Held under the flapping shade of the U.S. flag, VFW Post 3137 members in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, hosted a community gathering for their semi-annual retirement of old and tattered flags on April 6.
Against a picturesque view of the shimmering Atlantic Ocean, the ceremony opened with remarks from Post 3137 Commander Bo Stallings, followed by an invocation from Post Chaplain Carol Truslow. The ceremony also included the National Anthem by Post member Joe Houdek, which preceded the Pledge of Allegiance and the raising of the U.S. flag during the playing of To The Colors.
More than 100 flags were properly retired during the ceremony by veterans, Auxiliary members and other members of the community. Among those who helped retire flags were local Boy Scout Troop 15 and Troop 20, who also demonstrated the proper way to fold the flag, celebrating the flag as an emblem of the U.S.
Post 3137, dubbed “The Post on the Coast,” provides a receptacle for community members to dispose of worn flags at their entrance along Ocean Boulevard. They encourage all who have worn flags to dispose of them there, allowing for a proper retirement.