At Central Crossing High School, the Navy Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (NJROTC) is helping the community honor veterans while upholding one of the nation’s most respected traditions — the dignified retirement of the American flag.
The program, led by CCHS NJROTC instructor Benjamin A. Woods, USMC Master Sergeant, retired, was inspired by a similar initiative he encountered while teaching in North Carolina. It follows the United States Flag Code, Title 4, Section 8k, which states, “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”
Junior Evan Jewett, the CCHS NJROTC Command Master Chief, said the project began with a simple idea — collecting worn or tattered flags and turning them into tributes for veterans.
“We’ve been working on it for a little bit,” Jewett said. “We have a box in the waiting area where people can drop off old flags. We fold them, prepare envelopes, and then take them to funeral homes or give them to veterans. If a veteran doesn’t have a flag or something meaningful at the time of their service, we’ll make sure they do.”
The flag donation box near the front office at Central Crossing is checked weekly by Cadets, who carefully collect and fold each flag. “We’ve received flags in all conditions,” Woods said. “Some are little more than threads, while others were damaged in storms or replaced after long service.” The Cadets also serve as a collection point for the South Western City School District maintenance department when flags are replaced at district buildings.
Once about 20 flags are collected, Cadets contact local funeral homes to see which locations are in need of more. In some cases, the funeral homes reach out first when their supplies are running low. The NJROTC typically ensures that each participating location has 10 retired flags and tribute cards ready to accompany veterans.
“All the flags are hand-folded,” senior Nolan Dicks said. “We take them out individually and give them the proper respect. Then we cut the star out of the flag, laminate it into a card, and type out a message for the family it’s going to.”
While some of the cards are printed, Dicks said most of the labor comes from the students themselves, who view each flag as more than just fabric.
“We give every flag the proper respect it deserves,” he said. “Behind every star isn’t just a star — it represents a person who lived their life and honored their country, said Dicks.”
For the Cadets, the program provides a chance to reflect on the meaning of service and sacrifice. “All service members, when they raise their right hand and swear in, are signing a blank check,” Woods said. “They’re pledging to serve their country, even to the point of making the ultimate sacrifice. Our hope is that Cadets understand the depth of that commitment and the importance of showing respect to those who have made it.”
Each flag that enters the program is prepared with special care. Before being folded, a single star is cut from the flag and laminated onto a tribute card. The card notes that the flag was folded by a CCHS NJROTC Cadet and that it “served its last deed of service accompanying their veteran.” Families receive this card along with their loved one’s cremains — a small but powerful reminder of honor, gratitude and the enduring symbol of freedom the American flag represents.
“When I hand a flag to a family, I know I’m giving them a little bit of closure,” Jewett said. “Most of the time it’s older veterans or people who passed during service. You know you’re helping their [family] out — giving them something to remember their loved one.”
SW Insider 