The Civil Air Patrol held a flag retirement ceremony Saturday in Carson Park, to properly dispose of tattered American flags.

First Lieutenant Pete Hestekin says it's disrespectful to simply throw a flag away in the trash.

And when your family's flag has flown its last, the most proper way to get rid of it, is to burn it.

Hestekin says there's no specific ceremony written out for flag burning, but saying the pledge of allegiance or singing a patriotic song -- as a sign of respect is enough.

Hestekin says, “Being Independence Day it does represent strength and it is the emblem of our country it is the most widely recognized flag on the planet, no matter where it flies people know it's the United States flag.”

If you have old, worn out flags, you can dispose of them by burning them yourself.

You can also take them to your local VFW post and they will retire them properly as well.