Flag Day includes local ceremonies around Aiken County

Bill Bengtson, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·2 min read

Jun. 16—Flag Day, an American observance dating back to 1916, meant some solemn moments for dozens of local residents, with a variety of ceremonies being held for disposal of U.S. and other flags no longer fit for service.

Representatives of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Girl Scout and Boy Scout programs were on board.

"We received approximately 240 flags from the county this year, and the rest were dropped off here at the VFW," said George Dewees, house committee chairman for VFW Post 5877. "I stopped counting after about 420."

The Aiken County Veterans Council, he said, distributes "worn, torn and faded" flags for ceremonial retirement, and the banners go to a variety of veterans-service organizations that conduct flag ceremonies.

Many of the incoming banners arrive by way of a brightly colored drop-box at the Ronnie Young Aiken County Government Center. The box was introduced in May 2021 via an effort by the Aiken County Veterans Council and with the approval of Aiken County Council.

The box, with artwork by Saluda resident Chad Martin, is intended to help promote respectful disposal and retirement of "unserviceable U.S. flags," as described in a press release promoting the dedication event.

A report from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs sheds some light on the holiday's possible origins, noting, "Bernard J. Cigrand, a school teacher in Waubeka, Wisconsin, reportedly spent years trying to get Congress to declare June 14 as a national holiday. Although his attempts failed, the day was widely observed. 'Father of Flag Day' honors have been given to William T. Kerr, who was credited with founding the American Flag Day Association in 1888 while still a schoolboy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania."

It adds, "Both President Wilson, in 1916, and President Coolidge, in 1927, issued proclamations asking for June 14 to be observed as the National Flag Day. But it wasn't until August 3, 1949, that Congress approved the national observance, and President Harry Truman signed it into law."