Flag Day: Will You Be Ready? Flag Day is on June 14th. Will you be ready to fly Old Glory? Flag Day comes and you find that your neighbors have flags flying but you dont. You wonder why you didnt get a telescoping flagpole for your front lawn or a deluxe flagpole for your porch. Well, thats why Im giving you a head start this year. Flag Etiquette The flag is usually flown during daylight hours. It is hoisted briskly in the morning and more slowly in a reverent manner in the evening. The flag should be carefully folded at the end of the day. You may be asked by a government agency to fly your flag at half staff when someone dies. Pull the flag to the top of the pole before lowering it to the half staff position. Also do the same when you retire the flag in the evening. Folding the flag is easy. Fold the flag laterally AVOIDING the covering of the field of blue with the stripes. Now fold it the same way again still exposing the field of blue. Starting at the stripe end, make a triangular fold. Now repeat this until you have folded up through the field of blue and to the end of the flag. See this procedure at http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html. When your flag is old and tattered, take it to a local Boy Scout troop. Have them burn the flag in their traditional ceremony. You may attend the ceremony if you like. During the life of the flag, it should have never hit the ground. American Flag History Two Americans are known in relationship to the flag. One is Betsy Ross. No one knows for sure that she made the first American flag. The myth was generated long after her death. However, she made some flags in colonial America. Francis Scott Key referred to the Star-Spangled Banner in his poem during the War of 1812. Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? I mentioned in an earlier article that the National Anthem was put to music using an old English drinking song called the To Anacreon in Heaven. See the history of the flag at Fort McHenry at http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-henry.html. Ground mounts for flagpoles should be securely anchored according to the instructions that come with the flagpole. A sack or two of ready-mix concrete is usually sufficient for a 20-foot telescoping flagpole. I recommend a telescoping flagpole because it requires no ropes or lanyards that can tangle in the wind, etc. Deck or dock mounts should be securely bolted to the deck or dock following the instructions that come with those mounts. Although a ground mount usually comes with a flagpole, dock and deck mounts are extra. Lots of folks like to display their flag at sporting events, flea markets, or when camping. A wheel mount is good for this. You drive your car or trailer tire over the wheel mount and you have an anchored mount for your flag. You may find a carrying case useful to transport your flagpole to your event. Telescoping flag poles usually will accommodate the American Flag and a second flag of your choice, such as a state or school flag. Wall-mounted flags are usually of the 6-foot pole types that come with a flag. Mounting the flagpole to an outside wall is relatively simple. Just make sure you follow instructions. Dont buy an inexpensive flagpole kit at your local store. Get one that will last. You can see flagpoles and mounts of the above types at http://www.aaaflagpoles.com. Lets fly Old Glory this next Flag Day! The End |
