Local veterans respectfully retire 300-plus flags
Rollin Banderob • Staff Photos
Local American Veterans (AMVETS) Post 110, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) 4077, American Legion and Teufelhund sponsored a Flag Retirement Ceremony Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025 morning at the Anamosa Fire Department. Over 300 flags left at drop boxes on the second floor of the Jones County Courthouse, Anamosa Fire Department, and at the American Veterans Post 110 were respectfully burned by local AMVETS Commander Dennis Countryman, VFW Commander/AMVETS Vice-Commander David Haugsted, AMVETS Trustee Kevin Merritt, and VFW and AMVETS member Cheyenne Lerch, all of Anamosa.
Kevin Merritt, left, places an old U.S. flag into the fire as David Haugsted and Cheyenne Lerch prepare another on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025 morning during a Flag Retirement Ceremony at the Anamosa Fire Department. They are all of Anamosa.
At the beginning of the Flag Retirement Ceremony, Cheyenne Lerch, from left, Kevin Merritt, Dennis Countryman pay their respects to the worn out U.S. flags as David Haugsted reads a prayer Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025 morning at the Anamosa Fire Department. They are all of Anamosa.
The ceremony started with the words “We are gathered here today to show respect to our American flags, which have served their purpose, and have outlived their duty, and are waiting to be retired.”
Dennis Countryman, of Anamosa, respectfully retires a worn out U.S. flag Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025 morning at the Anamosa Fire Department.
David Haugsted, left, and Cheyenne Lerch, both of Anamosa, place a flag on a pole to be taken to a fire pit.
Kevin Merritt of Anamosa places an old U.S. flag into the fire Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025 morning at the Anamosa Fire Department.
Dennis Countryman, of Anamosa, waits to retire a tattered U.S. flag Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025 morning at the Anamosa Fire Department.
