<\/p>\n
For David Fields, it\u2019s a reminder of his daughter, who is serving our country as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot.<\/p>\n
At funerals, Cmdr. Steve White makes sure it is folded correctly for presentation to the families of those who have served.<\/p>\n
And Brad Waltman believes instructing young Boy Scouts about flag etiquette is a sacred duty.<\/p>\n
For many Americans, the Fourth of July is about picnics, parades and fireworks. But for Fields, White and Waltman, the holiday is about love of country, and the symbol of our country \u2013 Old Glory, the Stars and Stripes \u2013 is not getting the honor and respect it deserves, they say.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen flags around town that aren\u2019t raised properly or are past their time and should be disposed of respectfully,\u201d Fields said, \u201cand I think about how my daughter risks her life on a daily basis for that flag, how so many before have been willing to do the same, including losing their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
One reason may be a disconnect from the military for many citizens, said White, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 4031 in Durango.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Vietnam, lots of us went, and we served one tour, so many families had someone they were flying the flag for,\u201d he said. \u201cIn these current wars, fewer people are going, and they\u2019re deployed multiple times, so less families are engaged.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teaching proper care<\/p>\n
Lecturing people isn\u2019t the right way to improve treatment of the flag, White said, but leading by example can.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are lots of little things that if done right, they show why the flag is what it is. If people just put it anywhere, it doesn\u2019t show the respect it deserves.\u201d said Waltman, who is the advancement chairman for the Mesa Verde District of Boy Scouts,<\/p>\n
The VFW and its Color Guard are attending a lot of funerals for veterans these days \u2013 they\u2019ve attended 27 in the last 15 weeks, including one Thursday \u2013 where folding the flag and presenting it to the family are a key part of the service, White said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people just fold it up,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the triangular folds are traditional, and you always present the flag with the blue background and stars showing on top.\u201d<\/p>\n
A key lesson for Tenderfoots in Boy Scouts is learning not only how to fold the flag properly but learning the meaning of every fold, Waltman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEach fold represents things women and men have done for this country and things our country has been through,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
What about our pledge?<\/p>\n
The lack of respect is most obvious when it comes to the Pledge of Allegiance and \u201cThe Star-Spangled Banner,\u201d Waltman, a Cortez resident, said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re not doing the flag or the pledge in schools anymore,\u201d he said. \u201cI went to a high school basketball game over here, and it was embarrassing. Both sides, including the teams, were ignoring the pledge and the anthem. People in the stands didn\u2019t take their hats off, and they were talking on their phones.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recently, his wife, a teacher, was taking a continuing education course at Fort Lewis College.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe teacher, and he was a younger guy, said he knew it was old-fashioned, but they were going to start with the Pledge of Allegiance,\u201d Waltman said. \u201cShe was so pleased.\u201d<\/p>\n
Retire an old flag<\/p>\n
One the most common errors, Waltman said, is what people do with a flag that is dirty, faded or ragged. Both the VFW and the Scouts provide help for retiring a worn-out flag.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of times, people may not realize that a flag is not worthy of being flown,\u201d he said, \u201cor sometimes, they can\u2019t afford a new one.\u201d<\/p>\n
One Boy Scout troop used to go into businesses or knock on doors and tell people they might not realize their flag was in bad shape, Waltman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo the troop would offer a new flag and even put it up for them,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd then they would retire the old flag correctly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Burning is the correct way to terminate an American flag\u2019s life.<\/p>\n
\u201cDiesel burns the hottest, and you want it to burn thoroughly and fast so pieces don\u2019t fly in the air,\u201d he said. \u201cThe hotter, the better. Sometimes, we invite the American Legion, and they do a 21-gun salute. The boys like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fire is a culmination of a ceremony, and after a fire has cooled, the Scouts collect the grommets from the larger flags and give them to scoutmasters to make awards for Scouts who are excelling.<\/p>\n
In August, the Boy Scouts in Cortez are planning to invite the community to a campout, Waltman said.<\/p>\n
On the Friday night, they\u2019ll have a flag-retirement ceremony and campfire, and the next day, Scouts will teach etiquette, symbolism and the raising of the flag to anyone who is interested.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, we teach that the flag wants to stay up in the air, so it goes up quickly,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it lowers slowly, because it doesn\u2019t want to come down.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bottom line for all three men is the meaning of the flag.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wonder, will my grandson know how great a country he lives in, and will he grow to love his country?\u201d Fields said.<\/p>\n
Do\u2019s the American flag, know rules, etiquette<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":111274,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5736,5735],"tags":[13],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-111273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","category-news","tag-frontpage-lead"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111273"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111273\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111273"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=111273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n Fly the flag higher than any others in its area.
\n If at a parade, put your hand over your heart from the time the American flag comes into view until it leaves your sight.
\n Raise the flag all the way to the top of the pole unless it is being flown at half-staff in mourning.
\n Take off your hat and be respectful during the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem.
\n Present the flag in a window so the viewer sees the blue background with the stars to their left.
\n Retire a flag respectfully. The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave., has a box in back where residents can deposit worn-out flags for disposal. Call Brad Waltman at 759-0175 or email risetotheflyanglers@hotmail.com<\/a> to request disposal of a flag through the Boy Scouts.
\n Don\u2019ts
\n Leave the flag up overnight unless it\u2019s lit.
\n Allow the flag to touch the ground.
\n Cut up an old flag or toss it in the trash.
\n Fly the flag upside down.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"