Republic Boy Scouts retire American flags in new flag retirement pit

The Boy Scouts from Republic Troop 174 kept busy during the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 7, as they retired about 200 American flags in a flag retirement pit at J.R. Martin Park. Members of the Cub Scouts and the Girl Scouts helped retire flags as well.
The pit is a recent addition to the park; it was built in October as an Eagle project for James Caden Coatney over two weekends. Before the scouts began retiring flags, a ceremony was held to dedicate the pit. ROTC cadets presented the colors during the ceremony, and the scouts recited the flag creed and spoke about what the stars and stripes on the flag meant.

While he was retiring flags, James said it was important to make sure the flags were retired in a way that is dignified. For example, when the scouts retired a flag in the pit, they didn’t simply throw the flags into the pit to be burned. They went through a process of examining the flag, and four of them would each hold one corner and gently lower the flag into the pit.
“It’s fairly simple when you’re doing an actual ceremony like we did,” he said. “You just unfold them, (and) we go through the process of examination, and then we carefully place the flag over (the pit). We need to make sure it’s dignified for the actual flag, because we don’t know where these flags come from. They might have had important use in the service or in general.”
James added special care is taken to show respect towards the flag.
“We don’t have it dropped to the ground, and we don’t damage it any further than it might have already been damaged,” he said. “We need to emphasize, if there’s a crowd there, the importance of the American flag, and we need to make sure that this is a serious event.”
Jason Coatney, James’ father, said the pit augments a flag repository box which was installed in the park by Eagle Scout Colton Quinn back in May, and added that the project was meant to provide James with a leadership opportunity, as well as a chance to serve the public.
“An Eagle project is designed to get the scout to kind of gather people around and lead them in terms of a project that benefits a particular group,” he said. “In this setting, it was to benefit the city of Republic.”
The pit may not be the last project the scouts do in the park. Jason Coatney said the troop is hopeful the city will donate some land in J.R. Martin so the scouts can create a “flag burial ground,” where the ashes of flags retired in the pit can be respectfully buried.
Jamie Coatney, James’ mother, said other organizations that would like to use the pit to retire American flags can schedule its use through the Republic Parks Department.