News-Info-Alerts

Re: Flag Etiquette

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Date: July 10, 2002

"Respecting the flag:
Properly retiring worn flags an important part of the etiquette
By Stephanie M. Book , Staff writer

Tony Bullard/DFWCN photos Nothing seems to evoke such strong emotions from American citizens as the sight of the nation's flag, a symbol and reminder of citizens' fortune to live in a country that values freedom above all else.
The flag is a tribute to the men and women who gave their lives to defend its honor and an illustration of the dreams of those who founded this country based on individual unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

During a speech, Medal of Honor recipient Leo K. Thorness discussed his confinement in a North Vietnam prisoner of war camp and told of the man who best portrayed to him the significance of our nation's symbol.

The speech is available in part at www.powmiaff.org.

Thorness spoke of a young Naval pilot named Mike Christian, who toward the end of their imprisonment, found the remnants of a grimy handkerchief in a gutter that ran under the prison wall. Christian spent several nights cleaning the rag and fashioning it into a flag, painting stripes from pigment he made with ground-up floor tiles and rice glue, and attaching stars using thread from his own blanket and a homemade bamboo needle.

"Early in the morning a few days later, when the guards were not alert, he whispered loudly from the back of our cell, 'Hey gang, look here.' He proudly held up this tattered piece of cloth, waving it as if in the breeze," Thorness said, in his speech. "If you used your imagination, you could tell it was supposed to be an American flag. When he raised that smudgy fabric, we automatically stood straight and saluted, our chests puffing out, and more than a few eyes had tears."

One week during a routine strip search of the prisoners, the guards discovered the flag, Thorness said. He then described the horrid sounds of Christian's torture that night, which broke his body for weeks. But they did not break his spirit. Despite the danger, Christian found another cloth and began another flag.

"The Stars and Stripes, our national symbol, was worth the sacrifice to him," Thorness said. "Now, whenever I see the flag, I think of Mike and the morning he first waved that tattered emblem of our nation. It was then, thousands of miles from home in a lonely prison cell, that he showed us what it is to be truly free."

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America, many Americans have flown U.S. flags in support of the country, and many of those flags are or have become worn beyond respectable use. The country's flag code states that "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."

Denton County Veterans Service Officer Hank Scheible said he recently knocked on the doors of various businesses to point out their shredded flags and ask them to "get rid of it."

"Of course they say something like, 'we bought that flag, and we'll do what we want with it,'" he said. "And I tell them that it's my flag. I don't care who paid money for it."

Though the preferred and respected method of flag disposal is incineration, it is perfectly legal to throw it in the trash, which is what happens to most flags, Scheible said. One can even burn it on a backyard barbecue grill.

But these are not very dignified ways to dispose of a national symbol.

"Really, the issue is not disposal. It is improper display," he said. "The big question is: Does it represent our flag anymore?"

It is legal to repair or mend your own flag, but most people, Scheible said, do not have sewing machines in their homes or would rather purchase a new flag.

As the United States nears the celebration of our nations 226th year of independence on Thursday, the Denton County Veterans Service Office has announced its intent to stand ready to help any citizen or organization dispose of a worn, old flag properly. Several American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts in Denton County also are willing to assist in the timely and respectful disposal of flags.

The flags are taken quarterly by the service office to the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, 2191 Mountain Creek Parkway in Dallas, for disposal by incineration. Scheible said county flags have always been disposed of in this manor, but the service was just recently advertised to citizens due to the large number of tattered flags being displayed since September.

Following guidelines for proper care of the flag will help keep it in a respectable condition longer. Most questions regarding appropriate care can be answered at http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html.

It is customary to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, the flag may also be displayed 24 hours per day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness. The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously, and never displayed on days of inclement weather unless an all-weather flag is displayed.

Flagpoles for home use are typically 15 to 20 feet high and should display a flag no larger or smaller than three-feet by five-feet in size. A 25-foot flagpole should display a 4-foot by 6-foot flag. For civilian purposes, no other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the US flag.

After lowering the flag, it should be folded in half width-wise twice, with a triangle fold, starting at the striped end, to be repeated until only the end of the union is exposed. Finally, fold down the remaining square of fabric into a triangle and tuck it inside the folds.

No disrespect should be shown to the flag. It should not be dipped to any person or thing, never touch anything beneath it, never be displayed with the union down - except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property - and never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.

The flag should never be worn as clothing, bedding or drapery, never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.

The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling, never have placed upon it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature, never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying or delivering any-thing.

The flag should never be used for advertising purposes, embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs, printed or otherwise impressed on anything that is designed for temporary use and discard.

And, the flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin, being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.

The citizens of the United States admire this emblem, not in the sense of an obedient worship, but rather in a deep sense of a national pride, intent to protect and preserve the promise of liberty, justice and freedom for all. The Denton County Veterans Service Office has publicly extended the service of disposal to the citizens with intent to assist the people in honoring the country with the national flag in its best condition on the United States' most celebrated day.


The flag may be displayed on all days, though the following days have been nationally recognized encouraging display of the American flag:

New Year's Day, Jan. 1
Inauguration Day, Jan. 20
Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday, 3rd Monday in January
Lincoln's Birthday, Feb. 12
Washington's Birthday, 3rd Monday in February
Mother's Day, 2nd Sunday in May
Armed Forces Day, 3rd Saturday in May
Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last Monday in May
Flag Day, June 14
Independence Day, July 4
Labor Day, 1st Monday in September
Constitution Day, Sept. 17
Columbus Day, 2nd Monday in October
Navy Day, Oct. 27
Veterans Day, Nov. 11
Thanksgiving Day, 4th Thursday in November
State birthdays or holidays, and all other days proclaimed by the president

Contact staff writer Stephanie M. Book at 972-538-2118 or at books@dfwcn.com.

©Southlake Times 2002 "