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This weekend the Flag Deposit Box for unserviceable American Flags was removed. It will be gone for 2-3 weeks. The box located at the corner of Wall and Court Streets has given good service for over 15 years and has received literally 1,000’s of unserviceable American Flags.

The box is in need of repair and an Eagle Scout candidate James Taulbee along with fellow Scouts has taken on the challenge to strip, clean, paint and relabel. Until the box is returned to its post for another 15 years at least, I would ask the public to either hold their Flags till the box is returned or drop the Flags off at the front desk at City Hall.

The placement of the box 15 years ago was a joint endeavor of the Harold G Epperson Detachment #1113 Marine Corps League,

The City of Winchester and the Clark County Fiscal Court. I want to thank those organizations for their good work years ago to provide this much-needed service. I want to thank Mr. Taulbee and the Scouts for seeing a Community need and addressing it.

I also want to thank the George Rogers Clark Junior ROTC program for accepting the task of retiring these Flags, Conditions on the ground permitting, the JRROTC program retires the collected Flags twice each year ceremonially and in keeping with the U.S. Flag Code. The public is always welcome to attend and observe. On average, 500 Flags are collected per year so for 15 years over 7,500 unserviceable American Flags have been collected and with dignity and respect retired.

I want to thank all parties mentioned here for their service and devotion to our National Colors.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank other organizations around Winchester and Clark County that collect and retire unserviceable American Flags. I know there are several.

Ed Burtner
Mayor
City of Winchester