Flag Retirement Program       

Our program is designed to honor our national heroes, our military veterans, and to give dignity to our American Flag when it is no longer worthy of display.

At Brown Funeral Home & Cremation Services, we work with the only locally owned and operated crematory.  For those veteran families whose final disposition includes cremation, it is our desire that the casket or cremation receptacle of every United States Veteran be draped with the United States Flag as the last deed of service.  We are working in conjunction with  American Legion Post 51 in Buchanan and American Legion Post 26 in Niles, to ensure that each veteran being cremated has a flag.  It is important to note that there is no charge for this service to our veterans.

If you would like to honor a deceased veteran by donating an aged or worn flag to be properly disposed of, you  may do so by delivering flags to the funeral home or by  placing them in the flag drop box located in front of Brown Funeral Home.  

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States  of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Flag Etiquette

The flag…   

 ... should never be in the dark

... should not be used for any decoration in general

... should not be used for any advertising purposes

... should not be used as part of a costume, except as part of  a military, fireman or police officers uniform

... should never have any mark, insignia, letter, word,  number, etc. placed or attached onto it

... should never touch the ground when lowered and should be received into waiting hands and arms

... should be folded appropriately when stored

... when no longer fit to serve, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner

According to the United States code, Title 4, Chapter 1, Subsection 8: "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."