“Hey Red Phone, Memorial Day is approaching and I want to make sure I’m hanging Old Glory the correct way at our house. Any tips?”
Red Phone: Dear Patriot, Great question – we want to make sure every American understands how to display the flag with dignity – which is to say, not on your stars-and-stripes bikini.
The U.S. Flag Code gives guidelines for properly displaying the American flag. There’s no penalty for violating them, just so you know. Here’s a few:
Whether hanging horizontally or vertically, the union should be uppermost and to the observer’s left (in a window, the observer is the person in the street).
- On Memorial Day, the flag should fly at half-staff until noon and then be hoisted to the peak. When flying at half-staff, hoist the flag to the peak first before lowering it to half-staff; bring to the peak again before bringing it down for the day.
- The flag should be displayed outside from sunrise to sunset only.
- On a car, the flag staff should be fixed to the chassis or clamped to the right fender.
- Wear a flag lapel pin over your heart.
- Here are some flag no-nos:
- Don’t display flag during inclement weather (unless it’s an all-weather flag).
- Never let the flag touch anything beneath it, including the ground, water or merchandise.
- Don’t drape the flag over vehicles, wear it as apparel or use it as bedding or drapery.
Hope that helps, good caller. Thank you to all our American soldiers.
