What: A Flag Day ceremony in which a flag that has outlived its glory will be appropriately retired by being respectfully burned in a pyre with pomp and circumstance by Korean War veterans from Missouri. It is open to the public and military service veterans will be in attendance.
The ceremony will include three rifle volleys and a rendition of “Taps” by American Legion Post 189. There will also be a flag collection, and all flags collected will be properly retired in a similar manner and interred at the Leavenworth National Cemetery. The American Legion Band will also perform patriotic music.
Why:
- To respect the memory and sacrifices of veterans on Flag Day.
- To educate people on the importance of the emblem of our country and the proper way to dispose of a flag once its colors have faded or it has become tattered.
- To show that flags need to be treated with respect including being replaced on a regular basis and disposed of properly.
Who:
- Rear Admiral (Upper Half) J. Stanton Thompson – Keynote speaker
- Father Jerry Spencer, invocator
- Debra Shultz – speaker and president of the Missouri Korean War Veterans Memorial board of directors
- Bob Kalkofen – speaker and first vice president of the Missouri Korean War Veterans Memorial board of directors
- Military veterans
- The public at large
Where: Missouri Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington Square Park at the northeast corner of Pershing and Main
When: Flag Day, Sunday, June 14 at 1:30 p.m.
Contact: Steve Nichols, MS 913-486-4177 or steve@boswellinc.com