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Oxford High School JROTC to Hold Flag Retirement Ceremony
The Oxford High School Marine Corps JROTC will be holding an American flag retirement ceremony on March 27 at 4 p.m. in the parking lot of 307 W. Jackson Ave.
Typically seen as an act of anti-patriotism, the flags are only allowed to be burned by the military, boy scouts to ROTC. As part of the ceremony, the stripes will be cut, a member of the ROTC will speak of the meaning behind each color of the flag, then it will be folded and placed in a flaming 50-gallon barrel. The ashes and metal rings are then buried on American soil to complete the retirement.
The event is being led by the juniors in the 90-member program led by Col. Doug Cromwell, the JROTC instructor.
“Each year he tasks the third-year cadets to plan events, make sure they run smoothly and to carry them out,” said junior cadet Sidney Cotton.”It is a test of leadership and our planning capabilities.”
In addition to members of the fire department, Cotton plans to have members from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, police officers and a chaplain in attendance. Anyone from the community is also welcome to attend the event. If anyone has a dirty or torn flag that is in need of retirement, they are encouraged to contact the Oxford High JROTC program to donate.
Michael Quirk is a HottyToddy.com staff reporter and can be reached at michael.quirk@hottytoddy.com.