US Flag Etiquette and History

[@MrPheredia]

As a veteran very well done we learn from our mistakes. Keep up the good work. America the Beautiful.

[@natlantis8760]

Nicely done. Thanks. I need to add illumination to our family flag as we have taken to flying it all the time.

[@ethanjacobshaw7862]

This is a phenomenal Eagle Scout project video. I am currently working on my Eagle project and am conducting a flag retirement ceremony that will be held as a community event tied in with the remembrance of September 11 (Patriot Day). Thank you for your contribution through this video. It has been very helpful as I have been planning my ceremony.

[@lightfootmusick]

Is it appropriate for me to cry every time the national anthem is played? great work young man.

[@redwing46901]

Thanks , I shared this with a few gov officials who did not know these very important things.

[@izziesanders2251]

Great video. We just placed it on a new Facebook page SEEFLAGPRAY which is an effort to use the flag as a simple reminder to pray for our country.

[@DaringDame95]

As a new den leader I found this video to be informative & the perfect length for our Webelos den meeting. Thank you very much! Excellent job.

[@charlescrowe2249]

Same here. I'm using it today.

[@charlescrowe2249]

I will be using this in my den meeting today. thank you. it's very professionally done.

[@TripleDAdventures]

Thanks for this. I'm including a link to this video in the Honor Guard program I'm developing for my Troop.

[@margaretcaswell1736]

Well done. The project looks great. I am glad you were able to finish it in time.

[@elisedevore]

Thanks much for this video - will be using it tonight at our Cub Scout Bear Den Meeting in Columbus Ohio :)

[@milododds1]

Thank you Joseph, excellent job ! Much appreciation from Cub Scout Pack 447 - Fremont, California. We will show the video tomorrow night during our Webelos II den meeting in meeting one of our requirements for Arrow of Light.

[@jessicaneufeld7382]

Thank you for this informative video! I will be sharing at our Wolf Den Meeting.

[@limitedleather4320]

Thank You for your effort and time in putting this video together

[@theflagguy5874]

You are welcome. :)

[@WonderZed]

Nice job, and clever idea for your Eagle project. I think my wolf scouts will enjoy it!

[@VerumAdPotentia]

Great Job Joseph! Thank you for this excellent work. Sincerely, Cameron King U.S. Army Military Police Corps "Of The Troops And For The Troops!

[@conniegordon6318]

Thanks, as a new den leader, this was very helpful. Good job!

[@theflagguy5874]

Happy to help. I am glad it is being used.

[@lindaterry5168]

Well done. The project looks great

[@theflagguy5874]

Thank you.

[@andmen3112]

Great eagle scout project!

[@blenkimcclapper7073]

please share this video so everyone can relearn the traditions that we fight for with our very lives.

[@richardpcrowe]

You are not up to date on the U.S. Flag Code... Honorably Discharged Military Veterans are now authorized to honor the flag with the hand salute (even when in civilian clothes or uncovered). This change has not been publicized to a great degree, and (IN MY OPINION) should be. It will set the honorably discharged veteran from persons who never served or who received less than honorable discharge.

[@theflagguy5874]

Richard Crowe Thanks for sharing!

[@hillbilly427cid9]

2017 exec order, All past and present honorable, serving or DD-214 Discharged are to Salute with covers on if wearing one, Uniform or Civvies, To honor All who have sworn that Oath to serve and protect. It is so the public can recognise the ones who Serve or Served. And is that individual's Right as they have Earned it. Respectfully, Billy. Grantsburg Wisc. Post 185 Post Historian.

[@jello8josh]

Very well made video! Excellent job!

[@theflagguy5874]

Thank you.

[@Monkey71Boy]

Extremely helpful keep up the good work

[@LadyLibertyQ45]

Thank you.

[@anthonyriesselman8151]

i learned a lot thx

[@steveneldred8928]

Please help me out here if you can. When I was growing up, as I recall, all U.S. Flags had to be raised in the morning and lowered in the evening, i.e. at schools, businesses, and government buildings. Is that a correct recollection? If it is, when and how did the etiquette change so flags could be left up at all times as long as they are lighted during the dark?

[@zscout370]

The only comment I have is when it came to the standard design of the US flag, it was not done in 1934 but with EXECUTIVE ORDER, 1637, OCTOBER 29, 1912. It was finalized in 1916 by Executive Order 2390 until the creation of the 49 and then 50 star flags.

[@theflagguy5874]

That is a good catch. There are a lot of semantics around when a flag is official for a country. The sources I used for this project specified the 1934 order in which the last remaining characteristic of the flag became finalized: the proportions.

[@zscout370]

I did some digging and what was decided in 1934 was the colors of the flag ( Fed. Spec. TT-C-591; 1934)

[@christinamanis4351]

Thanks for the video!

[@theflagguy5874]

You are welcome.

[@heathercheevers6539]

my class really enjoyed the video, but had a question to the guy wearing the red cap. they noticed he did not remove his cap, why?

[@theflagguy5874]

I am glad they enjoyed the video, and I hoped they found it instructional as well. The guy in the red cap was me, the producer. It was not a deliberate decision to wear a hat during the ceremony, rather it was a sunny day and I am accustomed to wearing hats in and out of uniform. The red hat in question was the uniform BSA hat they year I purchased my uniform. It was not very popular and was discontinued in favor a variant on the green hats sold by BSA today. Whether or not a hat constitutes as uniform is a decision made by unit and mine did not have a stance on the issue at the time. However, hats in BSA is more controversial than just the styles, especially when it comes to taking off caps in respect to the US flag. The US Flag code dictates: "When not in uniform men should remove any non-religious headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute." The most common interpretation of this is that when it says uniformed men, it means uniformed military personnel, (later extended to also include veterans not in uniform as well as special circumstances to police and military while possessing a firearm). However, Scouts and Scouters have often accepted many of the customs that accompany military. (An argument could be made that the intention of the founder of Scouting, Sir Robert Baden-Powell, was training young boys to be good citizen-soldiers.) This is what Scouting magazine has to say on whether or not hats should be worn inside: "Official headgear may be worn while the unit or individual is participating in an indoor formal ceremony or service duty, except in religious institutions where custom forbids.Typical indoor activities of this type are flag ceremonies, inspections, orderly duty, or ushering service. In any informal indoor activity where no official ceremony is involved, the headgear is removed as when in street clothes." The language in this implies that it is customary for Boy Scouts to wear hats during flag ceremonies, which has been true in my experience. As Scouts do salute the flag instead of placing a hand over their heart, as civilians would do, my conclusion would be that Scouts in uniform, wearing a uniform hat would not take off their hat if they are saluting, but would take off their hat if they chose to place their hand over their heart instead. However, I am unaware of any federal language supporting this issue specifically. Mostly, the reason I did not take it off was that I was taught to keep it on while in uniform during my Cub Scout years and I did not think anything of it until you brought awareness to this issue and I was able to do a little bit of research. So, thank you for bringing this video to your class, and thank you for bringing this question to my attention. I learned a lot researching for a response, and I hope I was able to answer your question.

[@mr.nobody68]

@@theflagguy5874 That's a mighty fine response, young man. I learned a lot reading it. I'd like to add just a bit about Veterans. I always wear a hat when I'm not at home. I only take it off to eat. However, because I haven't found good information, I remove my hat and hold it in the prescribed manor when necessary. Yes, as a Veteran, I *am* authorized to render my proper Military salute while wearing civilian clothing. It's just that due to a lack of clarity, I personally feel that it would be disrespectful for me to keep my hat on during such times. My hats don't typically have military or Veteran insignia so, it's just a personal choice. I suppose if I were wearing my Army hat, I would probably keep it on and render my salute. I also don't ever say anything to other Veterans who elect to keep their headgear on because, like I said, my research has yielded no official answer and therefore, I feel it is a personal choice. Lastly, if I'm not mistaken, I believe that clarification on this issue (if it doesn't already exist) would have to be given as a proclamation by the President. Have a great day!

[@n2qo747]

God Bless AMERICA

[@marklyman1423]

I can't seem to get the 1080p version of the video anymore. Am I doing something wrong?

[@theflagguy5874]

If you have trouble with the youtube version, you may also download a copy from the project website listed in the description.

[@Honeybadgertacticalreviews]

Well done sir

[@theflagguy5874]

Thank you.

[@OhhCharliee..]

All scouts I’ve known cut the flag when they retire it; there’s a specific ceremony for this

[@nicm.5338]

good video! wrong bugle call, though. you played "assembly", but shouldve played "to the colors"

[@nicm.5338]

you also played taps when lowering the flag, which isnt correct.

[@theflagguy5874]

Good ear. We had recorded both songs in the studio, but made a call to play "Assembly" instead of "To the Colors" mainly for artistic reasons. Many times in Scouts, either is appropriate.

[@theflagguy5874]

Also a good catch. This project is sponsored by the the VFW and this was their recommendation as it is what they use. For military purposes "Retreat" is more appropriate. In Scouts, only use "Taps" for a nighttime flag lowering ceremony. If there is still daylight (as there was in the video) "Retreat" is recommended. Thank you for bringing these points up.

[@nicm.5338]

i also have a question. what was up with the announcers epulates? they looked like they had some sort of design on them.

[@theflagguy5874]

In BSA, shoulder loops are worn over the epaulettes with differing colors designating differing positions in scouts. Green is the color worn by the Boy Scouts and this announcer had shoulder loops released exclusively for attendees to 2012 National Jamboree.

[@dougmontgomery1868]

The captioning makes a mistake: That's a trumpet playing "Taps," not a bugle.

[@RollOnToVictory]

is it appropriate for non military to salute the flag during the raising or national anthem?

[@theflagguy5874]

It is appropriate to salute the flag by placing one's hand over one's heart.

[@mrsjdlc]

Very informative. Congratulations on your Eagle Scout. (during the Pledge of Allegiance, I heard that you should not pause between "one nation (???) under God" What is your take on this?

[@theflagguy5874]

At one point the phrase wasn't there. When it was added, there was not intended to be a pause, but where I, and the others in the video grew up, it was spoken. I don't think a pause or not changes the meaning of the words.

[@michaelz7683]

during a flag retirement ceremony, the flag should be folded like a triangle then placed into the fire. under no circumstances should the flag be cut into 2 or more pieces.

[@theflagguy5874]

The US Flag Code only mentions that the flag should be disposed of in a dignified manner. Respectfully cutting a large flag that is too big for a fire is more dignified than having pieced of the flag laying on the ground around the fire, or choking the fire and causing smoke.

[@davidlemon7543]

Michael Z perhaps in your opinion, but that is only your opinion. There is little direction. It only needs to be done in a respectful manner. I have seen many different ways to do it.

[@HoosierRallyMaster]

And furthermore, I have seen ceremonies in which each stripe is cut, or seam-ripped, to render the flag into separate pieces of colored cloth. It is now no longer a flag and could be recycled. This would alleviate any concerns over the health risks of being exposed to the fumes of burning nylon.

[@Ltresso12]

And you forgot about the UN flag.that is always allowed to fly above the USA flag

[@theflagguy5874]

Most of the information was gleaned from the US Flag Code which makes no provision for such. But you make a very good point. Any place that is not US soil these laws are not applicable, however respect should still be showed. In other countries, their flag should fly highest, and while the UN is not a country their flag is generally only flown over UN sanctioned places such as embassies, where all US laws may not apply.

[@rgvgunner7935]

Ok so im gona do this im gona get 4 flags 1 will be americas Flag 2 will br chinas flag 3 will be Germanys flag 4 will be mexicos flag Then i wil fly The flags in this order China Germany America Mexico anyways what will happen if i do that

[@theflagguy5874]

As a private citizen of the United States, nothing! The Supreme Court decision in Texas v. Johnson; June 21, 1989 ruled that citizens cannot be imposed penalties for not following the flag code.

[@rgvgunner7935]

+The Flag Guy ahh Ok xD well good thought the army or swat or something would raid my house

[@grantw6266]

Unfortunately, the Supreme Court decision referenced above 'threw the baby out with the bath water" regarding an over interpretation of the 1st Amendment relative to flag desecration (burning). It should have maintained the existing penalties (fine and/or incarceration) for other violations of U,S, Code Title IV, specifically improper display (oversize flags being carried horizontally for a photo op) and half mast honors for unqualified individuals among others where the 1st Amendment could not possibly be applied.