POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — To celebrate and commemorate Memorial Day, POW/MIA hosted the 23rd Annual Thunder Run.

As part of the ceremony, organizers held a flag retirement ceremony, where worn flags were respectfully retired.

Properly retiring an American flag is considered a way of showing respect not only for the flag itself, but also for the country and those who have sacrificed for it.

American flags are not the only flags that should be retired respectfully. State and country flags should also be properly retired when they become worn or damaged.

Worn flags that can no longer be flown should not be thrown in the trash. Instead, they can be respectfully retired through methods such as burning, burial, cutting, repairing or recycling.

The U.S. Flag Code states, “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”

While burning is still considered an acceptable method of retirement, the Flag Code was written more than 100 years ago when most flags were made from wool or cotton.

For more information about properly retiring worn flags, several organizations provide educational resources and retirement guidelines.