CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

FLAMES OF RESPECT

The Coeur d'Alene Press - 5/31/2017

HAYDEN - Gary Brennecke said that, during his career with the United States Postal Service, he regularly raised and lowered American flags.

But, until recently, the now retired Brennecke had always wondered what was done when Old Glory became too worn and battered.

"I'm glad David's doing this and showing the proper respect to these flags," Brennecke, a Coeur d'Alene resident, said.

On Sunday, more than 20 individuals, many of them military veterans, gathered in Hayden to burn - the traditional way flags are properly retired - 148 American flags and 16 POW flags. David Hampton, who works for the U.S. Postal Service and is an Army National Guard veteran, began gathering the flags in November after encountering several old flags previously flown at a post office he was working at in Loon Lake, Wash., some 30 miles north of Spokane.

"The flag honors our country, as well as our fallen veterans and all who have served," said Hampton, a Post Falls resident. "I took it upon myself to take these flags and properly retire them. I would hope that any soldier would want to do the same."

After finding the box of old flags in Loon Lake, Hampton said he was curious about whether other post offices had old flags in need of retirement. An email to all of the post offices in the Northwest yielded responses from 46 different offices in Idaho and Washington.

The flags were shipped to Hampton, who then connected with Dale Stamper to get more veterans involved in the retirement ceremony. Stamper, leader of the veteran's ministry at Real Life and national president of the Blinded Veterans Association, has grown to know Hampton through the ministry and said the Iraq War veteran is mature well beyond his 26 years.

"He just had this sense of saying ?I'll do this because that's what you do' and that exemplifies what I've seen of him," Stamper said.

Stamper will also speak today at 11 a.m. during a Memorial Day ceremony at Hayden City Hall.

Since Hampton lives in a condo, his parents, Liane and Craig, offered their Hayden home. On Saturday night, Hampton and his wife, Jamie, hand-folded each of the flags.

Although, according to Hampton, it was pure chance that the retirement took place on Memorial Day weekend, he added that it was very fitting it did.

Prior to the flag retirement, Hampton read from a poem called "Old Glory."

"I stand guard with the greatest military power in the world," Hampton read. ?Look up and see me. I stand for peace, honor, truth and justice. I stand for freedom. I am confident; I am arrogant; I am proud."

When asked by The Press what the ceremony, and the flag, signified, Bruce Orr said the poem Hampton read said it better than he could himself. Orr, a member of the veteran's ministry who lives in Post Falls, added that he wouldn't undo his military service for the world before looking at the pile of burning flags.

"I wish there were more individuals that would take the time to count their blessings and recognize the sacrifice that the flag itself represents," he said.