Fire works to retire 1,000 flags properly

By JORGE SANCHEZ and PAULETTE LASH RITCHIE

© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 9, 2001

In case you missed it, the American Legion Post 155 in Crystal River held an unusual Fourth of July event: flag burning.

No, it's not what you might think. Bartender Cindy Alonge explained: "If your flag is ripped or dirty, it's supposed to be burned, and we had a military ceremony to do that."

The American Legion couldn't retire the flags on the past two Flag Days or Memorial Day because of burn restrictions imposed because of the drought. So the inventory of ruined flags grew.

"We burned about 1,000 flags," Alonge said.

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-- Times staff writers Jorge Sanchez and Paulette Lash Ritchie contributed to this report.

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