9/11 20th Anniversary Remembrance

On Flag Day, June 14, 1923, The American Legion and representatives of 68 other patriotic, fraternal, civic and military organizations met in Washington, DC for the purpose of drafting a code of flag etiquette. The 77th Congress adopted this codification of rules as public law on June 22, 1942. It is Title 4, United States Code Chapter 1.  

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.  Post 119 accepts flags for disposal in this manner. You may bring them to the Post during open hours. Please note, commercial flags should have metal fixtures,  such as grommets removed. Each year on Flag Day, June 14, Post 119 holds a special flag-disposal ceremony, open to the public, to honor this important symbol of our nation.

The order of precedence when displaying military flags together is Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Space Force. The basic citation for this order is Department of Defense Directive 1005.8.  For additional information see   

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw//flags/us%5Emil.html#order and   

https://biotech.law.lsu.edu/blaw/dodd/corres/pdf2/d10058p.pdf.

 The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag: “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”, should be rendered while standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform men should remove any non-religious headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces not in uniform and veterans may render the military salute in the manner provided for persons in uniform. 

 (a) It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flag staffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.

(b) The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.

(c) The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all weather flag is displayed.

(d) The flag should be displayed on all days, especially on:

• New Year's Day, January 1; 
• Inauguration Day, January 20;
• Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, the third Monday in January; 
• Lincoln's Birthday, February 12; 
• Washington's Birthday, third Monday in February; 
• National Vietnam War Veterans Day, March 29, 
• Easter Sunday (variable);
• Mother's Day, second Sunday in May;
• Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May; 
• Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last Monday in May; 
• Flag Day, June 14; 
• Father's Day, third Sunday in June;
• Independence Day, July 4; 
• National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, July 27;
• Labor Day, first Monday in September;
• Constitution Day, September 17;
• Columbus Day, second Monday in October; 
• Navy Day, October 27; 
• Veterans Day, November 11;
• Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November; 
• Christmas Day, December 25; 
• and such other days as may be proclaimed by the President of the United States; the birthdays of States (date of admission); and on State holidays.

(e) The flag should be displayed daily on or near the main administration building of every public institution.

(f) The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election days.

(g) The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse.

Can a flag that has covered a casket be displayed after its original use?

There are no provisions in the Flag Code to suggest otherwise. It would be a fitting tribute to the memory of the deceased veteran and his or her service to a grateful nation if the casket flag is displayed.

Can the U.S. flag be displayed in inclement weather?

The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, with the exception of an all-weather (nylon or other non-absorbent material) flag. However, most flags are made of all-weather materials.

What is the significance of displaying the flag at half-staff?

This gesture is a sign to indicate the nation mourns the death of an individual(s), such as death of the president or former president, vice president, Supreme Court justice, member of Congress, secretary of an executive or military department, etc. Only the president or a state governor may order the flag to be displayed at half-staff. The honor and reverence accorded this solemn act is quickly becoming eroded by those individuals and agencies that display the flag at half-staff on inappropriate occasions without proper authority to do so.

When the flag is not flown from a staff, how should it be displayed?

It should be displayed vertically, whether indoors or out, and suspended so that its folds fall free as though the flag were staffed. The stripes may be displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, and the union should be uppermost and to the flag’s own right (that is, to the observer’s left). When displayed in a window of a home or a place of business, the flag should be displayed in the same way (that is, with the union or blue field to the left of the observer in the street).

Can the flag be washed or dry-cleaned?

Yes. No provisions of the Flag Code prohibit such care. The decision to wash or dry-clean would depend on the material.

Are you required to destroy the flag if it touches the ground?

The Flag Code states that the flag should not touch anything beneath it, including the ground. This is stated to indicate that care should be exercised in the handling of the flag, to protect it from becoming soiled or damaged. You are not required to destroy the flag when this happens. As long as the flag remains suitable for display, even if washing or dry-cleaning is required, you may continue to display the flag as a symbol of our great country.

What is the proper method for folding the flag?

The Flag Code does not require any specific method. However, a tradition of folding has developed over time that produces a triangular-shaped form, like that of a three-corner hat with only the blue union showing.

May a person, other than a veteran, have his or her casket draped with the flag of the United States?

Yes. Although this honor is usually reserved for veterans or highly regarded state and national figures, the Flag Code does not prohibit this use.

What is the significance of the gold fringe seen on some U.S. flags?

Records indicate that fringe was first used on the flag as early as 1835. It was not until 1895 it was officially added to the national flag for all Army regiments. For civilian use, fringe is not required as an integral part of the flag, nor can its use be said to constitute an unauthorized addition to the design prescribed by statute. Fringe is used as an honorable enrichment only.

What is meant by the flag’s own right?

The “right” as the position of honor developed from the time when the right hand was the “weapon hand” or “point of danger.” The right hand, raised without a weapon, was a sign of peace. The right hand, to any observer, is the observer’s left. Therefore, as used in the Flag Code, the flag and/or blue field is displayed to the observer’s left, which is the flag’s “own right.”

Is it proper to fly the U.S. flag at night?

The Flag Code states it is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flag staffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness. The American Legion interprets “ proper illumination” as a light specifically placed to illuminate the flag (preferred) or having a light source sufficient to illuminate the flag so it is recognizable as such by the casual observer.

What should be the position of the flag when displayed from a staff in a church, public auditorium or other public meeting place, whether indoors or outdoors, on platform, or on the floor at ground level?

When used on a speaker’s platform, the flag, if displayed flat, should be displayed above and behind the speaker. When displayed from a staff in a church, public auditorium or meeting place, the flag should hold the position of superior prominence, in advance of the audience, and in the position of honor at the clergyman’s or speaker’s right as he faces the audience. Prior to the Flag Code changes in 1976, the display procedure was somewhat different. Now, the staffed flag should always be placed to the right of the speaker (observer’s left) without regard to a platform or floor level.

What are the penalties for the physical desecration of the flag?

There are currently no penalties for the physical desecration of the flag. The American Legion and other members of the Citizens Flag Alliance continue working toward securing a constitutional amendment to protect the flag from physical desecration.