Rules For the American Flag That You Should Always Follow
OutdoorHub Reporters 07.04.18
She is the Stars and Stripes, the Star Spangled Banner, Old Glory, and the Stars and Bars, but mostly she is the symbol of this nation and all the men and women who have worked to build it, sometimes sacrificing everything in the process. The cloth the flag is printed on means nothing, it is the spirit and the symbol that we honor. In that spirit, let’s do it right.
The flag should be flown from sunrise to sunset and should be taken down in adverse weather. If you want to display the flag 24 hours a day, it should be illuminated from dusk till dawn. I can’t count the irritating infractions of this simple rule perpetrated by used car dealerships and tax preparations services.
If you display more than one flag, Old Glory should be on the left of the line from the observer. If you celebrate dual nationality and want to honor the American Flag beside your own, it is proper to fly both flags at the same height. If you fly any other flag such as a state flag, organization flag, or the Gadsden flag, they should be flown below the American Flag. No flag should be larger than the American Flag.
You can fly more than one flag from the same pole but the Stars and Stripes gets the top position. The exception is that any other national flag should be flown on its own staff.
If your flag is suspended against a wall, the stars should always be in the upper left from the observer’s point of view. If the flag is suspended in a way that it can be viewed from either side, an east/west oriented flag should have the stars to the east and a north/south oriented flag should have the stars to the north. If your display is somewhere between, opt for the northeast position for the stars. If you display the flag in a window, it should always be oriented as if viewed from the street with the stars on the upper left from that point of view.
If you display the flag from your car, stop with those plastic things you roll up in your window. The Stars and Stripes should be on a mast firmly attached to the car chassis or clamped to the right fender.
Other than flying the flag as she is meant to be, the flag should not be used as a decoration or item of clothing. The only time the flag should be draped across anything is a casket. Not a tablecloth, desk cover, or drape. Use another patriotic drape or red, white, and blue bunting instead with the blue on top, then white, then red.
Only fly your flag below the peak of the staff when appropriate to do so. Always run the flag to the top of the staff unless it is declared as a time to fly the flag half-staff or on specific holidays. Memorial Day (until noon) and Independence Day are the two big ones.
Saluting the flag during the anthem, the pledge of allegiance, or raising and lowering is reserved for current military and veterans whether in uniform or not, and police and fire personnel that are in uniform. The salute should be in proper form. All others should stand at attention with their right hands over their hearts and any hats removed and held in their left hand.
The flag should always be clean and well mended. You may wash your flag, however, is fit for the material it is printed on. A flag that is beyond repair should be properly disposed of. If you don’t have the heart to do so yourself, check with your local American Legion, VFW, or scout troop. Properly disposing of a flag requires properly folding it and placing it into a fire large and intense enough to ensure the flag is completely consumed. The pledge of allegiance should be recited. Once completely burned, the ashes should be extinguished and buried.
Never use the flag as a cover, never tie it back like a curtain, and never carry if flat and unfolded. The flag is meant to fly. It should never touch the ground. It should never be marked on, drawn on, or embroidered with any insignia.
If you follow these rules, you will be properly observing the revered symbol of our great nation. There are more ruled but those are typically very specific when used in parades or other situations that most civilians will never find themselves in. Respect the flag, stand for the anthem, and don’t be one of those people who get offended when some protester burns the flag when you have one at home, hanging limply in a rainstorm. Respect is respect, do it right.
