Customary
Dates to fly half-Staff: |
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Peace Officers Memorial
Day, May 15th (sunrise to sunset)
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Memorial Day, last Monday
in May (sunrise to noon)
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Pearl Harbor Remembrance
Day, December 7th (sunrise to sunset)
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How to
fly your flag at half-Staff: |
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Most half staff days suggest that the flag
is at half staff from sunrise until sunset on the days
of the order. Memorial day is the exception where the flag
is at half staff from sunrise until noon.
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When raising the
flag to half staff on a vertical pole, always raise it
briskly to the top of the flagpole for a moment before
lowering it. When taking it down for the night, raise it
to the top of the flagpole again & lower
it to the bottom.
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With a telescoping pole
it is acceptable to put the USA flag on the second set
of rings instead of the top set. In this case the top
set would be left empty.
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When the United
States flag is flown at half-staff, State & other
flags should be removed or flown at half-staff too.
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If your
flag can't fly at Half-Staff: |
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Other Rules: |
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Only the President and state
Governors can decide when and how long the flag should be
flown at half-staff.
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Thirty days after the death
of a president or former president
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Ten days after the death
of a vice president, the chief of justice or a retired chief
of justice or the speaker of the house of representatives.
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Until the burial of an associate
justice of the Supreme Court, secretary of a military department,
a former vice president, or the governor of a state, territory,
or possession.
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On the day of and the day
after the death of a member of Congress.
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On Memorial Day, the day
set aside to honor all the people who have died while serving
the United States & originally called Decoration Day,
the flag is flown at half-Staff until noon, then raised
to full staff until sundown.
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| When
is it permitted to half-staff the U.S. flag?
Only the president of the United
States or the governor of the state may order the flag to be
at half-staff to honor the death of a national or state figure.
Unfortunately, many city, business and organization leaders
are half-staffing the flag upon the death of an employee or
member. Instead, it is suggested to half-staff (if on a separate
pole) the city, business or organizational flag. The federal
flag code does not prohibit this type of half-staffing.
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How
should the U.S. flag be displayed from a staff when on
a platform or on the floor in a church or auditorium?
The U.S. flag should always be placed
to the right of the speaker (viewer's left) without regard
to a platform or floor level. Any other flags displayed should
be placed on the left of the speaker or to the right of the
audience
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What
is the meaning of the gold fringe on some flags?
The addition of the fringe started
in the early 1800's as decorative enrichment. There are no
rules that prohibit the use of fringe on a U.S. flag by non-governmental
groups or organizations.
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What
should you do with a worn or torn U.S. flag?
Such a flag should be destroyed
in a dignified way, preferably by burning. Individuals should
be responsible for destroying the worn flag in their possession
and burying the ashes. Most VFW Posts are happy to help with
this service.
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If two flags
are staffed before the entrance of a building, where should
the U.S. flag be?
On the left side as observed from
the street.
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Code Modifications
for Half-Staff at a Federal Facility
Federal Facilities must follow States lead with Half-Staff
proclamations.
The Flag Code half-staffing requirements was modified with new legislation
signed into effect on June 29, 2007 by President Bush. The new legislation
requires any federal facility within a region which proclaims half-staffing
to honor a member of the US Armed Forces who died on active duty
must follow the half-staffing proclamation. For example, if there
is a US military fort in your state, and your Governor issues a Half-Staff
proclamation, the the US military fort must follow the proclamation.
This applies to all Governors of a State, possession or territory,
or the Mayor of the District of Columbia. The text as adopted is
shown below.
(a) ISSUANCE OF PROCLAMATION.— Subsection (m) of section
7 of title 4, United States Code, is amended in the sixth sentence —
(1) by inserting "or the death of a member of the Armed Forces
from any State, territory, or possession who dies while serving
on active duty" after "present or former official of
the government of any State, territory, or possession of the United
States"; and
(2) by inserting before the period the following: ", and the
same authority is provided to the Mayor of the District of Columbia
with respect to present or former officials of the District of
Columbia and members of the Armed Forces from the District of Columbia."
(b) FEDERAL FACILITY CONSISTENCY WITH PROCLAMATION. — Such
subsection is further amended by inserting after the sixth sentence
the following new sentence: "When the Governor of a State,
territory, or possession, or the Mayor of the District of Columbia,
issues a proclamation under the preceding sentence that the National
flag be flown at half-staff in that State, territory, or possession
or in the District of Columbia because of the death of a member
of the Armed Forces, the National flag flown at any Federal installation
or facility in the area covered by that proclamation shall be flown
at half-staff consistent with that proclamation.". |
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Honoring Deceased Citizens with the Flag
In additional to the traditional half-staff salutes
when proclaimed by the President, the Flag Code mentions the use
of our Flag for honoring citizens who have died, especially government
officials and prominent citizens. However, the Flag Code does not
exclude any citizen, whether they belong to an organization or
not, whether they are recognized very locally or regionally. Examples
of deceased citizens that might be honored with by lowering the
Flag to half-staff include local religious leaders, youth leaders,
honored teachers or sports coaches, local politicians, or a local
hero. There need be no authorization from the government for the
private sector (non-government) to use the Flag to honor any citizen.
It is important to note that the Flag Code is a code, not a Law,
it is intended to provide guidance and is not obligatory. It carries
no civil or criminal penalties for "misuse" of the Flag.
Individual are not acting illegally when using the Flag according
to their own usage. Only on government / public building is the
flag code required to be followed. |
