Things You'll Need:
- The right flag for your situation.
- A sturdy flagpole.
- A little patriotic pride.
-
Step 1
Before you display the flag of the United States of America you should read over the Flag Code. These are the laws that pertain to how and when a flag should be flown and how it should be treated. I have included a link in the resources section, below.
-
Step 2
If you want to display your flag in front of your house on certain national holidays you can usually purchase a kit at your local hardware store. The kit will include a flag, flagpole, and a metal mounting bracket. You use four screws to attach the mounting bracket to the front of your house, porch column, or other sturdy wooden structure, so that when you slide the pole into the mount it will jut out from the house at an angle. With these kits, the flag is usually permanently attached to the pole, so you will not need learn how to fold the flag, simply roll the flag around the pole and slip a cover over it when it's not being displayed.
-
Step 3
If you have a independently standing flagpole with lanyards, pulleys, and clips you will need to learn how to raise and lower the flag properly. You may want to practice with an old sheet or tablecloth a few times to make sure you can attach the flag and raise it without letting it touch the ground. You should also learn to fold and store your flag properly when you are not using it. The flag should be folded in half lengthwise twice, then corner folded until you are left with a triangle with only the blue field and stars showing.
-
Step 4
The blue field should always be at the top of the flag on the side attached to the flag pole. If the flag is not attached to a pole, such as hanging it on a wall, in a window, or suspended above a street, the field of stars should always be to the observer's left (the flag's own right). The only time a flag should ever be displayed upside-down is in a time of extreme distress, like an SOS call. This is the visual equivalence of calling 911, and should only be done if you really mean it.
-
Step 5
If flying the flag at half mast you should raise the flag all the way to the peak of the pole before lowering it slowly to the half-way point. Before lowering it from half-mast, raise the flag all the way to the top briefly before lowering and removing it.
-
Step 6
The US flag should never be flown on the same pole as another national flag. Flags of independent, sovereign nations should each have their own pole, be flown at the same height, and be of roughly the same size when flown together. State or organizational flags may fly below the US flag on the same pole. When flown with other flags our flag should be on the right (the observer's left) of the other flags, or in front of them.
-
Step 7
You should not fly your flag during stormy weather unless you have a storm flag designed specifically to handle rough weather, or at night unless it is lit up. Never let your flag touch the ground, don't use it as a blanket, or write on it. Old, worn out flags should be burned or given a proper burial, never thrown in the trash.
-
Step 8
Remember that the American Flag is so much more than some colored cloth - it is a symbol of the hopes and dreams of liberty. It is the flag that our fore-fathers fought and died for. Even if you are not happy with the current leadership, or the direction our nation is headed in now, the flag still represents all the best we have to offer - Freedom, Equality, Justice, Hope. Please treat it with the respect it deserves.
Comments
1960texan said
on 5/27/2009 I LOVE this article! I'm always bothered when I see our flag improperly treated.
dlnorton said
on 5/20/2009 Thank you for your essay on how to properly display our flag. I think a lot of folks need to read this.