THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 14, 1996 TAG: 9606130160
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 13 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 86 lines
THE AMERICAN FLAG - Old Glory, the Stars and Stripes, the Red-White-and-Blue - will be celebrated today from sea to shining sea.
It's Flag Day, the holiday to celebrate the day in 1777 when the Continental Congress adopted the first official flag of the new nation. Flag Day was first officially observed in 1877 and became an annual holiday in 1949.
It's customary to display the flag on Flag Day and patriotic Chesapeake residents will do just that.
But can they be sure of doing it properly? There are rules and etiquette to properly fly the flag.
According to George R. Kloc, adjutant of the American Legion Post No. 280 on North Battlefield Boulevard, and Victor W. Goodman, secretary of the Portsmouth Elks Post No. 82, most folks in the area display their flags correctly.
``Those who fly the flag, fly it with pride and fly it properly,'' Kloc said.
Here are a few of the basic rules for flying the flag properly:
A flag should be displayed from sun-up to sun-down and should only be displayed at night when illuminated.
Flags should not be displayed in inclement weather unless it is an all-weather flag. Flags should be flown daily on or near the main building of every public institution.
No other flag or pennant should be displayed above or to the right of the U.S. flag. The United Nations flag or the flag of any other nation should not be displayed in equal, above or any other prominent position to the U.S. flag. When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they should hang on separate staffs of equal height.
The flag should never be flown upside down except as a signal of dire distress.
The flag should never touch anything beneath it including the ground, floor or water.
The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used or stored in such a manner as to allow it to be easily torn, soiled or damaged in any way.
The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.
The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture or drawing of any nature.
The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying or delivering anything. Use bunting for patriotic decorations, never the flag.
The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft.
Flags should be flown at half-staff only on orders from the president or the governor as a mark of respect to the memory of a principal figure of the U.S. Or it should be flown at half-staff for other important persons or foreign dignitaries according to presidential orders.
When the flag is in need of disposal, when it is no longer a fitting emblem to display, it should be destroyed in a dignified manner.
``If a flag is tattered, it's time to dispose of it,'' Kloc said. ``The American Legion, Post Number 327, on Tidewater Drive, holds a flag burning ceremony each year, usually in the fall or spring. They hold a solemn ceremony with honor guard and all the trappings.
``If anyone has a flag that needs to be disposed of they can give it to us or any other American Legion post. The flag will eventually be given over to Post 327 for the official annual ceremony.''
Both Kloc and Goodman see Flag Day as an important holiday for all Americans.
``We should show our patriotism by flying the flag,'' Kloc said. ``The country was formed around the flag, and we should honor it. So many men lost their lives in wars defending it.''
Goodman agrees with Kloc. Lately, he said he's noticed more people are beginning to fly Old Glory.
``From what I've been able to see, the number of people flying the flag is up from several years ago,'' Goodman said. ``We're all glad about that.''
In fact, Goodman said, it was his group, the Order of Elks, that pushed the initiative to finally get June 14 recognized as the Flag Day holiday by President Harry S Truman in 1949.
Chesapeake citizens are invited to the Elks' Flag Day ceremony at 6 p.m. Monday at the Elks Home at 300 Williamsburg Avenue in Portsmouth. After the half-hour ceremony, which will be conducted by lodge officers, a barbecue dinner will be available for $2 a plate.
More information and reservations are available by calling Willie Wilder at 397-1909.
In addition, the Great Bridge Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution will hold a public Flag Day ceremony at 12:15 p.m. today at the MacArthur Memorial Rotunda in Downtown Norfolk. Col. William Davis, director of the MacArthur Memorial, will speak. by CNB