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Paper's flub has post seeing red, white and blue

Old flags flood Legion Post 273 after an inaccurate report in the Beach Beacon.

By CRISTINA SILVA
Published January 31, 2007

Make no mistake, American Legion Post 273 does not want your tattered and worn-out flags.

In a case of unwanted publicity, the Madeira Beach post was inundated with dozens of Old Glories this month after the Beach Beacon published a photo of the veterans organization's members-only flag drop-off bin.

The newspaper said the drop-off bin was open to the public. Turns out, a Beach Beacon reporter covering an event at the post snapped a picture of the bin and thought it would make for good page filler.

"I guess we didn't realize it was for members only," said Tom Germond, executive editor of Tampa Bay Newspapers, which publishes the Beach Beacon.

That misunderstanding has proven problematic for the post, which has no way of properly disposing of so many old flags.

The U.S. Flag Code states flags no longer fitting of display should be destroyed, preferably by burning.

"It really has gotten out of hand," said post commander Robert Cissell. "We are getting bags and bags of flags and we are just not equipped to handle them."

Patriots, fret not. Those star-spangled banners will eventually meet a dignified end.

The post has been leaving the flags at the Bay Pines VA Medical Center, which in turn gives them to American Legion posts in St. Petersburg that do dispose of flags.

[Last modified January 30, 2007, 22:25:43]