|
|
"Nobody had a place to properly dispose of their old flags," said American Legion member Warren Sigrist, who served in the U.S Navy.
Because there was no place to drop off old, worn or no longer needed flags, the American Legion teamed together with the Rhinebeck Post Office to create a flag drop box.
The box, located next to Rhinebeck Town Hall on Center Street, is a standing box where anyone can place American flags, big or small, and the Legion will make sure they are handled and disposed of properly, according to flag etiquette.
Where the flags should not be put, is in the trash since such disposal is contrary to flag etiquette, according to Legion members.
"They shouldn't be throwing them away," said Corrie Heil, a member of the American Legion, whose father served in the U.S. Navy.
"When you dispose of flags, you have to have a ceremony."
In this ceremony, according to Heil, Legion members gather at Montgomery Post #429 in Rhinebeck and the flags are burned in an incinerator.
The burning of the flags is important to keep them from being desecrated by touching the ground or tossed in the trash, he said.
The box itself was donated by the Rhinebeck Post Office, but the paint job was done by Kevin Russell in honor of his father, Darrell, who lived in Milan. Darrell Russell, a U.S. Navy veteran who served in World War II, died on June 2, 2007 at age 80.
So far, residents have been responding. According to Sigrist, the Legion has picked up 64 flags since the box was placed at the post office in May.
"The post office has dropped off a couple," said Sigrist, adding, "The town and village dropped off a couple and the fire house will be dropping off some as well."
Members of the American Legion urge anyone with old, tattered flags to leave them in the box to be picked up. Residents are also asked to remove flag staffs and be careful not to accidentally leave the flags in the wrong location, since the post office mail box is only few feet down the street.
