John J. Pifer joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17 in Mansfield on February 10, 1958 and retired on October 1, 1979, 22 years later as a sergeant first class. Sunday, as commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 9943, Pifer saw one of his dreams unveiled. He celebrated his first year as commander when veterans of the Mohican VFW post pulled together to present a public storage unit for unserviceable flags
Pifer stated, “We have had the largest flag burning ceremony in the city of Mansfield Ohio.” Now that the veterans have acquired the unit, the public can retire their flags in the proper way, and the process can be performed with dignity.
The sheer volume of unserviceable flags demonstrates the local need. Last Saturday, the day after National Flag Day, the post burned 1,003 flags. “People come here and they turn their flags in. All the other posts bring their flags in to our post for our ceremony,” explained Pifer.
“We burned approximately 1,300 flags, but that was two years’ worth,” Pifer explained. “That means we are growing in the amount of flags which we collect.”
Pifer feels strongly about how the flags are treated. At the post there is a tall cardboard box in the corner where worn and tattered American flags are deposited. There are flags already collected within a week’s time for next year’s ceremony.
“How do I put this, it’s always been a heart burn to me,” said Pifer. Last year Pifer promised to take action in his first year. “As commander, I wanted a regular United States mailbox. People could come in, pull down the lid, have it painted up all red white and blue, and donate their flag,” he added, “I did everything within my effort to find a mailbox. I came to find out, [from] all my contacts in mail, U.S. mail system, I couldn’t get one. The mail system including the United States Post office, they’re taking their boxes and scrapping them,” Pifer said. “They would not save one for me and it comes through National Security that someone would…” Pifer trailed off, shaking his head, “…For God’s sake.”
Sunday, on Commander Appreciation Day at the VFW, the need for a flag service outweighed the obstacles. “So we did something independent,” Pifer said. “That over there is a mailbox.”
Over the course of the 22 years Pifer served, he worked his way up through the Army; and over the course of his Army career, he earned and was awarded two Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts, an Army Accommodation Medal, and 12 Major Battle Stars on his Vietnam Campaign Medal. Pifer served one and a half tours of duty in Vietnam from 1967-1969 in the 1st Squadron 4th Calvary 1st Infantry Division, or the “Big Red One” as a Tank Commander.
He also served two years in Hawaii and nine years in Germany patrolling the “Iron Curtain” as a platoon sergeant and Tank Commander. Pifer was a drill sergeant for nine of his 22 years. Of all the awards Pifer has received, the ones that mean the most to him are the letters written by parents thanking him for transforming their sons into men.
Before the new flag service mailbox was unveiled, Pifer took the floor on Commander Appreciation Day so he could recognize other veterans . Pifer chose to recognize the “quiet ones.” He handed out four plaques to four individuals on behalf of their servitude to the VFW: Notorious and distinguished service in the ideas and aims of the veterans of foreign wars. Each with their own story, Stan Cunningham, Mary Ann Sautter, Jim Mitchell, Myles Wimer, and Brad Strong, were the quiet soldiers who did their jobs.
“It became my dream,” Pifer told the members of VFW post 9943, “to have our flags discarded in such a manner that would give them honor, and give them pride.” When the red banner was removed from the storage unit and veterans applauded, Pifer was rewarded with a standing ovation.
