Purdue will lay weathered flags to rest to honor fallen service members

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Every time Purdue alumna Maria James hears the sound of boots on a hardwood floor, she thinks of her father. It was the sound she heard so often when Leon James II, a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, arrived home early in the morning or late at night.

But those boots are now empty. After serving in the Army for 22 years, Leon James, while deployed in Iraq, was injured when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He died of his injuries two weeks later on Oct. 10, 2005. Still, no matter how much time passes, Maria James will forever associate the sound of boots hitting the floor with her father’s dedication to his job.

“When people think of the military, they often think of young soldiers who aren’t married yet or have young kids, but there are quite a few who’ve made a career out of it, who’ve worked their whole lives and never thought they would see combat,” says Maria James, who was only 16 when her father died. “Their leadership is something the Army is going to miss, and that’s what I think about on Memorial Day.”

To help honor those who died while serving in the country’s armed forces, Purdue will hold a flag retirement ceremony at 12:30 p.m. Friday (May 27). Organized by the Purdue Student Union Board, Veterans Success Center, and the Purdue Student Veterans Organization, the ceremony will take place near the Unfinished Block P sculpture outside Stewart Center, barring inclement weather.

Jonathan Bruce, who served as an Army sergeant and is now working toward his Master’s degree in communication at Purdue, says respectfully laying the flag to rest in conjunction with Memorial Day is one way to acknowledge those who made the ultimate sacrifice. In fact, Bruce will be remembering some of his own friends on that day.

“Memorial Day is not an inherently fun holiday for many military people. Yes, there are good memories, but there also are a lot of emotionally charged memories that surface around this time,” Bruce says, adding that the flag in many ways serves as a reminder of those losses. “The flag is the symbol of our nation; it’s what leads us into battle, and it represents the ideals we fight for. But it’s also what we drape over military coffins and what we fold up and present to spouses or mothers of service members who are laid to rest.”

After spending five years as an explosive ordinance disposal technician, helping to disarm roughly 100 bombs in northern Baghdad, Bruce often reflects on the lives that ended around him. He lost a good friend in Iraq. Had Bruce been riding in a different seat, in a different vehicle, it might have been him.

Bruce says that, under federal law, frayed, torn or tattered flags must be retired in a respectful manner. One way to do that is by altering the flag in a dignified way—such as by cutting a single star from the cloth—and then burning the flag to ashes and burying those ashes in a special place.

“Essentially, you cremate this physical embodiment of our nation and give it a burial,” Bruce says, which is precisely what will happen during Purdue’s Memorial Day ceremony to several flags that have flown over the West Lafayette campus. “Additionally, we’ll explain the various elements of the flag, the meaning behind the stars and stripes, and the reasons for its colors.”

DJ Whitmer, president of the Purdue Student Union Board, says the event aligns with PSUB’s mission to preserve the Purdue Memorial Union’s history. It’s also an opportunity for the group to collaborate with other campus departments and share that history with today’s faculty, staff, students and local community members.

“We’ve kept a close connection with the ‘memorial’ part of the Union, which originally was built as a standing memorial for Purdue students who served in World War I and now honors all men and women who died serving our country,” Whitmer says. “As student stewards of the building, it’s our job to develop programs and events that ensure our history is preserved throughout the years.”

Jamie Richards, senior assistant director of Military Veteran Student Programs and director of Purdue’s Veterans Success Center, says all are welcome to attend the inaugural flag retirement event.

“Retiring the campus flags from service is one way for us to recognize and remember those who have lost their lives,” Richards says. “We also hope the ceremony will provide local veterans and their families, as well as the community at large, with an opportunity to pause and reflect on the meaning of Memorial Day before heading into the weekend.” 

The event will be canceled in the event of inclement weather.

Sources: Jonathan Bruce, bruce4@purdue.edu

Maria James, 315-778-8981

Jamie Richards, 765-494-5708, richa186@purdue.edu

DJ Whitmer, psubpres@purdue.edu