Reverence for the Flag

[Narragansett]

I was looking at a neighbor's house today, and realized that the flag they have has no light on it at night, and does not come in at night.
Well my understanding is that if you fly the flag at night, it needs lighting or it needs to be taken down.

In my youth, I spent a massive amount of time at Quonset Naval Air Station using the facilities like swimming, golf, gym, bowling etc. Great fun!! I also remember that when they took the flag down at 6PM and blew taps the entire base came to a standstill. That was everything, cars and people.

Personally, I try to remember to take the flag in, but sometimes, I forget. It is small, and house mounted. I do however, take worn out flags to the Legion Hall, or a VFW for proper disposal.

I guess I am going to step out on a limb and say that I think small flags of a certain size should be allowed to stay out all night. I look at it this way, the sun sets on the flag and rises on the flag. Not bad?? After all, even though the people do not bring in a house mounted flag, at least they fly it. That should count for something, right?

Obviously, I am talking about residential. Others need to abide by the current standards.

Any latitude here? Should the guidelines be changed?

 

[Rustyt1953]

"Old Glory" stays unfurled.

My porch...my rules.

 

[Alk8944]

No, the guidelines should not be changed, peoples attitudes should change. Respect for the flag is seriously lacking!

And you don't need to take used, worn flags to the VFW or American Legion. Unfortunately I doubt many posts properly dispose of worn flags anyway. At least they likely do not just throw them in the trash!

If you are not aware, the correct way to dispose of a worn American flag is to separate the union aka canton aka field from the stripes, cut the individual stripes apart, then reverently burn the separated pieces. I have my mother to thank for this information. Both she and my father were WWII veterans. I am Viet Nam era.

We would all do well to read or re-familiarize, ourselves with Title 1, Chapter 4 U.S.C. "The Flag"

 

[lkabug]

The American Legion has a good page on proper U S Flag etiquette.

 

[Narragansett]

I am not looking to create any confrontation here, this just a topic

 

[fordson]

I was stationed, for a short time, at MCAS Cherry Point in the early 70’s. A Navy Aviator in a Marine squadron is a story for another time to be told over a pizza and beer. Anyway, we were having a Squadron “duty fun” softball game on a sunny summer evening. Wife’s, kids, girlfriend were cheering the informal game with no one keeping score. Just fun. The warning call for “Colors “ sounded and we all came to attention including the families. During the middle of Taps, a Navy Ensign (a guy I knew but assigned to another unit) came diddly bopping across the outfield, not in the lease affected by Colors. We all stood at attention eyeballing this guy. As soon as the national anthem ended and honor rendered, our OPs Officer, a Captain Mike Lucky, ran after this guy, called him to attention in his best DI voice and proceeded to ream him out . From 50 yards away we could hear him, and he was right, the young officer wrong.
There is a protocol to Honor the Flag - when you fly it, how you fly it, why you fly it. You don’t make up your own rules for convenience.
If you honor the flag, you HONOR THE FLAG - no exceptions.
N - don’t mean to be confrontational and sorry if it reads that way….

 

[Eric300]

Johnny Cash summed it up pretty good.....

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfzJ8UBr-c0[/ame]

 

[two-bit cowboy]

I am not looking to create any confrontation here, this just a topic

Hi Pete,

I believe you.

"This," however, is far more than "just a topic" for many of us.

I was stationed at some terrific places through 14 assignments in 28 years. Several places we stood at attention through the host country's anthem and presented a hand salute when ours played during retreat.

On Friday afternoon at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, a joint-service location, the post played all four services' songs prior to retreat. Quite a moving, weekly theme to remind us who we were.

Now, I live in a tiny mountain town of 48, 30 miles from gas 'n' groceries. Many tourists passing through tell us they believe we fly more American flags, per capita, than anywhere they've been. We don't like light pollution, and we all show the code's proper and traditional respect at sunrise and sunset. I live on a remote "end" of town, and I've had vehicles stop at my driveway when I was raising old Glory. After I tied it off the driver honked, gave me a thumbs up and motored on.

Live by the Code. It's not confrontational, and like the Constitution, it doesn't need to be changed.

 

[Goldstar225]

IMO you either display the flag appropriately or not at all. I suppose those military members I would see scurrying inside to avoid rendering a salute during retreat thought it would be OK not to apply the rules to themselves.

 

[FLJoe]

I'm a boater, and there are a whole set of rules around flying the flag on the boat apart from on land. Many people don't meet all the rules, and I admit, I don't always remember to bring the flag in at sunset, but I'm glad to see patriotic people flying it on their boats, even if they don't always exactly adhere to the rules.

 

[StrawHat]

I am not a veteran, although I signed articles every time I was assigned a new ship or at the start of a new season. My brother was USN, Viet Nam, Submariner, Pop was WWII Merchant Mariner and survived 5 or 6 sinking, Mom was USN also in WWII. The other brother and I both sailed in the peacetime merchant fleet.

My flag now flies 24/7/365. I brought get in an electrician to get power to where I intended to put my light to illuminate the flag. I also lower it to half staff during appropriate times. Mom and Pop both taught all of us from an early age how it was supposed to be done.

I fly a flag at every job site I have ever been on. Nowadays, it is a desktop mount and is packed away at the end of my work day.

It is what I do.

Kevin

 

[Rustyt1953]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyZ9b4My6NU[/ame]

 

[Rudi]

As I listen to the National Athem, the flag flew all night. There was no electric light back then.

 

[yaktamer]

I could swear that they changed the guidelines sometime in the last twenty years to no longer require lighting at night, at least for private residences. Could be wrong, though.

 

[Faulkner]

Concepts like respect, honor, integrity, and courtesy don't seem to carry the same weight in meaning like they used to.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

No, the guidelines should not be changed, peoples attitudes should change. Respect for the flag is seriously lacking!

And you don't need to take used, worn flags to the VFW or American Legion. Unfortunately I doubt many posts properly dispose of worn flags anyway. At least they likely do not just throw them in the trash!

If you are not aware, the correct way to dispose of a worn American flag is to separate the union aka canton aka field from the stripes, cut the individual stripes apart, then reverently burn the separated pieces. I have my mother to thank for this information. Both she and my father were WWII veterans. I am Viet Nam era.

We would all do well to read or re-familiarize, ourselves with Chapter 1 U.S.C. "The Flag"

Our VFW post accepts retired flags for proper disposal, and when requested we provide a new replacement flag at no charge (donations accepted for the fund managed for that purpose).

 

[robvious]

my son's Boy Scout troop collected flags for decommissioning... during summer camp they were disassembled and the pieces burned.. with an all night fire watch by a Vietnam Veteran camp manager and all those that wished to help in silence.. one of the most patriotic things I have ever witnessed.

 

[S-W4EVER]

Concepts like respect, honor, integrity, and courtesy don't seem to carry the same weight in meaning like they used to.

I was kinda surprised to learn that (prior to 2008) it wasn’t considered legal for a Veteran (in civilian clothes) to render a hand salute at a graveside service. I was Military Police, so am quite comfortable with saluting and had done so at my Brother’s, Father’s, and several Veteran and LE friends who’d gone to the other side. It’s just a matter of respect for me.

BTW, both my Dad and my Brother were of The Silent Service...

 

[zeke]

Our main street (cty hwy) was just redone last year , complete with brand new streetlights per block the whole way through town. 2 weeks ago the city put flags up on every streetlight. And they're real deal Stars and Stripes flag.

 

[brucev]

In 2005 I was helping sort rags for sale. Proceeds went to fund a rescue mission and a home for abused women. Sorting through the filth, I found a very worn faded rag of a flag. Gave them $20 to compensate for the rag and took it home. After several trips through the washer and line drying, it was in about good condition. Starched and ironed it. Use it every Sunday morning just before July 4th in the childrens sermon at the church where I am the pastor. Cannot understand why anyone would trash the flag, worn out or not. JMHO. Sincerely. bruce.