Eagle Scout Tony Kuhn of Clamtown Troop 755 held a flag retirement ceremony at the West Penn Fire Company as the second and final part of his Eagle Scout project.

Kuhn restored a retired mail deposit box and repurposed it into a repository for retired U.S. flags. This involved repainting and redesigning the outside of the box, adding a concrete base, and preparing the location at the West Penn Fire Company.

Clamtown Troop 755 scoutmaster Damon Krall kicked off the ceremony by introducing Kuhn, who discussed details regarding his project. Representatives from the Schuylkill Carbon Marine Corps League presented Kuhn with a certificate of achievement and appreciation.

Others who took part of the ceremony were fellow Eagle Scouts Jack Tharp, who did a reading of “I Am Old Glory,” and Connor Rehnert, who described the official preparation of U.S. flags for retirement, which was demonstrated by Eagle Scouts Zac Yenser and Seth Whitehead.

A U.S. flag ceases to be a flag when it is cut into pieces. The troop cut the flag into four pieces: three red and white striped banners and the blue star field. The blue field remains intact because no one should ever let the union be broken.

Kuhn’s project resulted in the collection of more than 50 flags to date. Because of windy conditions, it was decided not to burn them until a later date.