UnitedStatesFlags.com http://unitedstatesflags.com Educating Americans about the US Flag Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:54:28 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 US Flag Retirement http://unitedstatesflags.com/us-flag-retirement/ http://unitedstatesflags.com/us-flag-retirement/#comments Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:47:33 +0000 admin http://unitedstatesflags.com/?p=133 While most of us know never to dispose of a tattered U.S. flag by throwing it in the garbage, many are unaware of the most appropriate way in which to retire a U.S. flag that is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country. On Dec. 22, 1942, the 77th Congress approved Public Law 829. This gave official sanction to most of the provisions of the Flag Code, the set of rules of civilian flag courtesy first formulated by the National Flag Conference in 1923, including the Flag Code § 176(k) on disposal of unserviceable flags.

Per the U.S. Flag Code, “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.” While the code is not specific about the procedure for burning the flag, a ceremony that retires the flag in a patriotic and respectful way is acceptable.

Many organizations such as American Legion posts, American Veterans of Foreign Wars posts, and scout troops typically hold flag retirement ceremonies on Flag Day, June 14th. However, flag retirement can be done as a family activity according to the National Flag Foundation. If retiring the flag as a family, the following steps might be considered:

1. Gather the family as a group and raise the flag on a pole or staff or hold it aloft by hand.

2. Call the group to attention, salute and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

3. The leader then may say, “This flag has served its nation well and long. It is now worn to a condition in which it should no longer be used to represent the nation. We pay honor to this flag for the service it has rendered.”

4. Fold the flag into a triangle. To do this, fold the flag in half width-wise twice. Fold up a triangle, starting at the striped end … and repeat … until only the end of the union is exposed. Then fold down the square into a triangle and tuck inside the folds.

5. Give the flag to the group leader who will burn it until it is completely consumed.

An alternate retirement ceremony that involves cutting the flag apart rather than folding it can also be considered:

Step 1:  Keep the flag off the ground and cut the stars out of the canton. (Be careful not to cut the blue field of stars as it is symbolic of the union of the fifty states and the union should never be broken).

Step 2:  Cut the stripes apart.

Step 3:  With dignity, put the stripes into the fire.

Step 4:  Let the material burn completely.

Step 5:  Place the canton into the fire and let it burn completely.

Patriotic music and singing are also appropriate additions to these ceremonies.


]]> http://unitedstatesflags.com/us-flag-retirement/feed/ 0 Proper U.S. Flag Care http://unitedstatesflags.com/proper-u-s-flag-care/ http://unitedstatesflags.com/proper-u-s-flag-care/#comments Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:23:16 +0000 admin http://unitedstatesflags.com/?p=127 A torn, tattered American flag is not fit to serve as a symbol of our proud nation. Keep your flag in good repair and flying for a longer time with the following flag care tips:

  • For best results, only display flags made specifically for exterior use outdoors. A good choice might be Tough-Tex American Flags, which are engineered for durability.
  • Exposing your U.S. flag to rain, snow or abnormally high winds is not recommended.
  • Don’t fold or roll-up a damp or wet flag. If your flag becomes wet, spread it out and allow it to completely dry before flying it.
  • Clean your flag regularly, to prevent soil and discoloration from dirt, smoke, dust and other airborne contaminants from setting in the fabric.
  • Outdoor flags can be hand-washed with cold water and a mild soap, then thoroughly rinsed and spread out to dry.  Do not allow flags to stand in water too long to avoid color transfer onto white stripes.
  • Professional dry cleaning is recommended for indoor/parade flags. Incidentally, some establishments will clean Old Glory free of charge.
  • Do not hang the flag where the wind will whip it against rough surfaces, tree branches, wires, cables, etc. Small tears can soon result in a tattered flag.
  • Keep pole surfaces clean! Heavy dirt, rust, scale and corrosion can damage your flag.
  • Inspect your flag fabric or thread breaks which may occur in the end farthest from the pole (the fly end). Trimming off and re-hemming torn or frayed ends will help extend your flag’s life.

For large flag owners (12 x 18 ft and larger), you may want to purchase two flags and rotate them regularly.  Tests have shown that flag fibers actually benefit from periodic “rest”. In addition, you won’t be without a flag while the other is being cleaned or repaired. Proper flag etiquette, including a prohibition on flying tattered, faded or soiled flags is outlined in the U.S. Flag Code.

Check out the huge selection of US flags at AmericanFlags.com – American’s largest online flag retailer.

]]> http://unitedstatesflags.com/proper-u-s-flag-care/feed/ 0 Pledge of Allegiance http://unitedstatesflags.com/pledge-of-allegiance/ http://unitedstatesflags.com/pledge-of-allegiance/#comments Sat, 17 Dec 2011 16:42:12 +0000 admin http://unitedstatesflags.com/?p=123 “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.”

The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of loyalty to the American Flag  and the United States of America. It was originally composed by Baptist Minister Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress as the U.S. pledge in 1942. The Pledge has been modified four times since its composition, with the most recent change adding the words “under God” in 1954.

The US Supreme Court has found that students can’t be compelled to stand for the pledge, but the pledge of allegiance is typically recited in schools, before government meetings and civic events. It is often accompanied by a salute to the United States Flag.

]]> http://unitedstatesflags.com/pledge-of-allegiance/feed/ 0 Battle Hymn of the Republic Lyrics http://unitedstatesflags.com/battle-hymn-of-the-republic-lyrics/ http://unitedstatesflags.com/battle-hymn-of-the-republic-lyrics/#comments Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:55:00 +0000 admin http://unitedstatesflags.com/?p=102

 

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored,
He has loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword
His truth is marching on.

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps
His day is marching on.

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.

I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnish`d rows of steel,
“As ye deal with my contemnors, so with you my grace shall deal;”
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel
Since God is marching on.

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.

He has sounded from the trumpet that shall never call retreat
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.

]]> http://unitedstatesflags.com/battle-hymn-of-the-republic-lyrics/feed/ 0 When to Display the American Flag http://unitedstatesflags.com/when-to-display-the-american-flag/ http://unitedstatesflags.com/when-to-display-the-american-flag/#comments Sat, 03 Dec 2011 13:49:22 +0000 admin http://unitedstatesflags.com/?p=79 The American flag should be displayed on all days, but especially on holidays. Displaying the US flag reminds us that we are fortunate to live in America, where freedom reigns and anything is possible! Here’s the official list of flag holidays: New Year’s Day, January 1; Inauguration Day, January 20; Lincoln’s Birthday, February; Washington’s Birthday, third Monday in February; Easter Sunday (variable); Mother’s Day, second Sunday in May; and Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May. Other flag-flying holidays include:

  • Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), last Monday in May;
  • Flag Day, June 14
  • Independence Day, July 4
  • Labor Day, first Monday in September
  • Patriot Day, September 11
  • 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
  • Such other days as may be proclaimed by the President of the United States
  • The birthdays of States (date of admission)
  • State holidays

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

The American flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election days.

The American flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse.

]]> http://unitedstatesflags.com/when-to-display-the-american-flag/feed/ 0 Occupy Wall Street Protesters Defacing the US Flag http://unitedstatesflags.com/occupy-wall-street-protester-deface-flag/ http://unitedstatesflags.com/occupy-wall-street-protester-deface-flag/#comments Sat, 03 Dec 2011 11:37:46 +0000 admin http://unitedstatesflags.com/?p=48 Occupy Wall Street protesters deface an American Flag in violation of the US Flag Code

]]> http://unitedstatesflags.com/occupy-wall-street-protester-deface-flag/feed/ 0 The United States National Anthem http://unitedstatesflags.com/the-united-states-national-anthem/ http://unitedstatesflags.com/the-united-states-national-anthem/#comments Sat, 03 Dec 2011 11:31:37 +0000 admin http://unitedstatesflags.com/?p=46 A wonderful video featuring the Star Spangled Banner and historic patriotic images.

]]> http://unitedstatesflags.com/the-united-states-national-anthem/feed/ 0 American Veteran Removes US Flag from beneath Mexican Flag http://unitedstatesflags.com/veteran-removes-us-flag-mexican-flag/ http://unitedstatesflags.com/veteran-removes-us-flag-mexican-flag/#comments Sat, 03 Dec 2011 11:13:05 +0000 admin http://unitedstatesflags.com/?p=42 Jim Brossard, a proud veteran, was so offended by the unlawful display of the American flag beneath the Mexican flag in Reno, Nevada that he cut it down.

]]> http://unitedstatesflags.com/veteran-removes-us-flag-mexican-flag/feed/ 0 The Story of Betsy Ross http://unitedstatesflags.com/the-story-of-betsy-ross/ http://unitedstatesflags.com/the-story-of-betsy-ross/#comments Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:30:38 +0000 admin http://unitedstatesflags.com/?p=11 Betsy RossIt’s a story many of us read about in grade school. In May of 1776, on a swelteringly hot day in Philadelphia, three men walked purposefully along the cobblestones toward a small house on Arch Street. Just a few days before, these men had been appointed to a special task by the fledgling U.S. Congress, and they were now carrying out their commission.

The first of these men was Robert Morris, a wealthy businessman who was helping to finance the American Revolution. The second was General George Washington, the man responsible for winning the war that Morris was funding. The third man was Colonel George Ross, a relative of the person who lived in that small building on Arch Street.

When they arrived at the house, they noted that it also served as an upholstery shop for the woman who owned it— a twenty-four-year-old seamstress named Betsy Ross. Betsy had been widowed just the year before, so she was eager for any work. When Ross answered the men’s knock, she smiled in greeting, recognizing her relative George Ross and George Washington, for whose family she had previously done some sewing.

The three men politely removed their broad-brimmed hats as she led them into her sunlit parlor with its six-over-nine paned window. After exchanging pleasantries, the men stated their business—they asked her to sew the flag for the new nation. “I’ve never made a flag before,” she is said to have answered, “but I’ll certainly try.” They then showed her a rough sketch of the Stars and Stripes, featuring six-pointed stars laid upon the blue field. She pointed out that it would be less trouble to use a five-pointed star. When Washington voiced his doubts, she took a sheet of paper, folded it seven times, and then made one cut with her scissors. When she unfolded the paper, a perfectly cut five-point star lay in her hand. The demonstration served to reassure the men that the work on the symbol of their nation was in good hands. Once the flag was completed, George Washington was said to be so pleased with her handiwork that he exhibited the flag to all in Congress. It’s a wonderful story that people remember as one of the facts about our flag. But not everyone thinks this quaint scenario actually occurred. As the old saying goes, “Consider the source.”



The first public rendition of the Betsy Ross story seems to have originated with Betsy’s grandson, William J. Canby. In March of 1870, when he was forty-five years old, Canby read this account before the Pennsylvania Historical Society. He claimed that the story had been passed down through his family over the years.

Once a story like this catches on, nothing can stop it—not even the truth. Harper’s Monthly featured it in its July 1873 issue; by the 1880s school textbooks were including it as historical fact. Thousands of people who attended the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago gathered to view a painting by Charles H. Weisgerber titled The Birth of Our Nation’s Flag—it depicted the young Betsy Ross, hard at work at her sewing. As much as this story remains embedded in the memories of most Americans, some historians doubt that it ever took place. They point out that the 1776 meeting with Betsy Ross was said to have occurred a full year prior to the date in 1777 when Congress resolved to create a national flag; therefore, where would the need be to talk to the young seamstress? Also, an exhaustive search of the Journal of the Congress turns up absolutely no mention of an assignment given to any of the three men in question. There are even some who suggest that Canby created the story out of whole cloth, simply to add some glamour to his rather pedestrian roots.

The Betsy-Ross-story believers—and there are many of them—fire back with persuasive arguments of their own. They point to sworn affidavits by Betsy’s daughter and other descendants that support Canby’s story. As to the absence of any congressional record of such a flag committee, the pro-Betsy faction claims that the Journal of the Congress was notoriously unreliable. Committees were being formed all the time and some of those were considered “secret.” “Also,” they argue, “why would Congress keep any record of three men simply meeting with a young seamstress to have a flag sewn?”

The “Anti-Betsy Group,” as they’re referred to by sworn Ross believers, ask why Congress would plan to replace the Grand Union flag, first flown in January of 1776, only six months later? Betsy supporters claim that Congress was dismayed by the reaction of the British to the Grand Union flag with the Union Jack in the canton—therefore, they were in a hurry to get a new flag produced. To support this argument they cite a 1784 painting by Charles Willson Peale entitled Washington at the Battle of Princeton. In this painting of a battle that took place in January of 1777, five months before the congressional flag resolution, Peale portrayed the American flag with a circle of thirteen white stars against a field of blue. This proves that Ross sewed the flag, argue her supporters somewhat disingenuously, because it shows that the Grand Union flag had ceased being carried before the resolution in June of that year. Of course, as the example of Mel Gibson’s The Patriot showed, the media should not be relied upon as the final word in any historical debate—but Ross supporters correctly point out that Peale was noted for his fanatical devotion to historical accuracy in his paintings.

]]> http://unitedstatesflags.com/the-story-of-betsy-ross/feed/ 0 United States Flag Code http://unitedstatesflags.com/united-states-flag-code/ http://unitedstatesflags.com/united-states-flag-code/#comments Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:20:33 +0000 admin http://unitedstatesflags.com/?p=6 The laws relating to the flag of the United States of America are found in detail in the United States Code. Title 4, Chapter 1 pertains to the flag; Title 18, Chapter 33, Section 700 regards criminal penalties for flag desecration; Title 36, Chapter 3 pertains to patriotic customs and observances. These laws were supplemented by Executive Orders and Presidential Proclamations.

United States Code Title 4 Chapter 1 — The Flag

§1. Flag; stripes and stars on

The flag of the United States shall be thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white; and the union of the flag shall be forty-eight stars, white in a blue field

§2. Same; additional stars

On the admission of a new State into the Union one star shall be added to the union of the flag; and such addition shall take effect on the fourth day of July then next succeeding such admission

§3. Use of flag for advertising purposes; mutilation of flag

Any person who, within the District of Columbia, in any manner, for exhibition or display, shall place or cause to be placed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawing, or any advertisement of any nature upon any flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America; or shall expose or cause to be exposed to public view any such flag, standard, colors, or ensign upon which shall have been printed, painted, or otherwise placed, or to which shall be attached, appended, affixed, or annexed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, or drawing, or any advertisement of any nature; or who, within the District of Columbia, shall manufacture, sell, expose for sale, or to public view, or give away or have in possession for sale, or to be given away or for use for any purpose, any article or substance being an article of merchandise, or a receptacle for merchandise or article or thing for carrying or transporting merchandise, upon which shall have been printed, painted, attached, or otherwise placed a representation of any such flag, standard, colors, or ensign, to advertise, call attention to, decorate, mark, or distinguish the article or substance on which so placed shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $100 or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days, or both, in the discretion of the court. The words “flag, standard, colors, or ensign”, as used herein, shall include any flag, standard, colors, ensign, or any picture or representation of either, or of any part or parts of either, made of any substance or represented on any substance, of any size evidently purporting to be either of said flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America or a picture or a representation of either, upon which shall be shown the colors, the stars and the stripes, in any number of either thereof, or of any part or parts of either, by which the average person seeing the same without deliberation may believe the same to represent the flag, colors, standard, or ensign of the United States of America.

§4. Pledge of allegiance to the flag; manner of delivery

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 by 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.

§5. Display and use of flag by civilians; codification of rules and customs; definition

The following codification of existing rules and customs pertaining to the display and use of the flag of the United States of America be, and it is hereby, established for the use of such civilians or civilian groups or organizations as may not be required to conform with regulations promulgated by one or more executive departments of the Government of the United States. The flag of the United States for the purpose of this chapter shall be defined according to title 4, United States Code, Chapter 1, Section 1 and Section 2 and Executive Order 10834.

§6. Time and occasions for display
  1. It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs 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.
  2. The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.
  3. The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all-weather flag is displayed.
  4. 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, third Monday in January
    • Lincoln’s Birthday, February 12
    • Washington’s Birthday, third Monday in February
    • 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
    • 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.
  5. The flag should be displayed daily on or near the main administration building of every public institution.
  6. The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election days.
  7. The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse.
§7. Position and manner of display

The flag, when carried in a procession with another flag or flags, should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag’s own right, or, if there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of that line.

  1. The flag should not be displayed on a float in a parade except from a staff, or as provided in subsection (i) of this section.
  2. The flag should not be draped over the hood, top, sides, or back of a vehicle or of a railroad train or a boat. When the flag is displayed on a motorcar, the staff shall be fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender.
  3. No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at sea, when the church pennant may be flown above the flag during church services for the personnel of the Navy. No person shall display the flag of the United Nations or any other national or international flag equal, above, or in a position of superior prominence or honor to, or in place of, the flag of the United States at any place within the United States or any Territory or possession thereof: Provided, That nothing in this section shall make unlawful the continuance of the practice heretofore followed of displaying the flag of the United Nations in a position of superior prominence or honor, and other national flags in positions of equal prominence or honor, with that of the flag of the United States at the headquarters of the United Nations.
  4. The flag of the United States of America, when it is displayed with another flag against a wall from crossed staffs, should be on the right, the flag’s own right, and its staff should be in front of the staff of the other flag.
  5. The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of States or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs.
  6. When flags of States, cities, or localities, or pennants of societies are flown on the same halyard with the flag of the United States, the latter should always be at the peak. When the flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be hoisted first and lowered last. No such flag or pennant may be placed above the flag of the United States or to the United States flag’s right.
  7. When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace.
  8. When the flag of the United States is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle from the window sill, balcony, or front of a building, the union of the flag should be placed at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half-staff. When the flag is suspended over a sidewalk from a rope extending from a house to a pole at the edge of the sidewalk, the flag should be hoisted out, union first, from the building.
  9. When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the union should be uppermost and to the flag’s own right, that is, to the observer’s left. When displayed in a window, the flag should be displayed in the same way, with the union or blue field to the left of the observer in the street.
  10. When the flag is displayed over the middle of the street, it should be suspended vertically with the union to the north in an east and west street or to the east in a north and south street.
  11. 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 or public auditorium, the flag of the United States of America 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. Any other flag so displayed should be placed on the left of the clergyman or speaker or to the right of the audience.
  12. The flag should form a distinctive feature of the ceremony of unveiling a statue or monument, but it should never be used as the covering for the statue or monument.
  13. The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. On Memorial Day the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff. By order of the President, the flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory. In the event of the death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half-staff according to Presidential instructions or orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law. In the event of the death of a present or former official of the government of any State, territory, or possession of the United States, or the death of a member of the Armed Forces from any State, territory, or possession who dies while serving on active duty, the Governor of that State, territory, or possession may proclaim that the National flag shall be flown at half-staff, and the same authority is provided to the Mayor of the District of Columbia with respect to present or former officials of the District of Columbia and members of the Armed Forces from the District of Columbia. The flag shall be flown at half-staff 30 days from the death of the President or a former President; 10 days from the day of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives; from the day of death until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a Secretary of an executive or military department, a former Vice President, or the Governor of a State, territory, or possession; and on the day of death and the following day for a Member of Congress. The flag shall be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day, unless that day is also Armed Forces Day. As used in this subsection —
    1. the term “half-staff” means the position of the flag when it is one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff;
    2. the term “executive or military department” means any agency listed under sections 101 and 102 of title 5, United States Code; and
    3. the term “Member of Congress” means a Senator, a Representative, a Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.
  14. When the flag is used to cover a casket, it should be so placed that the union is at the head and over the left shoulder. The flag should not be lowered into the grave or allowed to touch the ground.
  15. When the flag is suspended across a corridor or lobby in a building with only one main entrance, it should be suspended vertically with the union of the flag to the observer’s left upon entering. If the building has more than one main entrance, the flag should be suspended vertically near the center of the corridor or lobby with the union to the north, when entrances are to the east and west or to the east when entrances are to the north and south. If there are entrances in more than two directions, the union should be to the east.
§8. Respect for flag

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

  1. The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
  2. The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.
  3. The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.
  4. The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker’s desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.
  5. The flag should 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.
  6. The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.
  7. The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.
  8. The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.
  9. The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.
  10. No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. 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.
  11. 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
§9. Conduct during hoisting, lowering or passing of flag

During the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag or when the flag is passing in a parade or in review, all persons present in uniform should render the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute. All other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, or if applicable, remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Citizens of other countries present should stand at attention. All such conduct toward the flag in a moving column should be rendered at the moment the flag passes.

§10. Modification of rules and customs by President

Any rule or custom pertaining to the display of the flag of the United States of America, set forth herein, may be altered, modified, or repealed, or additional rules with respect thereto may be prescribed, by the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, whenever he deems it to be appropriate or desirable; and any such alteration or additional rule shall be set forth in a proclamation

United States Code Title 36

§301. National anthem
  1. Designation. — The composition consisting of the words and music known as the Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem.
  2. Conduct During Playing — During rendition of the national anthem —
    1. when the flag is displayed —
      1. individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note;
      2. members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute in the manner provided for individuals in uniform; and
      3. all other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, and men not in uniform, if applicable, should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; and
    2. when the flag is not displayed, all present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed.
§302. National motto

“In God we trust” is the national motto.

§303. National floral emblem

The flower commonly known as the rose is the national floral emblem.

§304. National march

The composition by John Philip Sousa entitled “The Stars and Stripes Forever” is the national march.

§901. Service flag and service lapel button
  1. Individuals Entitled To Display Service Flag.— A service flag approved by the Secretary of Defense may be displayed in a window of the place of residence of individuals who are members of the immediate family of an individual serving in the Armed Forces of the United States during any period of war or hostilities in which the Armed Forces of the United States are engaged.
  2. Individuals Entitled To Display Service Lapel Button.— A service lapel button approved by the Secretary may be worn by members of the immediate family of an individual serving in the Armed Forces of the United States during any period of war or hostilities in which the Armed Forces of the United States are engaged.
  3. License To Manufacture and Sell Service Flags and Service Lapel Buttons.— Any person may apply to the Secretary for a license to manufacture and sell the approved service flag, or the approved service lapel button, or both. Any person that manufactures a service flag or service lapel button without having first obtained a license, or otherwise violates this section is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $1,000.
  4. Regulations.— The Secretary may prescribe regulations necessary to carry out this section.
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