Displaying the American flag is a basic but sometime the most important way to honor our military, country, and the idea of what America is all about.

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Is there a right and wrong way to fly the flag? Seems as though as long as you're showing patriotism and you have the flag up in some form or another, it's cool.

Whether you mount a flag on your front door frame, have little flags up and own the flower garden, or you go full flag pole in the front yard, there are official rules that one need to follow without being in violation.

I do remember some rules I learned in Boy Scouts and what my grandpa told me, but I ended up searching the internet for additional rules.

According to to the United States flag code at military.com, many chapters detail how a flag is hanged, weather situations, time of day, when retirement is necessary, how to retire a flag, and many other aspects I myself never took into account for proper flag representation. In fact, I learned there are different rules for civilian versus government, but we will look at some for just civilians.

Time and Occasion Of Display

  • The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.
  • It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.
  • The flag should be displayed on all days

It also should be displayed on calendar government holidays, on particular fit for this memorial day weekend with one caveat,

  • Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last Monday in May

Position and manner of display

  • The flag, when carried in a procession with another flag or flags, should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag's own right, or, if there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of that line.
  • The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. On Memorial Day the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff

Respect for flag

  • No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.
  • The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
  • The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.
  • The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.

There are many more rules to follow. However, these should get you started and help you maintain your flag this Memorial Day weekend properly.

Happy Holidays!

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