Old, worn out US flags can now be deposited at Lone Star Flight Museum for proper disposal

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Lone Star Flight Museum will now serve as a location to deposit old or worn out American flags.

This comes after Jacob Alford, a member of the Boys Scouts of America who attained the highest rank or Eagle Scout in the program, raised money to purchase and design an official American Flag depository, which he donated to the museum.

Many people in the U.S. have flags that are used, torn and no longer fit to display but don't know how to properly dispose of them. Because the American flag is an important symbol for the country, the U.S. Flag Code recommends disposing of old flags in a dignified manner, preferably by burning.

In honor of Flag Day on June 14, which commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the flag in the U.S. in 1777, the museum planned a flag retirement ceremony on Sunday at 1 p.m. to celebrate the opening of the new flag depository.

Friendswood Mayor Mike Foreman and representatives from American Legion Post 490 joined Museum COO and retired U.S Air Force colonel, Chris Richardson, to watch Friendswood Scout Troop 442 perform a formal flag retiring ceremony.

Anyone with an old or worn out flag is encouraged to bring it to the museum and place it in the depository during normal museum hours on Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Friendswood Scout Troop 442 will periodically collect the flags and conduct safe and appropriate off-site ceremonies to burn the flags.

You don't have to purchase a museum ticket to deposit a flag, but depositing a flag doesn't include entry to the exhibits.