Old Glory Gets Respectful Retirement with Cranberry Collection Bins

According to the nation’s flag code, an unserviceable “Old Glory” should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning, and not tossed in the garbage.

As the wife of a proud Army veteran, Cranberry Township resident Denise Etter knows that. The problem is that others don’t, she said.

After noticing that neighbors and business were not retiring and replacing flags, she began to collect the tattered and faded flags.

Then Etter came up with the idea of having a public drop-off bin for old flags in Cranberry.

“A lot of people don’t know what to do, and it’s not convenient for them,” she said. “So we said let's make a convenient place.”

At Thursday’s workshop meeting of the Cranberry Township Board of Supervisors, Etter formally introduced the Retire Unserviceable Old Glory project to officials.

Etter and Supervisor Chairman John Skorupan placed an unserviceable flag in a bin with patriotic graphics that Etter had designed. The flag retirement bin will be kept at the township center just outside the entrance to the internal municipal offices.

Etter said she wanted to place the bin at a centrally located, high-traffic area such as the township center. The bin will be available daily, and notices will be posted around national holidays such as Memorial Day, Flag Day and Labor Day to inform the public of where they can go to deposit their faded flags.

Etter said the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Boy Scouts of American will collect the flags for a ceremonial retirement. The township center is the first place to display a bin.

“It was received wonderfully,” she said of partnering with the township on the project.

Township Supervisor Dave Root, a retired Navy fighter pilot, also gave the flag collection the thumbs up.

“This is fabulous,” he said. “As a veteran, I thought, ‘Why didn’t we think to do this before.’ ”

Etter isn’t stopping with the collection bin in Cranberry.

Her goal is to place bins in 25 municipal buildings by 2012. She also hopes to work with sponsors to place the bins in prime locations such as schools, post offices and special events.

Etter said a website where people can learn more about retiring Old Glory is in the works. In the meantime, people interested in sponsoring a bin may email her at retireoldglory@gmail.com