![Baker JROTC students Aaron Cooper (left) and Kenny Williams demonstrate how to properly fold an American flag. [AARON JACOBS|NEWS BULLETIN]](http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ghows-DA-69c022a4-0abf-4513-e053-0100007ffcb0-084498ae-scaled.jpeg)
BAKER — Students at Baker school learned about flag etiquette and participated in a flag retirement ceremony this week.
The April 11 Junior ROTC event also honored seniors in the program with certificates from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary group.
JROTC students learned about the U.S. flag code, including how to properly handle and fold an American flag. They then took part in a retirement ceremony for flags that were deemed unfit for use.
“Ninety percent of (the flags) came from Bay County,” Sharon Justiss, youth coordinator for the Bay County VFW, said. “The others, the cadets collected from churches, local businesses, local resident themselves. They went around and collected them.”
The U.S. flag code states that when a flag is no longer fit for service that it be “destroyed in a dignified manner, preferably by burning.”
Anna Miner, adjutant for the Bay County VFW, led classes on the flag code. Students learned proper ways to display the flag, how a representation of the flag may be worn and acceptable ways to fold and store the flag.
A brief ceremony was then held to honor graduating seniors who had completed the JROTC program. A total of 15 Baker students received certificates of appreciation.
The event was also attended by Bay County VFW Commander Susan Johnson and President Katherine Dye. Representatives from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and Baker Fire Department were also in attendance.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Baker junior officers retire flags