Parades
and Ceremonies
The flag should be in front
of the marchers.
At the moment the flag passes in a parade or procession, all persons
should
show respect by standing at attention facing the flag with their right
hand over their hearts. Persons in uniform should face the flag and
render
their formal salute. During a parade it is appropriate to salute only
the
first United States Flag. When other flags are included, the United
States
Flag should be centered in front of the others or carried to their
right.
In a parade, passing review,
color guard
or other setting, it is never appropriate to dip the American flag.
Dipping the flag is a sign of disrespect. Regimental
colors,
State flags, and organizational or institutional flags should be dipped
as a mark of honor.
The flag should not be
displayed on
a float in a parade except from a staff (or as against a wall or in a
window).
The flag should form a
distinctive feature
of the ceremony of unveiling a statue or monument, but it should never
be used as the covering for the statue or monument.
The flag should never be
carried flat
or horizontally, but always aloft and free, except in cases where the
flag
is too large to be flown from a staff.
During the ceremony of
hoisting or lowering
the flag or when the flag is passing in a parade, all persons present
except
those in uniform should stand at attention and face the flag with their
right hand over their heart. Those present in uniform should
render
the military salute. When not in uniform, men should remove their
headdress with their right hand and hold it at their left shoulder, the
hand being over their heart. Aliens (non-citizens) should stand
at
attention. The salute to the flag in a moving column should be
rendered
at the moment the flag passes.
Display
On Vehicles
The flag should not be
draped over the
hood, top, sides, or back of a vehicle or of a railroad train or a
boat.
When the flag is displayed on a motorcar, the staff shall be fixed
firmly
to the chassis or clamped to the right fender.” (U.S. Code, Title 4,
Chapter
1, Section 7(b))
It is thus recommended that
the flag
be attached to the right (passenger) side of a vehicle.
We recommend that flags be
removed from
vehicles at night since they cannot be properly illuminated. The
U.S. Code states, “…when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be
displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of
darkness.”
(U.S. Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 6(a))
Corridors
and Lobbies
When the flag is suspended
across a
corridor or lobby in a building, with only one main entrance, it should
be suspended vertically with the union of the flag to the observers
left
upon entering. If the building has more than one main entrance,
it
should be suspended vertically near the center of the corridor or lobby
with the union to the North when entrances are to the East or West - or
to the East when entrances are to the North and South. If there
are
entrances in more than two directions, the union should be to the East.
Churches,
Auditoriums, Assemblies
When used on a speaker's
platform, if displayed flat, should be displayed above and behind the
speaker.
When displayed from a staff,
in a church or public auditorium the flag
of the United States of America should hold the position of superior
prominence.
In advance of the audience, and in the position of honor at the
clergyman's
or speaker's right as he faces the audience. The flag should be to the left of the audience,
defined by the greatest number of people observing it.
If there is a flag
at an exit of an assembly room, it should be placed to the left of the
door, which positions it to the viewers left when leaving the room.
Caskets
When used to cover
a casket or coffin, the flag should be placed with the blue field
covering the head and over the left shoulder. The flag should not be
lowered into the grave or touch the ground at any time. The flag should
never be used as the covering for a headstone or other statue or
monument.
When taken from the casket, the flag should be formally and properly
folded as a triangle with only the stars showing.
Triangular plastic or glass storage cases on a wood base may be
purchased from a flag dealer to hold the folded flag. In mourning, the
deceased may be shown respect by attaching an inscribed plaque of
recognition on the base of the storage case.
The ceremony of
draping the casket with a United States Flag is used to honor veterans,
patriotic citizens, and highly regarded state and national officials
(*).
Several organizations have defined the meaning of each fold when
folding a flag from a casket. These are unique and original with each
organization. None are official or included in the Flag Code. For more
information about the meaning of the folds, please contact the National
Flag Foundation.
* Webmaster note: A phone call to the
National Flag
Foundation on 30 August 2004 indicated that it is entirely appropriate
to use
the U.S. Flag to drape the casket of a local Firefighter, Policeman or
any local figure to indicate the patriotism of the deceased.
Wearing
Apparel or
Drapery
The flag should never be
used as wearing
apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn
back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting
of Red, White and Blue, always arranged with the blue above, the white
in the middle and the red below should be used for covering a speaker's
desk or podium, draping the front of a platform, or for decoration in
general.
No part of the flag should
ever be used
as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be
affixed
to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members
of
patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and
is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag
pin
being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel over the heart.
Advertising
The flag should never be
used for advertising
purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered
on
such items as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or
otherwise
impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for
temporary
use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a
staff
or halyard from the flag is flown.
Some of
the information
on these pages was provided by the Annin
Company and the National
Flag Foundation
