Wilmington Minutemen to Hold Annual Flag Retirement Ceremony

The Wilmington Minutemen will hold their annual flag retirement ceremony on Flag Day, June 14. 

The Minutemen would like to extend an open invitation to the public to attend the ceremony, being held at Minutemen Headquarters at 6:30 p.m. 

Minuteman Frank West said the Minutemen are expecting to retire approximately 300 flags, not including flags that members of the public bring to the ceremony with them.

Faded and tattered flags are retired by the Minutemen, folded and dropped into a fire pit with the words, "I retire this flag with dignity."

West said the Minutemen hold the ceremony to retire American flags with the respect and dignity that they deserve. 

"We felt something needed to be done, was not being done and we felt we could fill that void," West said. 

West said the ceremony provides the Minutemen to educate Wilmington residents on the appropriate way to retire a flag.

"Everyone probably needs to know how to dispose an American flag," West said. "I think a lot of people in general do not know flag etiquette."

Wilmington boy scouts and cub scouts regularly attend the ceremony, providing the Minutemen an opportunity to start education on flag etiquette at a young age. 

A flag retirement ceremony is also an opportunity for the Minutemen and Wilmington residents to honor troops overseas, according to West.

"We're at war today and we have men and women overseas and one of the reasons is because of that little piece of red, white and blue," West said.