Auburn alums continue Great Race tradition

FADED GLORY?

by Belinda Rooney

I think not! Most of us are aware that the right thing to do when our American flag has reached the end of its service is to retire it properly, but then the question becomes, what exactly is the proper way to retire a flag in a dignified and respectful process? Well, let’s give some thought to a few of the reasons why we even honor it in the first place.

What does it mean when we pledge our allegiance to the flag? Not only are we pledging our honor and respect to the symbol of our liberty and justice, but also to unlimited opportunity, hope and national pride. It serves as a symbol that binds us together, our entire country and its citizens, as one united nation under God.

It is also the embodiment of our national history, not just emotion and sentiment, but an innate understanding and appreciation for the years of sacrifice that many men and women have made to establish and keep our country free, none of which are unimportant. It represents our patriotism to the country that we love and in essence it becomes a living thing, so proper retirement somehow gives it a soul.

We all learned early on that the stars and stripes represent the 13 original colonies and the 50 states, but did you know that the colors have significance also? Red represents bravery and valor or bloodshed, white represents purity and innocence, and blue represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice. I am ashamed to admit, or maybe I’ve lived in a vacuum, but I didn’t know this or perhaps just never thought about it. Americans tend to take things for granted sometimes. We have had it very good for a very long time. But I digress.

I was also not aware that in 1923 a standard set of civilian rules was created for honoring our flag and establishing how it was to be treated, although it has changed through the years. And that there are many myths about the flag that add a lot of mystery to the equation. For instance, if the flag touches the ground, it must immediately be retired.  That is true only if it is soiled, torn, or otherwise made imperfect. Funny how man tends to make up stories to make things have more significance or larger than life. I know I can remember struggling to put up flags, risking life and limb to keep it off the ground, and if it did accidentally touch the ground thinking “now what am I going to do with it?” That is not to say that my respect for this beautiful banner is lessened in any way, just to say that we sometimes make things more difficult than they must be.

And regarding the stars and stripes on our flag, I did not know that according to those who study Vexillology (the study of flags! Who knew?), the entire area of a flag has different named elements, such as the Canton, which is any quarter of the flag, usually the top left corner representing a position of honor, such as the area of the American flag that contains our stars. Then there is the Charge or the field of the flag, also a position of honor which is divided into the Fly and the Hoist, to name a few. I could go on, but I am sure you’re more interested in hearing what the Deep South Region AACA did to honor Flag Day!

Well, we had a celebration, of course! We invited as many folks as wanted to come, we brought our vintage cars, and we feasted in our usual fashion with the quintessential American cookout style meal of hamburgers, hot dogs, and BBQ pork sandwiches! And, oh yes, don’t forget the homemade ice cream provided to us by Eiland Creamery! But most importantly, we invited our local, FM Talk 106.5 radio celebrity, Tom Claxton, along with the Marine Corp Color Guard to officiate the retirement process of our Clubhouse flag.

It was time, so we took advantage of the national observance of Flag Day to do it. It was a very moving experience and I saw a few tears being ever so discreetly wiped away. Mine included. Not so much in the pomp and circumstance, if you will, but the raw emotion that comes along with patriotism and love for one’s country. The participation of the Color Guard also made it especially meaningful in reference to the importance of the flag.

At its, inception, the color guard was originally formed because of a regiment’s need for a central point of reference and to help keep their formation, the loss of which could cause the unit to break up since the battlefield was often a confused, dusty and smokey place. Using colored banners or flags emblazoned with battle honors, fulfilled that need and marked the location of the commanding officer. The flags were treated with reverence, and because of their importance, guards of experience or elite soldiers were adopted to protect their “colors” from being captured which meant defeat. 

While the military no longer needs flags and banners to find their regiments during a battle, the color guards remain a formal and time-honored tradition. Through the ages it has become more of a ceremonial affiliation often serving at different functions to honor our flag and nation.

And this is where Tom Claxton, Commandant of the P.L. Wilson Detachment of the Marine Corps League of Mobile came in. They performed a moving ceremony in which we honored the flag with the Pledge of Allegiance, and a beautiful rendition of God Bless America was sung by Jani Bryant. As our folded, tattered flag was placed on the fire, the distinctive bugle melody “Taps” was flawlessly played by Betty Beady. It truly was quite moving.

So, it goes without saying, we had a lovely, patriotic, and first ever, Deep South Region Flag Day ceremony. One that I think will go down in our history books and will certainly bear repeating in the future!

May God Bless America, today and always!