1. Veterans’ Day Memorial and Flag Retirement Ceremony November 11, 2008 Fernandez Park Pinole, CA

2. The crowd spilled onto Tennent Avenue

3. Onlookers filled the flagpole area

4. Connor Miller read the Declaration of Independence

5. The Pinole Valley High School Marching Band entertained

6. Jeff Rubin, of the Pinole Historical Society and the Pinole Community Services Commission, was the emcee

7. St. Joseph School’s entire student body sang “America the Beautiful”

8. Mayor Peter Murray made brief remarks

9. VFW Commander Carl Petersdorf explained why we celebrate Veterans’ Day

10. Veterans Bill Vida and Stan Clark raised the American flag

11. The crowd gathered in the park for the flag retirement ceremony

12. Pinole Historical Society Director Emeritus Jack Meehan addressed the crowd...

13. ... and talked about the history of the American flag — and the history of Pinole

14. Boy Scout Troop 86 Scoutmaster Bob Marieiro explained the flag retirement ceremony

15. Boy Scouts carried the first flag to be retired

16. Boy Scouts prepared the first flag

17. Flags were respectfully retired

18. An honorable retirement for a flag

19. Boy Scout Garrett Dibble played Taps

20. Scouts carefully placed flags into the fire...

21. ... and saluted each retired flag

22. Boy Scout Garrett Dibble played Taps

23. So many flags were donated that they had to be retired two at a time

24. Boy Scout Garrett Dibble played Taps

25. An enormous flag that once greeted visitors to Pinole from the reservoir overlooking I-80 was retired

26. It took all of the Boy Scouts to unfurl that flag...

27. ... and carry it to the retirement flame

28. They paid their last respects to the giant flag...

29. ... and Garrett Dibble played Taps

30. The event ended with St. Joseph School students leading the audience in “You’re a Grand Old Flag”

31. THANK YOU TO: Pinole Historical Society Pinole Community Services Commission Pinole City Council Pinole Department of Public Works Pinole Community Television Pinole Valley High School Marching Band St. Joseph School VFW Post 2798 of Pinole Boy Scout Troop 86 of Pinole