The winds in the hi-desert can be a killer sometimes – which is probably how they got their clever colloquial name of “murder winds.” Big open valleys and mesas have very little to slow down the winds around here, turning lazy breezes into “grab onto your hat” gusts in a matter of minutes.
Along with picking anything up that isn’t strapped down, these winds can do a number on the flags around the Morongo Basin. An American flag at the top of a flagpole can look quite serene when a light breeze is allowing it to lightly unfurl and display the red white and blue. But once those murder winds start up, seenity turns to chaos as one weekend storm can turn a crisp new flag into something worn, torn and in need of replacement.
So when you buy that new, hopefully more robust flag – what do you do with the old one?
Flag disposal guidelines for and American Flag are just that – a suggestion on how to retire a flag with respect. There are places to turn in old or tattered flags around the Morongo Basin. Any VFW post will take a flag, and the Twentynine Palms Public Cemetery District has a receptacle where you can drop off a flag for proper disposal. In Yucca Valley, a similar kiosk can be found on Yucca Trail just east of Joshua Lane.
You can also dispose of a flag with a small ceremony of your own, folding the flag into its traditional triangular fold and burning it on a small fire. While there are lots of suggestions for each type of personal flag retiring ceremony, most are centered around treating the disposal with dignity.
It’s important to note that these long-standing traditions and suggestions for proper flag disposal don’t have to be followed. There are no laws demanding the proper disposal of an American flag, or rules against modifying the flag or letting it touch the ground. While some may find a modified American flag distasteful or disrespectful to the actual flag, over the last few years many of these modified flags can be found flying next to, below, or even above the regular American flag.
The right to fly those flags – or any other flag for that matter – is protected under freedom of speech. That means that even if someone else doesn’t like your flag, you still have the right to fly it.
However, if a modified American flag falls into disrepair, there aren’t any long-standing guidelines or suggestions on how to dispose of those.
The Joshua Tree VFW Post 7264 is located at 6402 Veterans Way just off Hwy 62, and you can find the Yucca Valley flag receptacle here on Google Maps.
