Pictured from left: Westwood High Scool senior Tanner Annala, Llewanne Collister, and Tim Walters. Annala spent his winter building a flag return for the American Legion to safely and properly dispose of damaged American flags. In return, the Legion donated $200 to Westwood. (Photo courtesy of Westwood High School)

MARQUETTE – Westwood High School graduating senior Tanner Annala spent his last winter semester creating a flag return box for the Ishpeming American Legion Post 114 to provide a place for Ishpeming and local residents a place to properly dispose of their American flags. In return, the American Legion donated $200 to WHS.

“Any time we can do a project for the community-based organization, we try to make sure that happens,” said WHS welding program instructor John Jessen. “We are a nonprofit (organization) here and we like to help out other nonprofits, so it works out really nice.”

The project held even more sway as the school prides itself on being patriotic. The founding of the school happened in 1974, on the 200th anniversary of the first Continental Congress, which led to the Declaration of Independence in 1776. With WHS’s mascot being the Patriots, Jessen and Annala jumped on the opportunity.

“The American Legion contacted us and said they needed some sort of receptacle for retired American flags,” Jessen said. “If your flag gets tattered it cannot just be thrown away, it has to be properly disposed of.”

Most standard methods of disposing of an American flag constitute desecration and may result in criminal charges. In 1937 the American Legion passed a resolution about flag retirement ceremonies, ever since it has been an important tradition. According to the resolution, “The approved method of disposing of unserviceable flags has long been that they be destroyed by burning.”

An article by Katie Lange for the U.S. Department of Defense titled “How to Properly Dispose of Worn-Out U.S. Flags” describes how the American Legion disposes of their flags in a sacred ceremony.

“During an American Legion ceremony, participants stand aligned in two parallel rows about 20 feet apart, facing each other,” the article reads. “A small fire burns beyond the rows of members, opposite the Legion commander. The flags that are no longer serviceable are presented to American Legion commanders, who inspect them to make sure they should, in fact, be discarded. When it’s agreed upon that they’ve reached their current worn state due to proper service of tribute, memory and love, a color guard presents the colors and a chaplain offers prayers. As the crowd salutes, the flag detail dips the retired flags into kerosene and puts them on a rack over the fire. A bugler sounds ‘To the Colors.'”

This is not the first community project Annala has helmed. He previously constructed a sign for the Ely Township Park. But this project in particular held special meaning for him.

“I really wanted to do it for the American Legion,” Annala said. “So that they could properly dispose of the flags and have a place to collect them. It’s just really cool making stuff to help other people and the community.”

Now that Annala has graduated from high school, he now has goals to become a machine operator in the construction trades, and still has a passion for helping out the community.