jdmitchell]

Are you serious crd? Canadian troops are in Afghanistan fighting and dying alongside US troops. All I said was it is a piece of fabric, never did I insult what it stands for. Take your ignorance elsewhere. Another young soldier was laid to rest last week in my home province, fighting to bring freedom to those denied it.

And I'd like to know how the military in Afghanistan/Iraq is in any way "defending" the USA?

How did this turn into a defend our military's actions thread? I do what I am told, there are so many echelons above me deciding what the army does and doesn't do.

[eastcoastblur]

Okay JD, I hear you. I just don't like being insulted by someone without them backing up their words. Hey, I work for the UN, now that is an operation where I'm sure their motives are pure.:joke:

[BamBam70]

How did this turn into a defend our military's actions thread? I do what I am told, there are so many echelons above me deciding what the army does and doesn't do.

Ialso get what you mean JD, however It did with the inuendo that Aussie's and Canadians don't care about our flags...

3 Australians laid to rest this week, they lost there lives in Afganistan too along with the Canadian who died. Two Americans were also in the same Helicopter that went down.

I thank the families for their ultimate sacrifice.

[jdmitchell]

Okay JD, I hear you. I just don't like being insulted by someone without them backing up their words. Hey, I work for the UN, now that is an operation where I'm sure their motives are pure.:joke:

Ialso get what you mean JD, however It did with the inuendo that Aussie's and Canadians don't care about our flags...

3 Australians laid to rest this week, they lost there lives in Afganistan too along with the Canadian who died. Two Americans were also in the same Helicopter that went down.

I thank the families for their ultimate sacrifice.

I will never say anything negative about a foreign military that will actually send troops out with us to support OIF and OEF. I have actually worked with a couple Canadian, Estonian, Australian, British, and German soldiers during my time in the Army. But like you said earlier BamBam " Direct your comments specifically not generally" Now if you are talking about the french that would be a completely different story. Sorry if I offend any of you guys from Quebec.:joke:

[BamBam70]

Ditto JD :bigthumbsup:

Now I will see if an Apology follows... is there an Avatar holding it's breath? hmm

[EY3LESS]

Mark is a communist:o






























:joke:
Sounds like it was done right to me:bigthumbsup:

[reallongdriver]

Because two of my uncles were in the military, I was taught
to bring them(flags) to my American Legion.

[EY3LESS]

Because two of my uncles were in the military, I was taught
to bring them(flags) to my American Legion.
:agree:
but at the same time it's all about what's in your heart, so long as one chooses to do it privately and respectfully I don't see a problem.

it's not like he's parading down the street with a burning flag, or publicly burning it in any way.

Cheers Mark:bigthumbsup:

[Screamnyellozonker]

I've been following this and find it funny that Dave is the calming sense of reason. Sir Your right on target. In Nam we fought with Canucks. Ozzies and Rok's And they fought and bled just like we did. Point is they did not make fun of our flag nor did we make fun of theirs. Each other Hell yes. Mutual RESPECT. Brothers in arms. I voulenteered in 65. Like a lot of the guys on the board. We are not doing what we do for the oil. Nam had nothing but rot,mud, and rice. The Sandbox has heat, fleas. and scorpions. Oh and IED's. Try to tell JD and the others that they are wasting their time there for nothing but oil. I still remember what the VC did to entire villages because the wanted to not be communist. I have talked to too many guys who have just come back from their 4th tour and they still tell stories about how much the people are afraid we will leave and it will turn back to what it was. The VA is full of guys missing parts trying to save other peoples lives. Freedom costs. What have you put in thefreedom bank toward the freedom you have to bad mouth our flag. And this is directed at Scotty so there is no mistaking where I am coming from.
Bob,
USMC Medevac Door Gunner 228 combat missions, Khe Sanh Siege survivor- tet 68 survivor, Holder of the Presidential Unit Citation for Bravery at Khe Sahn. Bronze Star. 10 Air Medals. Legion of Merit, Legion of Honor, Combat Air Crew wings with 3 stars. I been there, done that, and got the damn tee shirt. and for some punk to tell me to make gay chaps out of my flag just pisses me off.

[EY3LESS]

I've been following this and find it funny that Dave is the calming sense of reason. Sir Your right on target. In Nam we fought with Canucks. Ozzies and Rok's And they fought and bled just like we did. Point is they did not make fun of our flag nor did we make fun of theirs. Each other Hell yes. Mutual RESPECT. Brothers in arms. I voulenteered in 65. Like a lot of the guys on the board. We are not doing what we do for the oil. Nam had nothing but rot,mud, and rice. The Sandbox has heat, fleas. and scorpions. Oh and IED's. Try to tell JD and the others that they are wasting their time there for nothing but oil. I still remember what the VC did to entire villages because the wanted to not be communist. I have talked to too many guys who have just come back from their 4th tour and they still tell stories about how much the people are afraid we will leave and it will turn back to what it was. The VA is full of guys missing parts trying to save other peoples lives. Freedom costs. What have you put in thefreedom bank toward the freedom you have to bad mouth our flag. And this is directed at Scotty so there is no mistaking where I am coming from.
Bob,
USMC Medevac Door Gunner 228 combat missions, Khe Sanh Siege survivor- tet 68 survivor, Holder of the Presidential Unit Citation for Bravery at Khe Sahn. Bronze Star. 10 Air Medals. Legion of Merit, Legion of Honor, Combat Air Crew wings with 3 stars. I been there, done that, and got the damn tee shirt. and for some punk to tell me to make gay chaps out of my flag just pisses me off.
Well put Sir:bigthumbsup:
Thank you for your service as well:bow:

[EY3LESS]

I've been following this and find it funny that Dave is the calming sense of reason...
WTF is that supposed to mean BTW!?!?:joke:
are you implying that I am usually unreasonable?

[EY3LESS]

Now if you are talking about the french that would be a completely different story. Sorry if I offend any of you guys from Quebec.:joke:

:a20:
I just saw that LOL

isn't this the French national flag?
http://i662.photobucket.com/albums/uu344/CalciumCas/white_flag.jpg

:joke: :joke: :joke: :joke: :joke: :joke: :joke: :joke: :joke: :joke: :joke: :joke: :joke: :joke: :joke: :joke: :joke: :joke:

[scotty109]

That's way not cool.

Not sure what your taught on that side of the pond but over here we're taught respect for our countries flag.

what and burning it is respect? your ****ing kidding arnt you?

**** me some dude burnt an abo flag here once and they went ape ****.

[scotty109]

Not cool!

Your flag may not mean much to you but ours has a bit of pride behind it.


they call it recycling mate.... why the **** would you want to burn a flag?

[scotty109]

I gotta agree with jtrich and the Cub Scouts. It should feel strange and wrong to destroy our flag. Many, many men have given their very lives to defend it. Ask our current troops what it means to them. Ask the people of Iraq and Afghanistan what affect its presence has meant to them. I guess ask anyone, except Australians and Canadians.


Now thats the sort of response i thought there would have been more of for the USA guys. Burning the flag must be the in thing now.

[scotty109]

I've been following this and find it funny that Dave is the calming sense of reason. Sir Your right on target. In Nam we fought with Canucks. Ozzies and Rok's And they fought and bled just like we did. Point is they did not make fun of our flag nor did we make fun of theirs. Each other Hell yes. Mutual RESPECT. Brothers in arms. I voulenteered in 65. Like a lot of the guys on the board. We are not doing what we do for the oil. Nam had nothing but rot,mud, and rice. The Sandbox has heat, fleas. and scorpions. Oh and IED's. Try to tell JD and the others that they are wasting their time there for nothing but oil. I still remember what the VC did to entire villages because the wanted to not be communist. I have talked to too many guys who have just come back from their 4th tour and they still tell stories about how much the people are afraid we will leave and it will turn back to what it was. The VA is full of guys missing parts trying to save other peoples lives. Freedom costs. What have you put in thefreedom bank toward the freedom you have to bad mouth our flag. And this is directed at Scotty so there is no mistaking where I am coming from.
Bob,
USMC Medevac Door Gunner 228 combat missions, Khe Sanh Siege survivor- tet 68 survivor, Holder of the Presidential Unit Citation for Bravery at Khe Sahn. Bronze Star. 10 Air Medals. Legion of Merit, Legion of Honor, Combat Air Crew wings with 3 stars. I been there, done that, and got the damn tee shirt. and for some punk to tell me to make gay chaps out of my flag just pisses me off.


so burning them is ok whats wrong with recycling them......ok not GAY then. what about just chaps? **** mate harden up . geeezus

[MarlboroLts]

http://www.legion.org/documents/pdf/flagcode.pdf

"(k) 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."

Lots of great info here on the US Flag.

With respect to other countries.....this is how it's done here.

[WhiteStar]

I gotta agree with jtrich and the Cub Scouts. It should feel strange and wrong to destroy our flag. Many, many men have given their very lives to defend it. Ask our current troops what it means to them. Ask the people of Iraq and Afghanistan what affect its presence has meant to them. I guess ask anyone, except Australians and Canadians.

_Settle down idiot!_ I place great value in my flag and so do most Australians and Canadians I know. Just because two people have a differance of opinion than you doesn't give you the right to tar us all with the same brush.

It would be like saying all Americans say STUPID stuff about other Countries they know nothing about... Just because you do doesn't mean all my other US and Canadian friends are the same. And if you meant your comments in jest try using one of these next time :joke:

WS... crdj40m109 was not referring to all Australians & Canadians, he was referring to you & Scott who you have LOL & agreed with in your reply to him bellow. He was not jesting either.


And I expect an Apology. Direct your comments specifically not generally

LOL good on ya Scott.

Don't knock them til you try em. :bigthumbsup:

Hmmm I'm not sure of the proper protocol for this?

HOWEVER you could have brought it to Vegas and got everyone there to sign it... as a momento

WS... Our American flag is not a piece of paper 2B autographed either.

The way I see it you owe crdj40m109 the apology BamBam70 because you have called him an idiot.

In my book thats equivalent to a fool & will bring down Gods judgement on you for misjudging & disrespecting him @ the same time.

How can you believe he owes an apology to you? Man up & apologize to him :doorag:

As for destroying our worn out flags with fire... it is like a funeral, sad but appropriate.
Fire cleanses.
Our God is a consuming fire... and He will cleanse the earth with it B4 the end.

[eastcoastblur]

Well, so much for a meaningful discussion....:doh:

[purvistechie]

what and burning it is respect? your ****ing kidding arnt you?

**** me some dude burnt an abo flag here once and they went ape ****.

You don't understand, I get that. Burning it RESPECTFULLY is MUCH different than just burning it. There is a process that is to be followed.
Using it for a rag IS NOT acceptable. If you want to use your flag that way, go for it.

[crdj40m109]

To BamBam70, Screamnyellowzonker and Whitestar- First of all, Bam, I understand the commitment that your country has made in the Pacific in WWII, and in the MidEast now. Australia has always been a standup place, and your response gave me assurance that Aussies are good folks. My point, pretty much in response to Scotty109, was to try and get a real answer from one if you guys. Screaming and Whitestar, you guys and I feel the same way on this issue. And Whitestar, I don't take BamBam's comment about me seriously. My guess is that he was feeling embarrassed about his countryman's comments.
To Scotty109, your cute retorts about recycling may apply to old jeans and t-shirts, but not to one's battle standard.

[N8S109]

I gotta agree with screaminyellow. You tell em!

I know how much the flag means to me every time it floats by and I salute it. Or every day I wake up and put on my flight suit to represent it. Too many times I've folded them and passed them to widows. Taken a look in their eyes and known how much that flag means to them.

Ill be turning mine in to the VFW or proudly burning mine in privacy when they no longer respectfully represent this country the way they were meant to.

-Nate

[jdmitchell]

I gotta agree with screaminyellow. You tell em!

I know how much the flag means to me every time it floats by and I salute it. Or every day I wake up and put on my flight suit to represent it. Too many times I've folded them and passed them to widows. Taken a look in their eyes and known how much that flag means to them.

Ill be turning mine in to the VFW or proudly burning mine in privacy when they no longer respectfully represent this country the way they were meant to.

-Nate

:agree: Funeral detail is never any fun, but it is special to be able to pay that last honor to someone who has served this great country.

[Buffalo114]

I gotta agree with jtrich and the Cub Scouts. It should feel strange and wrong to destroy our flag. Many, many men have given their very lives to defend it. Ask our current troops what it means to them. Ask the people of Iraq and Afghanistan what affect its presence has meant to them. I guess ask anyone, except Australians and Canadians.
Yeah, here in Aust we recognise qnd hold in high regard those who fought under our flag not the lump of rag that is the flag.You arrogant yankee sh1t.

[Earthquake9]

Sorry, this is a little off topic but it think it applies to the subject.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shGS6KdDcZ8

[BamBam70]

WS... Our American flag is not a piece of paper 2B autographed either.

Surprise Surprise you added a religious taint to this :o

Well maybe you should pull your head out of YOUR book for 1 minute and travel to ground zero. I have. I was overcome at this spot standing under a US flag SIGNED by all the the emergency personel, Police, Fireman etc... involved in the rescue efforts of 9-11. Maybe you should take your book there and tell them. You will find it in St Paul's church.
How IRONIC for you.

To BamBam70, Screamnyellowzonker and Whitestar- First of all, Bam, I understand the commitment that your country has made in the Pacific in WWII, and in the MidEast now. Australia has always been a standup place, and your response gave me assurance that Aussies are good folks. My point, pretty much in response to Scotty109, was to try and get a real answer from one if you guys. Screaming and Whitestar, you guys and I feel the same way on this issue. And Whitestar, I don't take BamBam's comment about me seriously. My guess is that he was feeling embarrassed about his countryman's comments.
To Scotty109, your cute retorts about recycling may apply to old jeans and t-shirts, but not to one's battle standard.

Exactly right :bigthumbsup:, I ride with Scott and he is a good guy but I don't agree with everything he says. "good on ya Scott" is also sarcastic term here for when someone says something controversial. Hence the don't knock it til you try it. But you seem to have got my point. Thanks for the clarification.

[jdmitchell]

Surprise Surprise you added a religious taint to this :o

Well maybe you should pull your head out of YOUR book for 1 minute and travel to ground zero. I have. I was overcome at this spot standing under a US flag SIGNED by all the the emergency personel, Police, Fireman etc... involved in the rescue efforts of 9-11. Maybe you should take your book there and tell them. You will find it in St Paul's church.
How IRONIC for you.

I had a friend that got hurt really bad ask me to bring him back a US flag that was flown in Iraq signed by my whole squad. I was a little apprehensive at first to sign the flag, but I knew it was for my friend who gave up his legs and that was the least I could do to make his day. There are certain occasions where it wouldn't be acceptable IMO but the Ground Zero situation like you spoke of BamBam is definently one of the ones that would be fine by me.

[VAcruiser]

I've heard that burning the flag is the proper way of disposing of it so that it will not fall into enemy hands.