In honor of Veterans Day, I thought I’d take a moment to write about one of the “hidden gems” and one of my favorite traditions at the Disneyland Resort – the flag retreat ceremony.
Image Source: Disney-Pal
Every day, before the sun goes down, Disneyland salutes our armed forces with a special and touching ceremony at the flag pole which sits at the end of Main Street in Town Square. It’s a big event, with the All-American Band playing and a formal and respectful flag retreat. The branches of the US Armed Forces are recognized and veterans in the crowd are asked to stand so the rest of the guests can salute them. I don’t consider myself to be an intense, super patriotic person but I really enjoy watching the flag retreat ceremony and it always makes me a little teary and leaves me feeling grateful and humble. Recently I was surprised to learn, via this article on the Los Angeles Daily News, that the ceremony was not always like this.
The article focuses on Ernie Napper, a retired Marine who has worked security at Disneyland for over twenty years. Back then, the flag retreat ceremony, started by Walt in 1955, was a non-event. Basically a couple security officers and a boombox playing patriotic music. Ernie felt that just wasn’t good enough and he enlisted the assistance of other Disneyland cast members to drum up interest in the flag retreat ceremony. Soon, characters would show up for the daily event, bringing the crowds with them, and the band and Dapper Dans replaced the boombox.
Today, on Veterans Day, I want to salute you, Ernie, along with all our veterans and especially to those currently serving our country, so I am free to sit here and type silly nonsense on the internet every day. Thank you, a million times over.
The next time you are at Disneyland, I encourage you to take 20 minutes from your day and enjoy watching the flag retreat ceremony. I guarantee you will step away with a big smile and a full heart. Below is a small clip of the ceremony as posted on the Disney Parks Blog.
