The Flags of Honor Committee, along with volunteers from the Sidney Lions Club and other volunteers, will post 130 flags around Veterans Park beginning at 6:00 a.m. Flags posted will begin with “Ted Goss” and end at “John Miller”.
People carrying flags in that group can take the flag and go to the VFW Club beginning at 10:00. People wanting flags from the Flags of Honor room must sign out the flag before taking it. These can be carried on a pole or folded. The parade will begin at 11:00 at the VFW Club, head west to Central Avenue, then go south on Central Avenue to Veterans Park where they must repost their flag or refold, as the case may be. All checked out flags must be in their proper shelf space before the program begins.
Immediately following the program will be a pot luck picnic at the park. The VFW and Ladies Auxiliary VFW will provide hot dogs, beans, chips, and buns. Plates, napkins, and silverware will also be provided. Participants must provide their own drinks and other food to coincide with the pot luck meal.
Flag etiquette states that when a parade is held with American Flags, spectators are to salute the first flags of the parade as they pass by, which will be let by the VFW Post and colors. They are to stand at attention throughout the remaining parade of flags.
The flags will remain posted in the park throughout the major part of the day. Weather plays an important role in the decision making, but usually the flags begin to come down about 3:30 p.m. They will all have to be refolded and put back in their proper location in the Flags of Honor room.
The Flags of Honor program is a community volunteer program which currently houses 625 casket flags. Last year the decision was made to “retire” flags from veterans who served in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and WW1. These flags are on display in the room, but will no longer be removed for the purpose of flying. Funds provided for this program are strictly from donations. For this reason, a free will offering will be taken at the picnic. For more information regarding this program, you may call caretakers Violet Tharp, (488-1173) and Margaret Bradley (488-4613).
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