American Legion honors country with ceremony before Flag Day

Klas Stolpe
Jun 14
2 min read

Updated: Jun 14

Service for community to properly and honorably dispose of flags

Juneau's American Legion and Auxiliary Auke Bay Post 25 held a dignified disposal of unserviceable flags ceremony at their post site on Saturday, June 13, 2026. Bruce Bowler and scout Liam Lafavour hold a flag for Eric Dobson to lift away. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Independent)

By Klas Stolpe

Juneau Independent

Juneau’s American Legion and Auxiliary Auke Bay Post 25 held a dignified disposal of unserviceable flags ceremony Saturday at the American Legion post.

“We always do it around Flag Day on June 14,” American Legion Auke Bay Post 25 commander Michael Downs said. “This year we did it on the 13th. We usually have to do it a few more times a year. The flags fill up our small post if they accumulate all year. We do it locally as a service to the community and to make sure flags are properly and honorably disposed of.”

Roughly 225 flags were disposed of Saturday in a solemn event that took just under an hour. Many of the flags came from a drop box at Mendenhall Mall by the doors near Super Bear, which the American Legion checks weekly. People also can bring flags to the post or ask members proper disposal questions. The flags may have become faded and worn over graves of departed friends or passed service members of wars or were displayed in public places.

Participants carefully folded each flag and attendants transported them via long poles to a fire barrel where they were disposed of, the flames seemingly a final salute into the air.

“Flag education is important to the American Legion,” Downs said. “We had a scout today that helped dispose of the flags. We are also a small post with very little resources.”

The post puts flags on veterans’ graves on Memorial Day, retires flags on Flag Day, marches in the July 4 parade, participates in the Alaska National Guard Day Dinner on July 30 — the post’s biggest event — and holds a Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11.

Downs said the American Legion nationally puts a strong emphasis on Americanism.

“It is one of the four pillars of the legion,” he said. “It is in our preamble to the constitution of the American Legion ‘to foster and perpetuate 100% Americanism.’ For myself, I am feeling more patriotic than usual with the 250th anniversary of the nation happening.”