‘I love my flag’

Marine Corps League Detachment 1011 honored Flag Day with a retirement ceremony at the Marine House in Marble on Saturday morning. John Evans, who led the ceremony, called the event “a funeral for a flag” and asked those present to behave as such. First, George Bendzen and Frank Bailey took the flag down, as Alan Morrill and Ed Bass waited with a new flag to raise (above). Those present pledged to the flag one last time as it was held by the honor guard – Morrill, Bass and Gwen Hathaway, all of Murphy. The honor guard then followed proper procedure for retiring a flag, cutting it into pieces so it was no longer a flag, then placing each piece into the fire. Evans said he started the fire early in the morning so as the flag died, the fire was dying, too. Before placing the last piece, the field of blue, into the fire, Morrill kissed it (left). “That was heartfelt,” he said. “I love my flag and my country.”