Martin, Tenn.–West TN PBS/WLJT-TV 11 will be airing the largest known flag retirement ceremony in West Tennessee as part of a 4th of July special program. Titled Retiring Old Glory, the one-hour program was shot on-location at the Casey Jones Village in front of the historic Providence House in Jackson, TN.
Over 300 American Flags were retired in a traditional ceremony on June 24th, where American flags were honored and laid on a fire.
“When an American flag becomes worn, tattered, and faded, you need to retire it on a fire and that’s the way we show reverence and respect for the US Flag,” says event organizer and flag expert Dan Brooks.
The program includes speaker, Jack Claiborne, a World War Two Veteran who was a gunner on a United States Navy boat on D-Day in Normandy and presentations by local Boy Scouts and area leaders including Tennessee State Senator Ed Jackson and Representative Chris Todd.
“We love to see younger kids starting to learn why the American Flag is important and what it means to the country,” according to event host Brooks Shaw, the General Manager of the Old Country Store and Casey Jones Village.
Retiring Old Glory is hosted by Julie Cooke and Steve Beverly. West TN PBS Channel 11 will be airing it multiple times over the 4th of July week, beginning on July 3rd with special airings on the evening of July 4 at 6pm and 10pm. Retiring Old Glory will also be streamed on the PBS App and the station’s website westtnpbs.org.
“We hope this program will begin a new 4th of July tradition for West Tennessee, as we learn about the history and meaning of the US Flag and what it means to local veterans and their families,” West TN PBS General Manager/CEO Peter Noll said.