Flag burning is one of the most incendiary topics around. Mention it in general conversation, and see how much heated opinion you get - especially from veterans.

Ironic then, that in the proper circumstances, burning them is the most respectful way to dispose of old, worn flags.

On Saturday, over 600 American flags were burned near a shelter house in Ramsey Park. The event was coordinated by Boy Scout Logan Kopischke, a senior at Cedar Mountain High School in Morgan.

Logan needed a community service project to earn his Eagle Scout badge, who had been to several flag disposal ceremonies before.

“I knew there were plenty of old flags around,” Logan said, “but I hadn’t been to a ceremony for at least five years.”

He contacted Frank Wilkinson of Vesta, Commander of the Redwood County American Legion posts

The Legion collects worn flags, ones that are too beat up to be flown with respect to what they stand for.

“The Legion usually has out own flag disposal ceremony every year,” Wilkinson said. “This is really the proper way to get it done. You can dispose of flags yourself, but it means more in a ceremony like this.”

Logan spent about two months planning Saturday’s event, and insisted it wasn’t going as smoothly as he would have liked - not that anyone other than he noticed.

“It was a lot more planning than I expected,” he said. “I thought we’d just call a few people for a small ceremony. Then a lot more flags showed up.”

As it turned out, during the last 12 months the Redwood County American Legion had collected almost 600 flags from across the county.

And each one had to be disposed of properly, with its only little ceremony within a ceremony.

The evening began with the scouts setting up four fires so they wouldn’t have to be there all night.

The proper ceremony involves giving the flag 13 specific folds, carrying it to the fire across one’s heart, and saluting each flag for several moments as the flames catch.

Watching with approval as the scouts saluted the flags going up in flames, Wilkinson said, “It’s quite a project for these boys to see what it’s all about,”