On the road …again!
Afghanistan to Zambia
Chronicles of a Footloose Forester
By Dick Pellek

Time Now To Burn Another American Flag

There were a few times that his neighbors had seen him burning an American flag in the back yard and probably were wondering what he was up to.  Burning anything produces smoke; and smoke almost always gets attention.  So Footloose Forester tried to burn the small, hand-held ones in the early morning hours when there was no wind; and before the neighbors arose from sleep.

It was possible to keep a flame alive if you held the flag by its wooden staff; and at an angle; and used a cigarette lighter.   Most small American flags made of cotton would be entirely consumed by flames but, just in case they were not, Footloose Forester placed a piece of cardboard underneath to catch those fragments that were not entirely consumed; then burned the remainder a second time.  Ashes were condensed into a small pile and re-lit with newspaper.

Larger flags made of nylon were more difficult to burn.  Even by putting them into a small cardboard box and stuffing the box with newspaper to increase the temperature as the flag burned, nylon flags don’t burn up readily.  Footloose Forester has enough experience in burning American flags to know that it takes longer to get the job done; and that re-burning will often be required to turn everything into ash.  That is why he set aside those faded, torn flags in a special place in his garage until the conditions were ideal for burning.

Although he was openly criticized for taking down a faded flag full of holes from a windy exposure above the outdoor work station of one of his co-workers; he did so because none of the other co-workers agreed to do it, themselves.  And the co-worker whose flag it was didn’t think his out-dated flag, full of holes, needed replacing.  So, Footloose Forester did it himself after notifying the others that he intended to, if they didn’t take action.  After he took it down, he put the small flag into a clear plastic sleeve of one of his 3-hole binder notebooks, for subsequent burning.  The co-workers lost no time in spreading the gossip that Footloose Forest had thrown the American flag into the garbage.  Such disrespect toward our American flag!!!

What Footloose Forester never told them was the fact that that small American flag still remains in that 3-ring binder notebook, 20 years after their accusations.  One does not destroy the evidence, if the issue is important enough to meet a challenge.

Why does the Footloose Forester so alienate so many colleagues and co-workers?  Does he really intimidate them when he does things that are presumed to be contrary to their beliefs and opinions?  Why does he keep evidence and not tell anybody about it?  One answer is, because Footloose Forester was often on the defensive; often saw the need to execute a CYA defense; and was very often without any supporters, whatsoever.   

Getting back to the rationale for burning American flags; Footloose Forester had been in the US Army and had a level of respect for the flag of his country that not many of his fellow soldiers demonstrated.  In the military, when a soldier hears the bugle beginning to sound out TAPS at sunset, every soldier must stop walking, face where the flag is, stand at attention—and salute.  As tears start to form in the eyes of the Footloose Forester at this very moment, he himself knows why he burns American flags.  Over the past 30 years or so, he has burned nearly a dozen of his own faded or damaged American flags as a sign of respect; the respect he feels in his heart.  The flag shown in the photo above was respectfully burned on 17 November 2014; and with the dignity it deserved.