The 11th annual Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority American Flag Retirement Ceremony was held Saturday, Sept. 7 at Northern New Jersey Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Sparta. (Photos by Maria Kovic)
The American flag is folded.
Musicians play during the ceremony.
The one flag used in the ceremony represents all the flags to be retired.
About 1,000 pounds of American flags were retired at the 11th annual Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority (SCUMA) Flag Retirement Ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 7 at Northern New Jersey Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Sparta.
SCUMA partnered with Abbey Glen Cemetery in Lafayette, which will cremate the flags, Jill Space, director of the Sussex County Board of County Commissioners, reported at the board’s Sept. 11 meeting.
Those attending the flag retirement ceremony received ashes from the flags cremated last year to sprinkle on the veterans’ graves in Sparta.