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Flag Day celebrated in Corryton

The Knox County Corryton Senior Center and Rural/Metro Fire Station 33, co-located on Davis Drive, hosted a Flag Day ceremony and barbeque luncheon to honor veterans and to ceremonially retire American flags at the senior center on Friday, June 14.

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett presided over the ceremony also sponsored by local Boy Scout Troup #500, Knox County Veteran’s Affairs and Rolling Thunder Charities.

“There are many veterans in Knox County who fought for our country in conflicts across the decades from World War II and Korea to Vietnam and the Gulf War,” said Mayor Tim Burchett. “Through this Flag Day celebration, we want to honor those individuals who served in the armed forces and celebrate the symbol of our great country, the American flag.”

“The purpose of our celebration is to celebrate our freedom and honor those who fought for that privilege,” said Rural/Metro Fire Chief Jerry Harnish. “We are grateful to our servicemen and women both past and present who uphold the American ideals of freedom and democracy represented by the American flag.”

Local Boy Scouts held a ceremony to formally and appropriately retire American flags.

Rolling Thunder Charities, a nonprofit group traditionally made of veterans and motorcyclists dedicated to raising awareness for soldiers missing in action and prisoners of war, donated a POW/MIA flag to the center and raise the flag in remembrance of those who are lost.

Rolling Thunder recently completed its Memorial Day motorcycle rally in Washington, D.C., in which 900,000 motorcyclists and spectators participate to raise awareness for MIA soldiers and POWs. Representatives of Rolling Thunder will ride motorcycles at the ceremony at the Corryton Senior Center.

Flag Day commemorates the signing of the resolution to adopt the current design of the American flag by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. The national observance was approved by President Harry S. Truman in 1949. Unofficial observance of the holiday, however, can be traced back to the mid to late 1800s.