Worn, tattered flag gives California youth idea to ask neighbors for their unserviceable flags to drop off in flag box at fire station.
When 16-year-old Valen Younger of Redondo Beach, Calif., and his family purchased a new U.S. flag to replace their torn and tattered one, he and his father, a retired Air Force veteran and Legionnaire, had the idea to collect unserviceable flags for proper disposal. A family friend shared that a flag disposal box was outside of the Torrance Fire Station No. 4. This gave Valen an idea.
Valen made a flyer and he, his 12-year-old brother and 9-year-old sister distributed it to about 30 of their neighbors asking if they had an American flag they needed to properly dispose of. Valen and his siblings collected a handful of flags. They took the flags to the fire station and placed them in the flag drop off box.
“Knowing that these ‘Old Glories’ will be properly taken care of and won’t be thrown in the trash is a great feeling!” Younger said.
Do you have a flag moment?
The American Legion would like to hear from you about your flag moment for its Rally Around the Flag initiative. Share your story with a photo at Legiontown.org under the category “Rally Around the Flag.” Or share on your social media channels and use the hashtag #rallyaroundtheflag.
- Flag