City Of Buda Secures 16-Year-Old’s Eagle Scout Project’s Flag Retirement Pit, Drop Box

By, Terra Rivers, Managing Editor

On Monday, January 7, the City of Buda announced the new flag retirement pit and dropbox at the Buda Veterans Memorial had been permanently bolted in place.

The additions to the memorial are part of a 16-year-old Kameron Welma’s Eagle Scout project, who was given the assignment to construct a Flag Retirement Burn Pit for residents. The project will help Welma become an Eagle Scout.

The community came together to help make the 16-year-olds project a reality.

According to the city of Buda, the idea came to Welma as a cub scot. While conducting a flag retirement ceremony behind a fire station in a barbecue pit, he thought there should be a place to respectfully retire the red, white and blue.

“There are many steps that are involved in retiring a flag,” Welma said. “You cannot just cut it up and throw it into a fire.  You actually have to cut the grommets off which hold the flag on. Then you have to do the stars and then cut each individual stripe.” 

Individuals wishing to retire an American flag will be able to drop them off at the Veterans Day memorial now that the box is permanently bolted in place.

Welma said he plans on continuing to dedicate his life to service in the community and intends to be an EMT first responder.

“Kameron’s Eagle Scout Project is a benefit to the entire community. There is now a place for citizens to drop off their flags to be properly retired,” said David Marino, City of Buda Communications Director. “The drop-off box at the Buda Veterans Memorial functions as a collection point. We will periodically collect the flags from the box and coordinate with the VFW and the Boy Scout Troops to hold a formal flag retirement ceremony. It was a pleasure working with Kameron and the community to bring this project to life.”