Breckenridge Texan

Members of the American Volunteer Reserve were joined by local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts on Friday, May 11, for a United States flag retirement ceremony at the Boy Scout hut.

Representing the AVR, 6th Brigade, 2nd Homeland and Honors Detachment, were Les Strickland of Breckenridge and Knox Bishop and Eddie Renfro of Graham. Family and friends of the participants, as well as members of the Breckenridge Fire Department, also attended the event.

The ceremony began with members of Cub Scout Pack 81 posting an American flag at half-staff. Then Renfro played taps on a bugle. Bishop read a poem, “I Am the Flag,” and said that the flag that was being retired had “reached its present state through proper service. We will unfold and refold the flag the way we would at the gravesite of an honored veteran, and then we will commit it to the flames.”

Bishop placed the folded flag onto a small ceremonial fire and saluted it. He then led the crowd in prayer.

For more photos from the event, click here to see the Breckenridge Texan photo gallery.

Story by Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

Cutline, top photo: A crowd of American Volunteer Reserve members, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and their family and friends gathered Friday evening, May 11, for a flag retirement ceremony. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Participating in Friday’s flag retirement ceremony were, front row, from left, Cub Scouts Nolen Guevara, J.P. Arellano, Matthew Wunsch, Reyse Hash, Girl Scouts Maggie Wunsch, Rylee Fuller and Rachel Burchett, and Cub Scout Brysen Hash; middle row, Cub Scout Den Leader Matt Wunsch, AVR members Knox Bishop, Eddie Renfro and Les Strickland; and, back row, Breckenridge firefighters Jeb Baxley, Calvin Chaney, Chad Skiles and Jon Jackson. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)