On the way to see "We Were Soldiers" tonight we passed a flag that was flying and my wife wanted to know why it was flying at night.  I told her that it can only fly at night if it is illuminated.  She then informed me that it was illegal to just throw away a flag, you had to burn it.  Is this true?  I never really thought about how to dispose of a worn out flag if you had to.  I thought burning our flag was illegal.

She is correct, don't let it go to her head.

Maybe where you are, but in my neck of Florida, flags are EVERYWHERE and nearly all of them look like they're brand new.   I'm not seeing so many stuck on the doorsills of cars, that's all.  But I'd say that half the houses in my neighborhood have a flag mount on them and half of those are in use on any given day.

Our larger local businesses (especially the car dealerships) have taken pride in displaying the largest flags they can get for MANY years now. I'm talking about 15x20 foot base flags, or bigger!     I really should drop by there and ask if I can get one of their retired flags, since they change them so often that they're hardly worn and still quite presentable.  But my flagpole could only handle about one star on a flag that big!

Years ago, I had one of those monster flags, and a few years back I gave it to a cousin who now lives in Manhattan, a few blocks from the WTC.  Within hours of the 9/11 disaster, he had secured permission from his apartment building's manager, and his help, in flying this big flag from the roof of the building.    I like to know that it eventually was displayed again, and for a very good reason.

CJ

Guidelines for Display of the Flag

Public Law 94-344, known as the Federal Flag Code, contains rules for handling and displaying the U.S. Flag. While the federal code contains no penalties for misusing the flag, states have their own flag codes and may impose penalties. The language of the federal code makes clear that the flag is a living symbol. In response to a Supreme Court decision which held that a state law prohibiting flag burning was unconstitutional, Congress enacted the Flag Protection Act in 1989. It provides that anyone who knowingly desecrates the flag may be fined and/or imprisoned for up to one year. However, this law was challenged by the Supreme Court in a 1990 decision that the Flag Protection Act violates the First Amendment free speech protections.


Important Things to Remember
Traditional guidelines call for displaying the flag in public only from sunrise to sunset. However, the flag may be displayed at all times if it's illuminated during darkness. The flag should not be subject to weather damage, so it should not be displayed during rain, snow and wind storms unless it is an all-weather flag.

[img]http://www.oldamericanflags.com/images/etiq_01.jpg[/img]

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It should be displayed often, but especially on national and state holidays and special occasions.

The flag should be displayed on or near the main building of public institutions, schools during school days, and polling places on election days.

It should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.

When carried in procession with other flags, the U.S. flag should be either on the marching right (the flag's right) or to the front and center of the flag line. When displayed on a float in a parade, the flag should be hung from a staff or suspended so it falls free. It should not be draped over a vehicle.

When displayed with another flag against a wall from crossed staffs, the U.S. flag should be on its own right (left to a person facing the wall) and its staff should be in front of the other flag's staff. In a group of flags displayed from staffs, the U.S. flag should be at the center and the highest point.

When flags of states, cities or organizations are flown on the same staff, the U.S. flag must be at the top (except during church services conducted at sea by Navy chaplains).

When other flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the U.S. flag should be hoisted first and lowered last. It must be on the right of other flags and no other flag should stand higher than it. Flags of other nations should be flown from separate staffs. International custom dictates that flags of different nations be displayed at the same height in peacetime and be approximately the same size. If the flag is suspended outdoors from a rope stretched from a building to a pole, the flag should be hoisted out from the building with the union first. When the flag is displayed other than from a staff, it should be flat or suspended so that it falls free.

When displayed against something, such as a wall, the union should be at the top and to the flag's own right, the observer's left - whether displayed horizontally or vertically.

When displayed over a street or sidewalk, where it can be seen from either side, be sure the union is to the north on an east-west street, and to the east on a north-south street. The same directions apply in a building lobby or corridor with entrances to the east and west or north and south.

When displayed flat against the wall on a speaker's platform, the flag should be above and behind the speaker with the union on the left side as the audience looks at it (again, the flag's right).

[img]http://www.flagline.com/images/us-flag-flying.jpg[/img]

I beleive the proper way for retireing the flag. Have you to rip every stripe off, and then each star is ripped from the blue field. Then the peices are burned.

What's the name of the little ball ontop of the flag pole that's suposed to hold a razor, a match and a .45 round, again?  I never could remember the name of it.

Vinnie,

I think you're referring to a finial, but maybe there's another term for it.

As an aside, about 10 years ago, the parents of the girl I was dating at the time had a flagpole in front of their house.  Being of Italian lineage, her dad started flying the Italian flag and the American flag on the pole, with the Italian flag on top.  The first time I saw it I was livid and told him in no uncertain terms that the American flag should be on top (we didn't get along with each other to begin with) [:D]  Can somebody confirm the proper way to display an American flag with another nation's flag.  Or, in other words, did I do the right thing in chewing him out for what I considered to be a slap in the face of America (the country that he was BORN in and that gave him the freedom to make A LOT of money being a life insurance sales-maggot)?  Did I mention that we never really got along very well? [:D]

Thanks

Edit:  I just re-read Kar98's post and it answered my question about the American flag flying at the top.  Although it didn't specifically address two national flags on the same staff, I still assume that I was correct in that the American flag should be on top.  Any additional input is very welcome.

IIRC the FIELD or stars on blue, are to be cut free from the stripes, and then the field is burned before the stripes.

this applies to battlefield situations whare a fort is overrun or surrendered.

the capsule (not the correct term) should contain 1 razor blade to cut the field free, 1 match to light the flag, and a single shot (derringer style) pistol. this pistol is for the last soldier (the only soldier left in the fort) to kill himself if unable to escape.

again IIRC

the_survivalist

there are NEVER more than one national flag on the same pole. only a corperate or state flag may fly UNDER the us flag. if he wanted to fly the italian flag it should have been on a diferent pole than the US flag. on the US flags left (observers right)......

[url=www.bookopoly.com/cgi/dispifwm.cgi?967935769]the american patriots handbook[/url] covers this and the constitution in great detail.

Boy Scout troops will do flag retirements on occasion, and it makes a good show for all the Scouts in attendance, call your local council office and they should be able to help you out.  I'd like to know how you're supposed to handle the flags that arent made from different pieces of fabric, the ones that are just printed and not sewn together.

Kharn

to the question of what is the ball at the top of a flagpole....its called a truck.  the definition from websters dictionary is: a small wooden cap at the top of a flagstaff or masthead usually having holes for reeving flag or signal halyards.

Thanks for the info guys.  

You left out the part that says that the Texas State Flag is the only State Flag that can be flown at the same heigth as the American flag. This is because we joined the Union as an independant nation and not as a possession ;) .

Thanks.  I wondered about having both flags on the same pole, but at the time I was really more pi$$ed about his flying of the Italian flag above the U.S. flag.

I thought it was just a round.  The gun was to be buried at the base of the pole.

All,

If you're curious about flag disposal, just contact your local National Guard Armory.

Tell the person that answers the phone that you have a tired set of colors that need disposed of.  They'll take your old flag, and make sure that the ceremony's carried out properly.

To forego any questions - no, they will not give you a new flag.  

Lot's of good info guys.  Way more than I thought there was to know.

Unless I missed it, you can fly the US Flag at night without illumination during WAR.  This may only apply to military units/ships flying the flag.