June 14 is a special holiday for the country. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States. In honor of the day, the VFW Post 6688, located at 818 Memorial Drive, partnered with Chattooga County Scouts Troop 7B, Troop 7G and Pack 38 of Scouting Ameria’s Northwest GA Council for a flag retirement ceremony.  The following was submitted by local Scouts:

We instill in our scouts from when they start as little Cub Scouts and come up through the ranks to eventually Eagle, is constant conversation around duty to God and your country, and also how they live into that. This is just one of the many ways that they are able to show that duty to the country.

We honored our nation’s symbol with dignity and respect during a flag retirement ceremony at VFW Post 6688. With the help of our amazing scouts and several dedicated veterans, we respectfully retired around 700 American flags. This solemn tradition reminds us of the values our flag represents—freedom, sacrifice, and unity.

These scouts demonstrated their service to the community as well as honoring the veterans in attendance.

“My favorite part is probably getting to talk to the veterans and be around and hear their stories and their experiences and see what it means to them.” says Eagle Scout Alex D

“Retiring the flags means a lot to us because veterans served our country and we serve them,” said Kamden R

Troop leaders said the hundreds of flags, that ranged from index-card size to large flying colors, have been placed in the drop boxes or given to veterans and scouts over the last year.

Troop 7 B, Troop 7 G and Pack 38, performed a valuable service to their community by helping with the flag retirement ceremony this past weekend.

“We have hundreds of them (flags) and I think that’s a big part — showing the respect,” the Scoutmaster said. If you ever have a worn or damaged American flag that needs to be properly retired, we’re here to help. When an American flag is no longer fit for display, it should be retired dignifiedly to show respect for one’s country. Our county has drop boxes for your old, tattered flags at Dowdy Park as well as the Veterans Memorial Park in Trion.

Scouting is a year-round program that offers fun activities that promote character and leadership development. Our program is designed to be hands-on, build confidence, respect, and personal achievement in our youth from Kindergarten to age 18. Find out more information about your local scouts or sign up at beascout.org.