John Baier Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I just have to share an experience that I had today. Its was windy today here in Michigan and I was driving past a Dunkin Donut shop when I noticed our national symbol laying on ground still attached to a flag pole near by. Mind you the location of the store is at the corner of one of the busiest intersections in MI. I thought it very sad that I was the only one to take notice. I've never served our country, but I have family members and dear friends that have and some that have given their lives as the ultimate sacrifice. As I approached our symbol of freedom laying there, flailing about the ground a sadness over took me. The distance from me to the Flag was probably only 30 feet, but it seemed much longer as I walked toward it. I collect up the Flag as reverently as I could. I took the Flag into the store and asked to see the manager on duty. A very young man, probably only 19 years old, approached and asked what I wanted. I told that the Flag that I was holding touched the ground desecrating it and it now had to be destroyed. I even offered to buy it from them so that it could be retired properly. This kid had know idea what I was talking about and told me that he would give the Flag to boss when he came in. My fear is that they will rehang it or worse, throw it in the trash. What has our country come to when we no longer care about our national symbol. Have we become that self-centered Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerlimits Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 +1000. if you want to witness respect to our flag, be on a marine base anywhere in the world. time stops when our flag goes up in the morning, and when it is taken down in the evening. and no one moves on the base except the marines dealing with the flag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SA Friday Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Chances are he had no idea why you were talking about retiring the flag because it touched the ground. Chances are also high that he had no idea the proper way to retire the flag also. One can hope the pendilum will swing on these teachings, because it currently pegged to the don't-give-a-crap side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentlemanJim Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Its sad Our people dont respect our country or the ideals that made it what it is, much less our Flag Its a sad day. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJPoLo Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Here's a link to the US Flag Code. -Chet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Keen Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Chet thanks for posting that link ...... I read the whole thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 On the other hand....... I was at work one day and saw a very torn and tattered flag flying from a local business. I was working with another vet at the time and we both came to the same conclusion at the exact same time. We went in to the business and ID'd ourselves as veterans and explained that the flag needed to come down and be replaced and why. We braced ourselves for the same disappointmenting experience John had. An amazing thing happened. The manager apologized and thanked us for our service! He asked about throwing it away and we offered to have it destroyed by the local boyscouts. We lowered the flag and took care of it from there. The next day a brand new flag was on the pole! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris iliff Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Hey sandman78, I don't hear any hate in your post, that's a great story thanks for sharing it. Sometimes people get it right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Santiago Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 (edited) There is no law that says the flag must be retired/destroyed after touching the ground. As long as the flag is serviceable and suitable for use, it can be returned to service. Washing and/or dry-cleaning is acceptable. All The US Code states is that the flag should never touch anything beneath it, not that it must be retired if it does. But I agree, America does not teach proper flag etiquette anymore. Edited March 12, 2009 by pas44 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Baier Posted March 11, 2009 Author Share Posted March 11, 2009 Here's a link to the US Flag Code.-Chet Thanks Chet! I'll pass this link around. I guess I was wrong about the Flag touching the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 There is no law that says the flag must be retired/destroyed after touching the ground. As long as the flag is serviceable and suitable for use, it can be returned to service. Washing and/or dry-cleaning is acceptable. All The US Code states is that the flag should never touch anything beneath it, not that it must be retired if it does.But I agree, America does not teach proper flag etiquette anymore. There is a law in the Army though that if you let it touch the ground you will touch the ground too, Push up style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 There is little education in "civics" any more--in fact, it wasn't approached seriously even when I was a kid--but I learned about flag etiquette in a roundabout way somehow. It's as meaningful as etiquette at table or in social settings--perhaps even MORE valuable because it's about our WHOLE life, not just our little personal life. The flag symbolizes a huge concept and that concept comes to mind each time I see it. A vast meditation on our purpose and beliefs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwx40x40 Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 One of the most memorable things when I was a kid in the 7th grade was the honor of being chosen to raise and lower the flag. I got to school early to raise the flag and just before the end of the school day my buddy and I were excused from class to take it down. The principle taught us how to fold it and instructed us that it never hit the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hitman Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 Thank You Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walter hornby Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 Howdy Guys and Gals an interesting topic to me. i have a question to see what everyone thinks before i post my reply. one of my duties it to replace the flags at a number of our Provincial (state to you yankees.) i usually end up replacing flags twice a year. my question, is what you would you consider a dignified method for retiring a flag? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritinUSA Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 I think the preferred method is burning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSEMARTIN Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 what you would you consider a dignified method for retiring a flag? (k) 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.E.Anglin Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 our local post office was letting a tatered flag fly, I commented on it, and was told they were waiting for a new one it took weeks for it to be replaced, then the city hall lets it fly 24/7 with no light on it......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 I still vividly remember the day when my elementary school principal announced over the intercom that everyone was to gather at the flag pole for a "retirement ceremony". We all marched out and gathered around the flag pole. I then noticed that a troop of Boy Scouts was in attendance along with a few adults in uniform. The principal, a retired WWII and Korean veteran was also in uniform. He lowered the tattered flag and the Boy Scouts reverently folded it. A small fire was lit in a metal pan on the ground and the flag was placed on the pyre. We all said the Pledge and sang the Star Spangled Banner as it burned. One of the other folks in uniform stepped forward and handed the Boy Scouts a brand new flag which was then raised up the pole. We then all went back to class and all the teachers spent some time teaching us the Flag Code. This was at least 35 years ago but I remember it like it was yesterday. It always gripes me to see cities put out all their flags for the various holidays and a whole bunch of them need to be honorably retired and replaced but the city fathers won't spend the dough. Thankfully, our Mayor is an Eagle Scout, Scout Master, etc. Our city flags are always in good repair and if not, they get replaced quickly. I also recall the day the flag on the power pole across from my house got caught by a freak gust of wind and popped out of the holder. I was half way down the driveway to go put it back when two vehicles coming from opposite directions screeched to a halt and people hopped out. There was dang near a fight over who got to put the flag back up. I was the youngest of the group though...by a bunch of years. We were demolishing a group of abandoned mobile homes in town last Summer when I uncovered a flag that had definitely seen better days. It was wadded up in the corner of a room, covered with refuse. It was torn and stained by substances I don't really even want to hazard a guess at. I was almost in tears as I was carefully pulling Old Glory out of that pile. The Mayor and one of the city councilmen (also an Eagle Scout) very reverently took the flag from me, folded it properly and placed it in one of their cars. It was retired honorably by the local boy scouts later that week. Not a word was said and all work at that site stopped while the flag was being taken care of. Flag etiquette isn't dead...but it isn't very healthy either. That reminds me...my flag pole needs fixing. I think I'll wait until it is a bit warmer than 6 degrees though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 "We then all went back to class and all the teachers spent some time teaching us the Flag Code." That's downright touching. You've obviously have had some respectable and positive experiences with Flag Etiquette. That's very cool. We have a garrison-class sized flag on the pole outside the local indoor range. It's in a windy part of town (along the Interstate-5 corridor) so is happily (or is that "gloriously") waving much of the time. The forward edge gets a bit worn after a year, so the owners usually replace the flag nearly every year. It's a matter of pride. Everyone that's a member there remarks frequently, sooner or later, about how cool the flag is. I've taken a picture or two of it... but that was before the garrison flag arrived. It's reeeeeally big. Perhaps this spring I'll capture an image of the garrison flag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Keen Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 Would love to see a pic of that Sig Lady! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 I work for a small city and we fly flags along the streets during select holidays. When they get too bad to fly we collect them all and turn them over to the boyscouts to burn. The VFW will also see that they are properly destroyed if anyone is intersted. But I have seen a few of ours fall in the street during a wind storm and people just drive over them like a piece of trash until we can get it picked up. I often wonder if people just don't understand, don't care or are just plain stupid. I knew I could find some hate in there somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redintex Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Unfortunately, I would say a strong majority of people have no idea about the Flag Code. I have ensured that it was known by appropriate staff at my last several facilities of assignment. Thank you for your presentation of this - it is something that absolutely must be maintained. redintex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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