General Logo

American Legion Flag Retirement Ceremony

How To Dispose of A Flag

  • The U.S. Flag Code suggests that when a flag has served its useful purpose, “it should be destroyed, preferably by burning.” For individual citizens, this should be done discreetly so the act of destruction is not perceived as a protest or desecration.
  • Many American Legion posts conduct disposal ceremonies of unserviceable flags, especially on Flag Day (June 14). Such ceremonies are particularly dignified and solemn occasions for the retirement of unserviceable flags.
  • Take your old flags to your local American Legion post.  They will be happy to retire your flags in their next disposal ceremony.

ALMBS Flag Class Provides Americanism Instruction to Citizens

Title 4, United States Code, Chapter 1

As Adopted by the National Flag Conference, Washington, D.C., June 14-15, 1923, and Revised and Endorsed by the Second National Flag Conference, Washington, D.C., May 15, 1924. Revised and adopted at P.L. 623, 77th Congress, Second Session, June 22, 1942; as Amended by P.L. 829, 77th Congress, Second Session, December 22, 1942; P.L. 107 83rd Congress, 1st Session, July 9, 1953; P.L. 396, 83rd Congress, Second Session, June 14, 1954; P.L. 363, 90th Congress, Second Session, June 28, 1968; P.L. 344, 94th Congress, Second Session, July 7, 1976; P.L. 322, 103rd Congress, Second Session, September 13, 1994; P.L. 225, 105th Congress, Second Session, August 12, 1998; P.L. 80, 106th Congress, First Session, October 25, 1999; P.L. 110-41, 110th Congress, First Session, June 29, 2007; P.L. 110-181, 110th Congress, Second Session, January 28, 2008; P.L. 110-239, 110th Congress, Second Session, June 3, 2008, P.L. 110-417,

US Representative Alex Mooney Welcomes ALMBS

Congressman Alex X. Mooney and his wife live in Charles Town in Jefferson County with their three children. Their third child, Gabrielle, was born in Charleston, West Virginia in October 2014. The son of a Cuban refugee and Vietnam veteran, Alex grew up with a deep sense of appreciation for the American ideals of individual freedom and personal responsibility.

Alex’s mother, Lala, was born and raised in Fidel Castro’s Cuba, where she and other members of her family were thrown into jail for seven weeks for opposing Castro’s communist regime. When she was 21, Lala escaped Cuba and fled to America with barely a penny to her name.

Alex’s father, Vincent, was sent to Vietnam when Lala was expecting their first child. He served as an Engineering Captain and was awarded the Bronze Star.

Listening to his parents’ inspiring stories, Alex knew from a young age that he wanted to spend his life

American Legion Riders Logo

American Legion Riders Benefit Ride

2015 MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND THREE-DAY RIDE May 23-24-25

Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (Memorial Day) from Martinsburg to Grafton, WV and Return.

Register at American Legion Post 14, 125 Race Street, Martinsburg, on Saturday, May 23, and join us for an all-you-can-eat breakfast, or join us anywhere along the route to register and ride. Enjoy scenic mountain rides, a ferry river crossing, participate in America’s oldest Memorial Day Parade, and pay your respects with us as we visit the West Virginia National Veterans Cemetery on Memorial Day morning.

ADVANCE REGISTRATION BY MAIL IS ALSO AVAILABLE Call 304 267-6100 for Information. Reduced hotel rates may be available for participants in nearby Bridgeport, WV.

All proceeds benefit American Legion Mountaineer Boys State and American Legion Auxiliary Rhododendron Girls State.

Sponsored by the American Legion Riders Chapter 14, Martinsburg, West Virginia. More information available on www.wvpost14riders.net.

The History of Flag Day

The Fourth of July was traditionally celebrated as America’s birthday, but the idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the Flag is believed to have first originated in 1885. BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for the pupils in the Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School, District 6, to observe June 14 (the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes) as ‘Flag Birthday’. In numerous magazines and newspaper articles and public addresses over the following years, Cigrand continued to enthusiastically advocate the observance of June 14 as ‘Flag Birthday’, or ‘Flag Day’.

On June 14, 1889, George Balch, a kindergarten teacher in New York City, planned appropriate ceremonies for the children of his school, and his idea of observing Flag Day was later adopted by the State Board of Education of New York. On June 14, 1891, the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia held a Flag Day celebration, and on

Read more

The American Flag; In a Class all its’ Own

 

Today, the Boys State Citizens were treated to a seminar on the American Flag. The session taught the proper way to treat and dispose of the American flag. The Citizens were also allowed to see a very moving ceremony in which grave markers from different time periods and different wars.

The lesson mainly taught about the Flag Code, which is a set of rules that dictates how the flag is to be treated. The flag code has many regulations which, when followed, ensures that the flag is displayed properly and treated with the upmost respect. One of the most important rules is that the flag should always be the highest flag on a flag pole, so it is the first flag raised and the last flag lowered. Another is that it should always be on the right of any other flags it is displayed with.

The ceremony that followed the lesson is

Read more
ALMBS General Logo

College Fair

All 4 year Colleges and Universities, as well as, Potomac State College of WVU are invited to participate in the annual Career Day – College Fair for the Boys’ State program.

RSVP’s for Boys’ State should be directed to Chris Sharps by e-mail at: Chris.Sharps@wvlegion.org by Wednesday, June 8, 2011.