PUEBLO, Colo. — Students in the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) at Pueblo South High School are making sure damaged flags have a proper sendoff.
Thursday, they held their annual flag retirement ceremony. At the ceremony in 2022, more than 90 flags were burned.
WATCH: PUEBLO SCHOOL RETIRES AMERICAN FLAGS IN BURNING CEREMONY
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the proper way to dispose of a damaged flag is to burn it in a dignified manner. The JROTC program accepts donations of damaged flags throughout the year from the community to be burned during the ceremony.
Each time a flag is retired, it is done so to honor the lives of those who have defended it in such a dedicated manner.
Flag retirement can occur for a myriad of reasons, whether it be being torn, getting discolored, or receiving any other form of damage.
"(The) flag retirement ceremony is (held) to retire our flags properly and give them a proper retirement because our flag deserves the proper etiquette," said Madison Nelson, a member of the Pueblo South JROTC Program.
More than 50 flags were burned on Thursday. The students also honored military veterans during the ceremony.
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