ANDREA GALABINSKI Father Corbette Hunter gave the invocation and Al Peirolo helped organize the event.

Many local veterans turned out to properly retire their American flags at the Buccaneer Estates Veterans Memorial Garden last Wednesday.

In an annual ceremony at the community, the flags are actually burned, which is the proper protocol of respect, said Amvets Post 81 Honor Guard’s Al Peirolo.

Peirolo officiated the ceremony, which included an invocation by retired priest Father Corbette Hunter and two ceremonial highlights by the Honor Guard.

The Amvets Honor Guard, led by Jack Waddell, included Peirolo, Walter and Carole Ahmad, Doug Roberson, Ellen LaRochelle and Dennis Densmore. Jerry Cavender was the bugler for the event.

The guard first respectfully retired the Buccaneer Community’s own flag, which is one of the cornerstones of the Estate’s Veterans Memorial Garden.

Andrea Galabinski Amvets Post 81 Honor Guard led a ceremonial event for retiring the flag. They include Jack Waddell, Walter and Carole Ahmad, Doug Roberson, Ellen LaRochelle, Dennis Densmore and Al Peirolo. Jerry Cavender was the bugler.

That garden also features paver bricks with the names of veterans from many conflicts, and a water fountain and bench to reflect on veterans remembered.

The guard then demonstrated the proper way to fold a flag, a formal 13-step process with symbolism for every fold.

“The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life,” Peirolo said. “The second fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life.”

He then went on and read all 13 fold meanings, while the guard did the formal folding.

Other veterans and community members brought their own flags to be retired, and get new ones.

The Honor Guard showed the proper way to fold the flag, in 13 symbolic steps.

We wanted to give the public a sense of the proper way to retire the American Flag,” Peirolo said, which included burning of the flags after the ceremony.

Buccaneer Estates veterans have had several large veterans ceremonies every year, including Veterans Day and Pearl Harbor Day events along with flag retirement.