It’s Time To Retire The Tattered ‘Old Glory’ & Put Up A New One

There does come a time when the Stars And Stripes must be retired and replaced with a new set.

Driving around Tyler from Memorial Day through July 4th and again Labor Day weekend, you'll see hundreds of residences and businesses flying Old Glory as they show their support and love for the United States Of America.

The flag is a symbol of pride. As it proudly displays the stars and stripes day in and day out, through all kinds of weather, it slowly fades, becomes frayed, unravels on the ends, and eventually begins to disintegrate because of the elements. At this point, it is time to replace the flag with a new one.

If the recent round of storms damaged your flag in any way, here's a great way to get it replaced for free.

Flag Day is Friday, June 14th, a there will be a lot of red, white, and blue visible, in both excellent and poor condition. If you have a flag that is in poor condition, it should be retired properly.

Get our free mobile app

I proudly fly an American flag in front of my house 24/7 365 and I go through and replace my flag often. I have been participating in a local flag exchange now for the last five years thanks to a local business that is hosting a flag exchange.

For 9 years now, Cozad Insurance Group has hosted a flag exchange event. This year's event will conclude Friday, June 14th. All you need to do is drop off a worn, tattered flag at their location in Tyler or Lindale, and in exchange, you'll receive a new 3x5 flag. Since the program's inception, hundreds of flags have been retired by East Texas residents.

All worn flags will be retired in a respectful ceremony by the Lindale Boy Scouts this fall. The flag exchange is open to the public and not just to clients of Cozad Insurance Group. You can drop off flags at the following locations from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday.

• 619 Chase Dr. - Tyler - 3 blocks behind the old Chili's location off of Brookside Dr. (behind the radio station)
• 1428 S. Main St. - Lindale