SPANISH FORK, Utah — As the sky darkened over the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds Monday evening, Utah Army National Guard soldiers carried a stack of worn and faded American flags to the retirement site, one by one, while hundreds of residents stood watching in silence. The Flag Retirement Ceremony and Military Tribute, part of Spanish Fork's Fiesta Days celebration, began at 7:30 p.m. at the fairgrounds' Outdoor Arena, 475 S. Main St. Volunteers spent the hour before folding flags gathered from collection boxes set up around the community in the days leading up to the event. Soldiers, American Legion members, local Scout troops and residents carried out the retirement together, a tradition organizers say has become one of the most anticipated moments of Fiesta Days each year. "The U.S. Flag Code states the flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning," said Brig. Gen. Keir A. Scoubes, Utah Army National Guard land component commander. For Scoubes, a former Spanish Fork City Council member of nearly 12 years, the ceremony carried an added layer of familiarity — a return to a community he once represented, now in uniform. For guest speaker Jennie Taylor, the evening carried personal weight. Taylor's husband, Maj. Brent Taylor, was a Utah Army National Guard officer and North Ogden's mayor when he was killed in Afghanistan in November 2018. Since then, she has become a nationally recognized voice for Gold Star families and now serves as the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Utah. "Every flag we retire tonight represents someone who believed in what this country stands for — and it's on all of us to carry that forward," Taylor told the crowd. The Utah National Guard's 23rd Army Band performed throughout the evening, and the ceremony closed with a 21-gun cannon salute as the last flags were retired. Organizers said the event is meant to give residents a respectful way to dispose of flags too worn for continued display, while reinforcing the flag's symbolism for a new generation of Fiesta Days attendees.