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First-Ever Flag Burning Held At Veteran’s Grove

United Veterans Council of Jamestown and Lake View Cemetery held a flag retirement ceremony Thursday for the first time at Veteran’s Grove inside the cemetery. The ceremony also held a 21-gun salute, the playing of taps and the Star Spangled Banner in addition to the flag burned and burial of ashes. P-J photos by Jordan W. Patterson

Over 180 American flags were retired and burned within Veteran’s Grove at Lake View Cemetery on Thursday for the first time.

The United Veterans Council of Jamestown and Lake View Cemetery hosted the flag retirement ceremony inside the cemetery in association with the Daughters of the American Revolution. The ceremony included a 21-gun salute, the playing of taps and the Star Spangled Banner in addition to the flag burning and burial of ashes.

Elizabeth Lutgen, Jefferson Middle School student and former winner of Chautauqua’s Got Talent, performed a violin rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.

Hugh Golden, general manager of Lake View Cemetery, said he hoped the service would become an annual Flag Day event.

“We thought it’d be really an appropriate place to hold a flag retirement ceremony,” he said. “This is the first event as far as (Veteran’s Grove).”

Golden praised the efforts made by the community by donating flags for the service. Golden said 180 were dropped off directly to the Lake View Cemetery office, but more were delivered by other means. Numerous community members were piling flags onto the collection moments before the ceremony began.

“The community’s been great,” he said. “It’s just been amazing what the community has done.”

In addition to the aforementioned performances, Sean McNally read “My Name is Old Glory” prior to the flag burning.

Golden spoke about the importance of educating the community about the American flag.

“I think Flag Day is very important. I think the emphasis is this is when the first American flag was introduced,” Golden said. “Hopefully by having events like this we can bring the awareness back to the public of the significance of our flag.”

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