ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — It’s one of the most recognizable images in the world: 50 stars, 13 stripes, an enduring symbol of freedom.

On the third Saturday of every month, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2391 in St Augustine retires American flags; nearly 1,000 of them every month.

In this week’s Stories of Service, we hear what patriotism and the flag mean to these veterans.

“I got drafted when I graduated from college,” Rick McAllister told First Coast News. “Went to Vietnam in December 1969, spent a few months crawling around underground as a tunnel rat.”

“It’s very emotional for me,” said Daniel Weir. “My father served in the Navy, my uncle served in the Navy, I was stationed in Pearl Harbor, so daily I would see the Arizona memorial.”

“I grew up in a military family,” said McAlister. “My grandfather was in World War I, my dad was in World War II as a pilot in the south Pacific. So, I grew up with a strong understanding of what freedom and democracy and what the flag meant in terms of representing our country.”

Beginning in 2023, members of the VFW Post 2391 Honor Guard began monthly flag retirement ceremonies, a dignified goodbye for Old Glory.

“Reminds me of everybody I served with, brothers in arms and those that still serve today,” said McAlister. “There’s significant sacrifices being made on behalf of that flag.”

And to honor those sacrifices, their ceremony is consistent with the US Flag Code. For more information on proper ways to retire the American flag, click here.

Barrels behind the post burn flags at 1,300 degrees. In 2024, they retired more than 11,000 flags; January of this year was their largest monthly total at 1,600.

Men who served our country years ago, now serving in a different way. Proud of the red, white and blue, they know when it’s time for a flag to be retired.

“If it’s faded, definitely when it’s torn, take it down,” said Weir. “If we see one in the community that needs to be replaced, we’ll take a flag out of our vehicle, knock on the door and ask if we can replace the flag at no cost to them.”

“A very veteran and patriotic community, and we’re honored to be a part of that,” said McAllister while referencing the population of St. Johns County.

“That was one of my main reasons for going in the service, is to serve my country because I was proud of that flag,” said Weir. “[I] watched what my father did while he was in the service and my uncles, and it means so much.”

The flag retirement ceremony in April will be special for VFW Post 2391. They’ve invited three other Honor Guards in St. Johns County to join them for a joint flag retirement ceremony.

The post has flag drop off sites scattered throughout St. Johns County. The address of Post 2391 is 6184 U.S. 1, St. Augustine, FL 32086, and the First City Honor Guard can be reached by calling 904-342-9585.

If you have a Story of Service that you would like us to profile, send an email to storiesofservice@firstcoastnews.com.