Kingsland American Legion flag retirement ceremony Oct. 9
Commander Mike Wheeler (pictured) of the American Legion, Kingsland Memorial Post #437, and post members invite the public to an event to retire flags and honor students who represented the post at Boys and Girls State. Courtesy photo
The American Legion’s Kingsland Memorial Post #437 on Saturday, Oct. 9, will hold a flag retirement ceremony and honor students who represented the post at Boys State and Texas Bluebonnet Girls State. The flag retirement begins at 9 a.m. Students will be honored at 10 a.m. at post headquarters, 138 Legion Loop in Kingsland.
The event is open to the public, and refreshments will be served. Residents are welcome to bring old and worn flags to be burned in a special ceremony.
“We retire flags when they become worn or faded,” post Commander Mike Wheeler said. “They should be retired instead of thrown in the trash. When we retire flags, we treat them the same as we do veterans when they are laid to rest.”
He noted people are moved when they attend flag retirement ceremonies. After flags are burned, their ashes are kept at the post.
“I would like to reiterate: They are placed in the fire, not thrown in like a wadded-up sheet,” he said.
After the flag retirement ceremony, students who attended Boys and Girls State programs will be honored. Three are from Faith Academy of Marble Falls and five are from Llano High School. All are juniors.
“It’s a program for youths to become politicians,” Wheeler said. “They learn how to write bills for the (Texas) Legislature and bring them to the floor to serve as better citizens and become better citizens.”
Each student will speak about “what they learned and what they liked and disliked” about the state programs, he said.
Students were recommended by school counselors and interviewed by post members before being picked to attend the programs.