By David Dell
Port Huron – “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” 4 U.S. Section 8.
In the cloudy early morning Saturday, a dozen local Boy Scouts gathered at the Charles A. Hammond American Legion Post 8 downtown to retire worn and otherwise unserviceable American flags. Under the guidance of the American Legion leadership and guidance well over 200 flags were put down.
Charles A. Hammond American Legion Post 8 Chaplain, Ray Carrier led those gathered in an invocation and the St. Clair County Allied Veteran’s Council provided a rifle squad who fired a 3-round salute and a bugler who played taps before the Scouts presented the flags to Legionnaires who placed the flags onto what quickly became a roaring fire.
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Jerry Lindeman straightens a flag that was in a heap. 
Chaplain Ray Carrier receives a salute from Abby Gauthier after she presented a flag to him. 
Kennedy Woods covers her ears during the rifle salute by the St. Clair County Allied Veteran’s Council rifle squad. 
A small portion of the multitude of American flags to be destroyed during the ceremony.. 
Ken Reeves straightens a flag that was in a jumbled roll. 
Post 8 Commander Rich Davis reads the American Legion procedure for destroying unserviceable American flags to the assembled Scouts and Legionnaires. 
Commander Rich Davis performs a symbolic inspection of a flag, representing all flags to be destroyed, held by Scout Steve Szczesniak from Troop 104. 
Steve Szczesniak, Kennedy Woods and Abby Gauthier present flags to a Legionnaire who will place in into the fire. Post 8 Chaplain Ray Carrier looks on. 
A Legionnaire places a flag onto the roaring flames. 
The quantity of unserviceable flags required the use of two burn pits.
David Dell has been a lifelong resident of Port Huron and Fort Gratiot and graduated from Port Huron High School. His passion for photography began in 6th grade while working on the Washington Junior High yearbook. He shot many rolls of film during his time with the Big Red Marching Machine, and followed that with 3 semester stint as the Chief Photographer and Photo Editor of the Erie Square Gazette at St. Clair County Community College as well as working in a custom photo print house and under the tutelage of Ralph Polovich at the Times Herald. David’s degree in Mass Communications was put on hold when he enlisted in the United States Air Force. He held qualifications in two specialties; Still Photographer and Graphic Artist for just shy of eight years in California, Oklahoma, Washington State, Alaska, before returning to Port Huron. His business Delta Imaging Photography specializes in Technical, Commercial and Event photography, although he also dabbles in portraiture. David’s background in photojournalism has earned him positions covering Port Huron Northern Marching Band and Football Team for Michigan High School Athletic Association, the North American Hockey League Port Huron Fighting Falcons, the Federal Hockey League Port Huron Prowlers, the American Hockey League Rockford Ice Hogs and the Federal Hockey League Commissioner’s Cup championship series.
Some of David’s work can be found here www.DeltaImaging.zenfolio.com. His technical work has covered proprietary intellectual property that can’t be shared.
