Community Chat

[gidgetgh]

We had my grandfathers flag.  I did not know this until we cleaned out my parents house in 2016.  My grandfather died in 1964.

Someone pointed me to a local attorney who was involved with American Legion I believe. He took the flag from me and said it would be disposed of with other flags during a respectful ceremony.  That was fine with my sister and me.

As for the nursing diploma. I think what the OP suggested was terrific. You could also take a picture of the diploma with your phone and then you'd have the picture and the memory, but not the original item.

[santorini]

Maybe I missed some details on whether you have kids or not, but I'll just tell you my experience.  I had my dad's flag in the triangular wooden display case.  I was in a bad accident where I was not expected to live.  My kids came to the house while I was in the hospital and tried to see what to do with my things.  I later found out that my father's flag was the ONLY thing my son wanted from the house.  I ended up surviving, obviously, and when I visit him, I love seeing the flag displayed on a high shelf in his home.  

[hopi]

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@Cakers3 wrote:

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@hopi wrote:

Give it to Goodwill or donate it to a Church sale.

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@hopi   No.

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There are plenty of WW 11 colectors, flag collectors , 40's items, etc.

It would be nice to let the memory be shared.

Burning it does not make it any less harmed.

[hopi]

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@Imaoldhippie wrote:

@hopi ..............How disrespectful!

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Are you kidding. Respectful is not putting it in a waste container of flags and burned.

[Stray]

The local VFW gladly accepts them. We were advised by town officials that is the proper venue. They will take good care of it

[kitcat51]

If you don't know you ask, you did a good thing @PilatesLover & helped others too. I flinched when I saw 2 flags in cases with ID markers for sale at a resale shop, I tried to walk away but just couldn't leave them behind & when the owner checked me out she said what nice bookcase decor they would make. Anyway, I took them to the VFW to be disposed of properly & donated the cases to them. I don't believe the sellers or resale shop owner meant any disrespect, they simply didn't know.

[vsm]

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@Icegoddess wrote:

The Boy Scouts will take care of it too.  My next door neighbors just disposed a an American Flag in their trash and I couldn't stand seeing it laying there.  They claimed they had spilled turpentine or something on it, but to me that's no excuse to dispose of it in such a manner.  I took it to the Boy Scouts. They have a flag disposal ceremony a couple of times a year. 

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Good for you, @Icegoddess , for investing the time and effort to do the right thing.

[Imaoldhippie]

@hopi ...............you are so misinformed.  The VFW and other military related places will have a respectful ceremony and it will be disposed of properly and respectfully.  And I will leave it at that.

[beach-mom]

@PilatesLover - Our local funeral home also will take it Since it is framed, if I were you, I would look into donating it to a museum. I have seen a wall of them in the military section of a small town museum. You could check with a military museum too if you have one you could get to.

You still might have someone in the family who would want it. I saw a situation where the family got rid of a small desk they thought no one wanted. They didn't check with everyone in their family. It meant a lot to one of the grandchildren, who really wanted it. But it was gone.

I hope you don't donate it to a second-hand store. Someone you loved held that folded flag on her lap. 

I have two of them. Good luck with whatever you decide. 

[KatieB]

@PilatesLover Why would  you want to dispose of it to begin with?   I still have the flag from my Dad's funeral over 25 years ago.  It is proudly displayed in a flag case on a bookshelf.