Local military veterans, Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts gathered in Wetumpka’s Gold Star Park last Wednesday afternoon for a Flag Day ceremony where dozens of flags were burned as part of an official disposal.
Smoke rolled through the grassy section of the park nearest the boat ramp, coming from two metal barrel halves where the flags were burnt on the warm day.
A crowd had gathered and outwardly unnoticeable among them were members of the Wetumpka’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Smith-Leonard Post 4572 and other military veterans awaiting the ceremony.
Jim Beasley, better known as Mr. B, said he was a Korean War veteran.
VFW Post Commander and retired Army Sgt. First Class Laylon Gardner was also in the audience.
The event was the second collaboration between the local Boy Scouts and VFW, the first being a Memorial Day ceremony in the city’s cemetery.
CW4 Gardner Perdue, a Boy Scout Troop 50 Scoutmaster, led the ceremony with a brief history of Flag Day.
He said ceremonies for the disposal of “unserviceable flags” originated at the American Legion National Convention in 1937.
In what was suggested to be a solemn ceremony – “just like in a funeral” – the flags were destroyed by burning per the flag code.
Perdue turned the event over to Boy Scout Jay Kujala, who led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Kujala read a history of the American flag saying, “We are here today to pay our last respects to the flag which has flown…”
He said the stripes stand for each of the original thirteen colonies while stars represented states, before launching into a list of the original colonies from Delaware to Georgia.
Kujala then read about the colors of the flag and what each symbolized.
“The field of blue with white stars, which stands for all of these states, is burned at last. It should be laid on the fire with the two boys holding corners not tossed into the fire,” read Kujala.
After the first flag was folded and placed on the flames and turned to thick black smoke, Perdue asked if military veterans attending wanted to dispose of a flag.
He asked if any had any names of special recognition they were burning the flag in honor of.
A few men walked up to the front of the ceremony and placed flags on the flames.
After the veterans, Perdue himself placed a flag in remembrance he said of a downed helicopter crew and passengers he served with.
“I’d like to dedicate this flag on behalf of EZ 40, a crew of four, passengers of eight that were killed Jan. 20, 2007,” said Perdue. “They served with me in Iraq, they were all fine gentlemen and ladies.”
He said it was the 10-year anniversary of the incident.
Afterward Perdue instructed scouts to pass out commemorative pieces of flags, both white and red stars, red for veterans and white for supporters of military.
Perdue read the words enclosed with each star: “I am a part of the American flag. I have flown over a home in the USA. I can no longer fly the sun and the winds have caused me to become tattered and torn. Please carry me as a reminder that you are not forgotten.”
The stars were signed “Boy Scout Troop 50 Wetumpka Alabama.”
Shortly after Kujala asked the audience to come to attention for the playing of Taps, played by Pack 50 Cub Master Andy Powell.
Powell said Wetumpka’s Pack 50 were assisting its Troop 50 with the ceremony.
