Veterans will dispose of flags in annual Monessen ceremony

By TAYLOR BROWN

tbrown@yourmvi.com

Monessen veterans will host their annual flag retirement ceremony Monday. 

Ron Chromulak, commander of VFW Post 1190 in Monessen, said the event is held each year in partnership with American Legion Post 28.

Veterans organizations across the country take part in similar rituals to properly dispose of and pay respect to the American flag, state flags, military flags and those from other service organizations that are no longer wanted or able to be used. 

Chromulak said there are several ways to organize the ceremony, but Monessen has adopted its own version.

“We gather all of the flags throughout the year, all types of flags,” he said. “Then, around this time of year, after Veterans Day, we properly dispose of them by burning them during a ceremony.”

Nearly 3,000 flags were burned last year. 

“Flags are inspected and separated from the United States flags, state flags, military flags and flags from other service organizations and they are burned separately, in order,” he said. “There is a certain procedure for doing this, there is a proper way to dispose of the flag and we make sure we hold that standard to show proper respect.”

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