NATCHEZ

&045; One by one, veteran Jack Kerwin picked up each of the more than 60 weather-worn American flags as lovingly as one would hold a newborn.

With solemn salutes, Kerwin, of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9573, and post Cmdr. Jack Rodriguez then handed the flags just as carefully to local Boy Scouts who returned the salutes.

Then, one by one, the flags were tossed by the Boy Scouts into a roaring fire, the banners disappearing almost as quickly as they touched the flames.

And this, Scoutmaster Eddie Ray said, was a fairly simple flag retirement ceremony.

Still, the significance was there as Boy Scout Troop 170, along with VFW Post 9573, its Ladies’ Auxiliary and the Auburn Garden Club held their first flag retirement ceremony in three years at the antebellum house Auburn.

&uot;If you don’t properly retire the flag, it diminishes the fact that so many people died for our country,&uot; Ray said. &uot;If you do it properly, however, it honors them.&uot;

That’s why veterans were asked to take part, Ray said &045; so scouts could properly show their appreciation for veterans’ sacrifices.

In addition, having such a ceremony teaches scouts flag etiquette.

&uot;There’s certain things you have to do (in the ceremony).

&uot;Each flag gets a salute, for example, and you also have to make sure each flag gets burned completely,&uot; Ray said.

One of those watching the ceremony on Auburn’s front lawn was Dottie McGehee, president of the Auburn Garden Club.

She got the idea for the ceremony when she replaced the flag at Auburn and needed to retire the old flag.

&uot;And we thought it would be appropriate to have it near Veteran’s Day,&uot; which is Tuesday, McGehee pointed out.

Not only that, but organizers plan to make the ceremony an annual event for which businesses, groups or individuals can donate their flags to be retired, Ray said.