After more than a year of planning, fundraising and construction, a permanent home for flag retirement is now established in Veterans Grove on the Masonic Village campus. It was the site of a special ceremony in October, when the location was dedicated, and hundreds of flags were retired.

"Before this, we were using a cut-off oil drum that (the) maintenance (department) had given us," said Ben Hoenich, describing the former flag retirement site. "It wasn't bad; it burned the flags, but now we have a 12-by-12-foot pad, and in the center of it, there's a pretty serious firepit with stainless steel inserts."

Hoenich, a Masonic Village resident and commander of the York Camp - Heroes of '76, spearheaded the project to create the site, working with the maintenance department at Masonic Village and AB Landscape & Construction to complete it.

At the dedication, members of the National Sojourners - Harrisburg Chapter 76 led a ceremony called "When Duty Is Done." They were joined by members of the York Camp in full Colonial uniform. Masonic Village CEO William Kingsbury gave the dedication, and a Masonic Village resident sang "The Star-Spangled Banner."

"Elizabethtown High School has a new Junior ROTC Navy program, and we also had four of their cadets, along with their instructor, who showed up in their uniforms and retired some flags," Hoenich recalled.

He estimates more than 100 people attended the event despite the wet and windy weather.

"I invited people - dignitaries, donors, guests - to step forward, grab a flag and place it in the fire," he said. "They saluted the flag as it went in the fire."

This is the proper way to dispose of flags that are worn out or no longer usable, he noted, adding that it shows respect to our nation's symbol. Hoenich designed a graphic on a pedestal in Veterans Grove, explaining the process of retiring a flag.

Masonic Village hosts a Massing of the Colors event around Veterans Day, when thousands of flags are displayed on the grounds. Many of those need to be retired afterward, Hoenich said, noting that he has also collected other flags throughout the year. He hopes to hold another retirement ceremony on Flag Day in June, and his goal is to host flag retirements twice a year on the campus.