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American Legion Flag Retirement Ceremony

How To Dispose of A Flag

  • The U.S. Flag Code suggests that when a flag has served its useful purpose, “it should be destroyed, preferably by burning.” For individual citizens, this should be done discreetly so the act of destruction is not perceived as a protest or desecration.
  • Many American Legion posts conduct disposal ceremonies of unserviceable flags, especially on Flag Day (June 14). Such ceremonies are particularly dignified and solemn occasions for the retirement of unserviceable flags.
  • Take your old flags to your local American Legion post.  They will be happy to retire your flags in their next disposal ceremony.
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ALMBS Flag Class Provides Americanism Instruction to Citizens

Title 4, United States Code, Chapter 1

As Adopted by the National Flag Conference, Washington, D.C., June 14-15, 1923, and Revised and Endorsed by the Second National Flag Conference, Washington, D.C., May 15, 1924. Revised and adopted at P.L. 623, 77th Congress, Second Session, June 22, 1942; as Amended by P.L. 829, 77th Congress, Second Session, December 22, 1942; P.L. 107 83rd Congress, 1st Session, July 9, 1953; P.L. 396, 83rd Congress, Second Session, June 14, 1954; P.L. 363, 90th Congress, Second Session, June 28, 1968; P.L. 344, 94th Congress, Second Session, July 7, 1976; P.L. 322, 103rd Congress, Second Session, September 13, 1994; P.L. 225, 105th Congress, Second Session, August 12, 1998; P.L. 80, 106th Congress, First Session, October 25, 1999; P.L. 110-41, 110th Congress, First Session, June 29, 2007; P.L. 110-181, 110th Congress, Second Session, January 28, 2008; P.L. 110-239, 110th Congress, Second Session, June 3, 2008, P.L. 110-417, 110th Congress, Second Session, October 14, 2008; P.L. 111-41, 111th Congress, First Session, July 27, 2009; P.L. 113-66 113th Congress, First Session, December 26, 2013; and P.L 115-305 115th Congress, Second Session, March 28, 2017.

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US Representative Alex Mooney Welcomes ALMBS

Congressman Alex X. Mooney and his wife live in Charles Town in Jefferson County with their three children. Their third child, Gabrielle, was born in Charleston, West Virginia in October 2014. The son of a Cuban refugee and Vietnam veteran, Alex grew up with a deep sense of appreciation for the American ideals of individual freedom and personal responsibility.

Alex’s mother, Lala, was born and raised in Fidel Castro’s Cuba, where she and other members of her family were thrown into jail for seven weeks for opposing Castro’s communist regime. When she was 21, Lala escaped Cuba and fled to America with barely a penny to her name.

Alex’s father, Vincent, was sent to Vietnam when Lala was expecting their first child. He served as an Engineering Captain and was awarded the Bronze Star.

Listening to his parents’ inspiring stories, Alex knew from a young age that he wanted to spend his life fighting for the American ideals set forth by our Founding Fathers.

Alex played football and rugby at Dartmouth College, where he graduated in 1993. A passionate defender of pro-life values, Alex also served as the president of the Dartmouth Coalition for Life during his junior and senior years.

Since Congressman Mooney was first elected in 2014 he has been consistently fighting for conservative, fiscal, and social values including lower taxes, less government spending, protecting our Second Amendment rights, pro-life legislation, job creation, and protection for our seniors.

Alex believes that West Virginia is poised to be a leader in defending and promoting American values of hard work, faith, and freedom that have made our country great. With a proven record of fighting for conservative values, Alex is defending West Virginia from President Obama’s disastrous policies and fighting to encourage the job creation and prosperity West Virginians deserve.

More information: https://mooney.house.gov/

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American Legion Riders Benefit Ride

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2015 MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND THREE-DAY RIDE May 23-24-25

Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (Memorial Day) from Martinsburg to Grafton, WV and Return.

Register at American Legion Post 14, 125 Race Street, Martinsburg, on Saturday, May 23, and join us for an all-you-can-eat breakfast, or join us anywhere along the route to register and ride. Enjoy scenic mountain rides, a ferry river crossing, participate in America’s oldest Memorial Day Parade, and pay your respects with us as we visit the West Virginia National Veterans Cemetery on Memorial Day morning.

ADVANCE REGISTRATION BY MAIL IS ALSO AVAILABLE Call 304 267-6100 for Information. Reduced hotel rates may be available for participants in nearby Bridgeport, WV.

All proceeds benefit American Legion Mountaineer Boys State and American Legion Auxiliary Rhododendron Girls State.

Sponsored by the American Legion Riders Chapter 14, Martinsburg, West Virginia. More information available on www.wvpost14riders.net.

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The History of Flag Day

The Fourth of July was traditionally celebrated as America’s birthday, but the idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the Flag is believed to have first originated in 1885. BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for the pupils in the Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School, District 6, to observe June 14 (the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes) as ‘Flag Birthday’. In numerous magazines and newspaper articles and public addresses over the following years, Cigrand continued to enthusiastically advocate the observance of June 14 as ‘Flag Birthday’, or ‘Flag Day’.

On June 14, 1889, George Balch, a kindergarten teacher in New York City, planned appropriate ceremonies for the children of his school, and his idea of observing Flag Day was later adopted by the State Board of Education of New York. On June 14, 1891, the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia held a Flag Day celebration, and on June 14 of the following year, the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution, celebrated Flag Day.

Following the suggestion of Colonel J Granville Leach (at the time historian of the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the Revolution), the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames of America on April 25, 1893 adopted a resolution requesting the mayor of Philadelphia and all others in authority and all private citizens to display the Flag on June 14th. Leach went on to recommend that thereafter the day be known as ‘Flag Day’, and on that day, school children be assembled for appropriate exercises, with each child being given a small Flag.

Two weeks later on May 8th, the Board of Managers of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution unanimously endorsed the action of the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames. As a result of the resolution, Dr. Edward Brooks, then Superintendent of Public Schools of Philadelphia, directed that Flag Day exercises be held on June 14, 1893 in Independence Square. School children were assembled, each carrying a small Flag, and patriotic songs were sung and addresses delivered.

In 1894, the governor of New York directed that on June 14 the Flag be displayed on all public buildings. With BJ Cigrand and Leroy Van Horn as the moving spirits, the Illinois organization, known as the American Flag Day Association, was organized for the purpose of promoting the holding of Flag Day exercises. On June 14th, 1894, under the auspices of this association, the first general public school children’s celebration of Flag Day in Chicago was held in Douglas, Garfield, Humboldt, Lincoln, and Washington Parks, with more than 300,000 children participating.

Adults, too, participated in patriotic programs. Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior, delivered a 1914 Flag Day address in which he repeated words he said the flag had spoken to him that morning: “I am what you make me; nothing more. I swing before your eyes as a bright gleam of color, a symbol of yourself.”

Inspired by these three decades of state and local celebrations, Flag Day – the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 – was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Wilson’s proclamation, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.

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The American Flag; In a Class all its’ Own

 

Today, the Boys State Citizens were treated to a seminar on the American Flag. The session taught the proper way to treat and dispose of the American flag. The Citizens were also allowed to see a very moving ceremony in which grave markers from different time periods and different wars.

The lesson mainly taught about the Flag Code, which is a set of rules that dictates how the flag is to be treated. The flag code has many regulations which, when followed, ensures that the flag is displayed properly and treated with the upmost respect. One of the most important rules is that the flag should always be the highest flag on a flag pole, so it is the first flag raised and the last flag lowered. Another is that it should always be on the right of any other flags it is displayed with.

The ceremony that followed the lesson is one in which grave markers from many different wars had flags placed within them.  Several people that were veterans or had family serving in the military were given the honor of placing one of the flags within the markers.

This class was one that was both informative and moving, and hopefully inspired pride in the Citizens for both the flag, as well as the many who have fallen for it.

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College Fair

American Legion Mountaineer Boys State

Career Day – College Fair

All 4 year Colleges and Universities, as well as, Potomac State College of WVU are invited to participate in the annual Career Day – College Fair for the Boys’ State program.

Program Information:

The Boys’ State program is held each year as a training ground for the leaders of tomorrow. The program encourages good government through participation in a model state experience.

The program annually hosts over 300 students, all of which are rising seniors (Class of 2012).

This is an honors camp experience with minimum GPA, school administration, and community leadership recommendation requirements to be eligible.  West Virginia’s best and brightest students take part in the week long program.

Program Details:

West Virginia American Legion Mountaineer Boys’ State College Fair will be held on June 17th with set-up starting at 12:15pm in the Assembly Hall at WVU Jackson’s Mill, Weston, WV.

RSVP’s for Boys’ State should be directed to Chris Sharps by e-mail at: Chris.Sharps@wvlegion.org.

Response deadline is Wednesday June 8th.

If you have any questions, need additional information, or would like directions to the fair sites, please correspond with the representative listed above.

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