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Funeral home collecting American flags for deceased vets

Drop boxes set up in Edgewood and Bel Air
Posted at 11:45 PM, Jun 20, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-20 23:45:41-04

American flags are made with love and flown with pride, but they are not indestructible.

"You find them ragged, faded out, with holes in them," says David Ford with the American Legion Post 17 in Edgewood.

Ford's post now has a drop box outside where people can drop off their well-loved flags to be disposed of properly. According to Veterans Affairs, when a flag is too damaged to be displayed, it should be respectfully destroyed, preferably by burning.

"It's a flag, a symbol of our country. It shouldn't be desecrated in any shape," says Ford. "It should be disposed of properly with honor."

Ford says the drop box was stuffed after only a week. McComas Funeral Home is collecting the used flags for deceased veterans. If the family wishes, the veteran can be cremated along side it.

"We decided to honor the flag in disposing of the flag the right way, but also honoring the veteran at the same time," says Howard McComas IV of McComas Funeral Home.

A second box has been placed outside the American Legion Post 39 in Bel Air. The funeral home says it's getting great feedback after only a few weeks.

"No matter how long they've served, theyve served the country," McComas said. "It's just a proper ending, a proper tribute for the veteran and again the flag too."

McComas says that more American Legion Posts throughout Harford County have requested a box of their own.