istock_060619_americanflag

By Pepper Fisher

PORT ANGELES – For the second year in a row, the Michael Trebert Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution and the Clallam County Veterans Association will hold a public US Flag Retirement Ceremony on National Flag Day in Port Angeles.

Flag Day is next Wednesday, June 14. Starting at 4pm, the 30 minute public ceremony will be held on the southwest grassy lawn area outside of the NW Veterans Resource Center, located at 216 S. Francis Street.

The ceremony involves the respectful retiring, by fire, of US flags that have been turned in to the Veteran’s Center in the past year.

Clallam County Veteran’s Association President Holly Rowan describes the flag ceremony.

“After the opening of the ceremony for the retiring of the flags, they walk up with the veteran to the burn pit, they hand the flag to the veteran, the veteran will unfurl it, and then safely step forward and put the flag in the burn pit. But it’s just a really fun event. There’s little kids that are, you know, three or four years old, up to 10 or 11, and they just get excited about it. And the veterans love it. So, this is our second year of doing that.”

The ceremony is open to the public with refreshments to follow the event.

Rowan herself is a veteran of the Marine Corps, having served as a heavy equipment mechanic with Combat Engineers. Two days prior to Flag Day, on Monday, June 12, is Women Veterans Day, a holiday not officially recognized in every state, but was made official here in Washington by the Governor last year.

It’s a holiday that carries a lot of meaning for Rowan and other women who haven’t always gotten the recognition they deserve.

“As women veterans, we make up about 10% of the veteran population, which is roughly two million women veterans. And we’re just, for the most part, under-acknowledged. So it’s really great that we have this day that is not just about veterans but, specifically, women. And yeah, it’s good.”

Rowan now works benefit claims for veterans, another aspect of the women veteran’s issue that she says is being underserved.

“And I have to say, working here at the Veterans Center for the last, almost four years, I know that we have roughly 700 women veterans on the peninsula alone. But so rarely do any of them really ever consider themselves a veteran, which is kind of sad. And we don’t really see a lot of them reaching out for benefits. So many of us historically get out and sort of put that aside as, “that was a job that I did.” So, you know, feeling some pride in what you did, and also being aware of that you are eligible for the same benefits. You do get medical care. You are eligible for compensation. You know, everything that is available for veterans, because veterans are veterans, are veterans. It doesn’t matter what you did.”

So, let’s celebrate Flag Day on Wednesday, and attend the ceremony at 4:00 if you can make it, but let’s also remember to tip our hats on Monday to the women veterans of this country, who certainly have earned our respect and resources.

Many thanks to USMC Veteran Holly Rowan for her contribution to this story, her community, and our country.