A DAY TO SAY GOODBYE TO WORN FRIENDS.Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
The scribbled, handwritten hand·write tr.v. hand·wrote , hand·writ·ten , hand·writ·ing, hand·writes To write by hand. [Back-formation from handwritten.] Adj. 1. note was paper-clipped to a battered shopping bag left at the front door of American Legion American Legion, national association of male and female war veterans, founded (1919) in Paris. Membership is open to veterans of World Wars I and II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Sunland-Tujunga Post 377. Inside, folded neatly, was a torn and faded American flag. The author was 92, she had written, and wanted to give her old flag an honorable burial, but she didn't know how. It had flown proudly from her front porch on every Flag Day and patriotic holiday for more than 30 years, and had seen too many hot summers and cold winters. It was time for it to go. So she folded it up with love and left it on the doorstep of some people she figured would know what to do. She was right. They did. More than 100 veterans -- whose service ranges from World War II to Desert Storm -- gathered with their families last Saturday at the Shadow Hills home of Vietnam War Vietnam War, conflict in Southeast Asia, primarily fought in South Vietnam between government forces aided by the United States and guerrilla forces aided by North Vietnam. veteran Bud Fales to give 75 U.S. flags an honorable burial. ``I wish that 92-year-old woman had left her name and address because I'd like to buy her a new flag myself,'' said Vietnam veteran This article is about veterans of the Vietnam War. For the French psychedelic musical group, see Vietnam Veterans. Vietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War. Dean Baker, 62. ``Any person who flies our flag proudly like that all those years deserves our thanks.'' With Bruce ``Tally'' Tallakson -- the official bugler from Post 377 -- playing taps, the old flags were removed from brown paper sacks, plastic shopping bags and express mail packages and stacked next to a rusted, metal trash can In the Macintosh, a simulated garbage can used for deleting files and folders. The trash can keeps the files intact in case the user wants to restore them, but can be "emptied" from time to time to save disk space. for burning. Twenty minutes earlier, Fales had dropped a piece of gasoline-soaked wood inside the trash can. In a few minutes, he would ignite it, but some words had to be spoken first. The ceremony is called ``The Dignified dig·ni·fied adj. Having or expressing dignity. dig  ni·fied ly adv. Disposal of Unserviceable Flags,'' and it is as solemn as a funeral -- because it is a funeral. It's not just a piece of old cloth being burned and disposed of with dignity. It's the heart and soul of the country for whom these veterans have served. It's the memory of every buddy they lost in war, every mother whose son or daughter didn't come home. That old flag is their brother, their sister, their grandparents grandparents npl → abuelos mpl grandparents grand npl → grands-parents mpl grandparents grand npl and parents. It's what makes them cry, and what makes them proud when they walk down their street on Flag Day and see their neighbors' porches flying the red, white, and blue. It's the reason so many people carrying brown paper bags found their way to Post 377, and other American Legion and Veterans of Foreign War posts a few days before Flag Day. They had an old friend they wanted to bid farewell, but didn't know how. ``The first year we held the ceremony we had more than 3,000 old flags left at American Legion and VFW See Video for Windows. posts all over the Valley,'' said Pat O'Brien, commander of Post 377. ``It took us more than 10 hours to retire them all. Some of the flags had notes attached, people telling us they probably waited too long to buy a new flag, but they had become attached to their old flag. ``It had flown on their porch since their kids were babies, and now their kids were grown and had kids of their own,'' said O'Brien, a Vietnam vet. ``It was time. They wanted us to treat their old flag with the dignity and respect it deserved, and that's what we've been doing.'' After Flag Day today, if you think it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a to say goodbye to a tired, old friend that's been in the family a long time, feel free to leave it on the doorstep of the guys over at Post 377 for a proper burial. The post is located at 10039 Pinewood pine·wood n. 1. The wood of the pine tree. 2. A forest of pines. Often used in the plural. Ave., Tujunga, and there are many other American Legion and VFW posts in the Valley that also accept old flags for proper retirement. If you chose to leave a note, don't forget to include your name and address. Knowing these guys, they're going to want to buy you a new flag. dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3749 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Vietnam vets Mark Hudson, Bud Fales and Bobb Jones prepare an old American flag to be burned during a Flag Day flag retirement ceremony two years ago at Fales' house in Shadow Hills. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News |
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