Cemetery's Old Memorial Day Flags Dumped in Trash
Manager of Arlington cemetery says disposal of flags in dumpster breaks cemetary's rules
By GRANT STINCHFIELD
Updated 6:45 PM CST, Thu, Jul 16, 2009
Dozens of U.S. flags used to honor the graves of military veterans have been trashed in an Arlington dumpster.
John Poskey snapped photographs of the flags being thrown away at Moore Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Arlington.
"As we drove by, we noticed a back-hoe just dumping American flags in a dumpster," he said.
Michael Wilfong, the cemetery manager, said a dumpster is not the cemetery's usual resting place for flags.
"I was upset about it," he said. "As soon as we saw that, we took care of it. And we have the utmost respect for our veterans and our flag, because they made the ultimate sacrifice."
Poskey said the incident is a disgrace.
"You know there are guys right now over there fighting for that flag, and you're throwing it away," he said.
Local Boy Scouts of America leaders also said they were angered.
"It's sad on a couple of levels," said Russell Etzenhouser, of the Boy Scouts. "It's not showing the respect that is due to the flag and country, and on another level, it means someone has not communicated what that symbol means. It's more than a piece of cloth; it's an idea and the freedom behind those ideas."
Wilfong said he believes landscaping contractors threw out the flags.
Moore Cemetery usually puts more than 6,000 flags out to honor veterans on Memorial Day.
"They deserve all the respect in the world, just like the flag," Wilfong said.
Wilfong said Moore Cemetery has strict rules about the disposal of old flags: Local veterans destroy the flags in a flag-burning ceremony.
The flag code calls for flags to be retired "with dignity and respect." Traditionally, worn-out flags are burned during a ceremony, but they can also be buried.
"The bottom line is doing (it) with the dignity and respect," Etzenhouser said.
First Published: Jul 16, 2009 6:27 PM CST
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