{"id":1515,"date":"2014-09-04T09:08:16","date_gmt":"2014-09-04T13:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/?p=1515"},"modified":"2025-04-18T10:04:35","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T14:04:35","slug":"saving-old-glory-trash-american-flags","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/saving-old-glory-trash-american-flags\/","title":{"rendered":"Saving Old Glory from trash | American Flags"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A<\/a>
A flag pulled from the dump by Shevlin. (Photos by Tommy McGrath)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ed Shevlin recently retired from the New York City Sanitation Department, but not from rescuing American flags<\/a> tossed in the trash.<\/p>\n

\u201cI noticed years ago a fairly high increase of U.S. flags in the garbage,\u201d he said in an interview. \u201cIt really bothered me, so I began a campaign to save Old Glory. I\u2019ve been a lifelong patriot. I had trouble processing the fact that people think it\u2019s okay to throw a flag out. I like to think there\u2019s a moral compass that would prevent people\u201d from doing that.<\/p>\n

\"This
This tattered flag was dropped off at the sanitation office in a bag with Shevlin’s name on it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Through his Facebook page, news coverage and word-of-mouth, Shevlin has spread the gospel of removing worn flags from the trash and overseeing their destruction according to the U.S. Flag Code<\/a>, which recommends a dignified ceremony and burning.<\/p>\n

Of course, his ideal is for flags never to make it to the garbage can in the first place. To that end, he once announced that \u201cI\u2019d be in a specific spot on a specific day to accept flags, and people brought 400 in two hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shevlin\u2019s most recent pro-American flag effort involved persuading a local councilman and the U.S. Postal Service to set up a special mailbox where people could deposit their used banners.<\/p>\n

Overall, often with the help of his girlfriend, Mary Ellen Ahr, he has rescued 800 flags of all sizes. \u201cI was given a big garrison flag that was about 20 feet by 30 feet and tiny ones that kids wave at parades,\u201d he said. \u201cA local man gave me a 48-star silk flag that was presented to his father by a general.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Shevlin
Shevlin displays flags recovered from his sanitation truck.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The garrison flag and general\u2019s gift went into Shevlin\u2019s personal collection of banners. He said that he considers them \u201cmy compensation for saving flags.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the years, he added, he has not seen many other flags in the garbage, \u201cexcept for MIA flags<\/a> and Irish flags<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he reflects on his mission to save flags and retire them correctly, Shevlin also thinks about the American flag and its meaning. \u201cIt is not a decoration,\u201d he emphasized. \u201cIts job is not to be pretty. It\u2019s a symbol of the message of our country. Every time that flag flies, it is doing a service. When it\u2019s no longer serviceable, it must be retired.\u201d<\/p>\n

He hopes that everyone will \u201cjoin me in saving Old Glory. Keep the flag out of the garbage!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ed Shevlin recently retired from the New York City Sanitation Department, but not from rescuing American flags tossed in the trash. \u201cI noticed years ago a fairly high increase of U.S. flags in the garbage,\u201d he said in an interview. \u201cIt really bothered me, so I began a campaign to save Old Glory. I\u2019ve been… continue<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1517,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[10,28],"class_list":["post-1515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-lessons","tag-american-flag","tag-american-flags"],"yoast_head":"\nSaving Old Glory from trash | American Flags<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ed Shevlin recently retired from the New York City Sanitation Department, but not from rescuing American flags tossed in the trash.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/saving-old-glory-trash-american-flags\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" 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