A History of the Flag Lapel Pin
The history of lapel pins dates to the Civil War, when troops on both sides were given pins intended to bond units together. Since World War I, the lapel pin has been used by large police and fire departments as a means of identifying division or brigade members. Students, organizations and charities use lapel pins to make the public aware of their individual messages. The flag lapel pin has become especially prominent.
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The Beginning
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The American flag is an unmistakable symbol of patriotism. The American flag lapel pin is an easily recognizable display of patriotism. The exact origin of the flag lapel pin is not well documented, but reverence for the American flag dates to the Civil War era. Before that time, very few citizens owned a flag; flags were distributed only to military and federal institutions. But when the Confederacy began to win some battles, citizens in the north began flying the flag prominently as a sign of pride.
Memorablia
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For men, a lapel pin should be attached about one inch down from the tie knot and about 4 inches over on the lapel. During World War II, the flag lapel pin became more common and was worn by both men and women. Kit Hinrichs, an avid collector of flag-related memorabilia, has few flag lapel pins from before the middle of the 20th century.
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Popularity
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Wearing an American flag lapel pin became almost a fad during the late 1960s and early 1970s, simultaneously uniting and dividing the country. Then-President Richard Nixon brought the flag lapel pin national attention after his chief of staff got the idea from the Robert Redford movie "The Candidate." When Nixon Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman began wearing his flag lapel pin, Nixon commanded his other aides to do the same
September 11, 2001
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Patriotism was displayed prominently after September 11, 2001. In the 1980s and 1990s the flag lapel pin continued to gain popularity, especially during the Gulf War. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, then-President George W. Bush followed the example of Nixon and commanded his aides to sport American flag pins on their jackets. News anchors across the county followed this example. In fact, there was outrage when ABC News reportedly prohibited on-air newspeople from wearing a flag lapel pin as a means of protecting their objective credibility.
Headlines
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Barack Obama made news when he stopped wearing his flag lapel pin. The American flag lapel pin made big news again when then-candidate Barack Obama discontinued the wearing of his during his campaign for president. In a 2007 news conference, Obama was quoted as saying, "The truth is that right after 9/11 I had a pin. Shortly after 9/11, particularly because as we're talking about the Iraq war, that became a substitute for, I think, true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security. I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest. Instead, I'm going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great, and hopefully that will be a testament to my patriotism." In 2008, President Obama began wearing a flag lapel pin again to select events.
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References
- Photo Credit pin"s image by Didier Weemaels from Fotolia.com American Flag image by dwight9592 from Fotolia.com business man tie detail image by Ricardo Verde Costa from Fotolia.com patriotism image by Cindy Haggerty from Fotolia.com NEWSPAPER image by huimin from Fotolia.com
