While every Americanis encouraged to fly thenation’s flag proudly, thereare official rules to under-stand.

Displaying the banner isan excellent way to showyour patriotism and re-spect. Check out a briefhistory of the United StatesFlag Code, as reported bythe United States Chamberof Commerce.

Before Flag Day, June 14,1923, the country waswithout federal or stateregulations to govern thedisplaying of the United

States banner. Thatchanged as the NationalFlag Conference adoptedthe Flag Code to state therules for proper use clear-ly.

While the guidance wasinitially intended for Armyand Navy procedures, itwas quickly adopted as thestandard guidelines.

To show your pride, ed-ucate yourself on these es-sential tips from the Offi-cial Guide to GovernmentInformation and Services.

When to display

The flag should be dis-

played outside from sunriseto sunset. If you choose towave the banner at night, itmust be well lit. You canuse a powerful solar spot-light or illuminate it with apermanently installed light.Keep in mind, unless youuse an all-weather flag, itshould be lowered duringinclement weather.

While the flag should bedisplayed every day, thereare many dates where itsappearance is especiallyimportant:

• New Year’s Day.• Flag Day.• Father’s Day and

Mother’s Day.

• Labor Day.• Memorial Day.• President’s birthdays.• Inauguration Day.For a full list of the es-

sential dates, you can re-ceive a copy of the UnitedStates Flag Code from theU.S. Government PrintingOffice.

Displaying on a wall

To correctly display theflag inside, it must be sus-pended vertically with theunion to an observer’s leftupon entering. If the roomhas more than one en-trance, the banner shouldbe displayed near the cen-ter of the corridor or lobby.

Half-staff guidelines

The president has thepower to proclaim dayswhere hanging the flag athalf-staff is appropriate.At a local level, gover-nors hold the same au-thority. Typically, it isonly done during periodsof mourning.

Tips to display the flagWhile every American isencouraged to fly the nation’sflag proudly, there are officialrules to understand.

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RespectingOur Flag

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The facility incorporatedlong-term preservationprojects to maintain itscondition. With the help ofconservators and curators,the Smithsonian developeda state-of-the-art chamberto house it. The facility fea-tures climate control andlow light levels, and dis-plays the banner at a shal-low angle. This project willensure that the original flagis preserved for future gen-erations.

Fast facts: the originalStar-Spangled Banner

Before finding its way tothe museum, the Star-Spangled Banner had a sig-

nificant impact on thecountry’s history. Checkout some fast facts aboutthe original flag, as report-ed by the Smithsonian In-stitute.

• It was made in Balti-more, Maryland, in 1813 byMary Pickersgill.

• Originally the bannerwas 30x42, but after reno-vations, it’s 30x34.

• The flag features 15 starsand 15 stripes.

• It was first loaned to theSmithsonian in 1907 be-fore becoming a permanentgift in 1912.

• It has been on exhibitsince 1964.

• The long-term preser-vation project launched in1998.

Conservation effortsIn 1981, the first conser-

vation efforts took place,when museum staff no-ticed inconsistent temper-atures and humidity wereadversely affecting the flag.

The preservation meas-ures included vacuumingthe accumulated dust, in-stalling new lights and air-handling systems andmounting a screen in frontof the banner for extra pro-tection.

Efforts kicked up again in1996, when experts begandeveloping a plan to pre-serve the flag with moremodern, scientific tech-niques.

A new Millenniumpreservation project was

initiated by Hillary Clinton,which led to removing theflag from the same wall ithung on since 1964. It was1999 when a climate andlight-controlled conserva-tion lab opened as the newhome for the Star-Span-gled Banner.

While transporting theflag to its new home, ex-perts could better observeit for signs of stress anddamage. They measuredholes and mends and re-moved the distressed com-ponents.

While the museum hasbeen efficient in restoringcosmetic damages, the con-servation goals is not to fixthe flag, rather to preventfurther deterioration.

The original Star-Spangled Banner that inspired Francis Scott Key to penwhat would become our country’s national anthem is on display at theSmithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

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The Preservation Project

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Of course, the “Star-Spangled Banner” is awell-known tune aboutThe Stars and Stripes,but even modern artistsare explaining its impor-tance through song. Ifyou’re planning an event

to celebrate Flag Day,consider adding thesepatriotic pieces of art toyour playlist.

“God Bless the USA”by Lee Greenwood

Released in 1984, “GodBless the USA” hit num-ber seven on the Bill-

board Hot Country Sin-gles chart. The tunequickly became leg-endary during the GulfWar in the early 1990s.Troops and citizens alikeconsidered the song tobe morale-boosting.

After the attacks onthe World Trade Center

on Sept. 11, 2001, LeeGreenwood re-releasedthe single. He would lat-er perform the song toopen Game Four of theMajor League BaseballWorld Series in 2001. Itwould be re-releasedagain in 2003 whenAmerica invaded Iraq.

“Ragged Old Flag” byJohnny Cash

Johnny Cash pennedthe classic tune duringthe political uproar in-volving Richard Nixonand the Watergate scan-dal. Through a musicalspoken-word perform-ance, Cash tells a storyabout what it means tobe an American and pro-vides a brief history of

the nation. While it maynot be the most upbeatsong to celebrate FlagDay, it can make an im-pact when opening anevent.

“Where the Stars andStripes and the Ea-gles Fly” by AaronTippin

This song initially did-n’t make the cut for Tip-pin’s 2000 album, “Peo-ple Like Us.” However,two days after the Sept.11, 2001, attacks, theartist booked a Nashvillerecording studio torecord the song.

Not only did the an-them provide hope anduplift the spirits of theAmerican people, but it

was also used to buildsignificant donations forthe American Red Cross.According to Billboard,his label estimated thatthe single raised about$250,000 for the organ-ization.

“Only in America” byBrooks & Dunn

Another country tunethat discusses what it’slike to live in Americawas released by Brooks &Dunn in 2001. It tells astory about variousmembers in the workingclass throughout thecountry. Since its re-lease, it has been fea-tured in presidentialcampaigns and politicalrallies.

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Happy Flag Day

One Flag, one land, one heart, onehand, one Nation, evermore.

-Oliver Wendell Holmes

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Throughout history,musicians havepenned lyrics thatcommemorate thenation’s flag.

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Celebratingthe flag insong

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Initially, rather thanplace a hand over ourheart, the Bellamy Salutewas performed during thepledge.

During the BellamySalute, speakers wouldrecite the words whileperforming a militarysalute. Once the pledgeconcluded, one would ex-tend their arm toward theflag. According to the In-dependence Hall Associ-ation, the next inceptionof the stance did includeplacing a hand over theheart during the pledgebut still featured an ex-tended arm pointed in thedirection of the banner.

During World War II,the Bellamy Salute gainedcriticism for resemblingthe Nazi Salute. It was of-ficially changed to keepthe right hand over theheart throughout.

Inceptions of thePledge

The original Pledge ofAllegiance, penned in 1892was as follows:

“I pledge allegiance tomy Flag and the Republicfor which it stands, onenation, indivisible, withliberty and justice for all.”

It was updated in 1923 toinclude, the “United Statesof America” and read:

“I pledge allegiance to

the Flag of the UnitedStates of America and tothe Republic for which itstands, one nation, indi-visible, with liberty andjustice for all.”

In 1954, PresidentEisenhower encouragedCongress to add thewords “under God” intothe pledge. In responseto Communist threats,they responded and al-tered the Pledge of Alle-giance. Today, it reads:

“I pledge allegiance tothe flag of the UnitedStates of America, and tothe republic for which itstands, one nation underGod, indivisible, with lib-erty and justice for all.”

Declared in the FlagCode

The United States FlagCode includes a list ofguidelines to help peopleperform the Pledge of Al-legiance properly. Here ishow Section Four of the

code explains the process.“The Pledge of Alle-

giance to the Flag should berendered by standing atattention facing the flagwith the right hand overthe heart. When not in uni-form, men should remove

any non-religious head-dress with their right handand hold it at the leftshoulder, the hand beingover the heart. Persons inuniform should remainsilent, face the flag andrender the military salute.”

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“ The Stars and Stripes has served as a symbol of our democracy for over 240 years. From our military bases to the moon, the flag flies to inspire hope and liberty.

As we commemorate the adoption of our flag, may we unite together to strive for a more perfect union and a better tomorrow.”

~ Assemblyman Vince FongHappy Flag Day

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Francis Bellamy is known asthe author of the Pledge ofAllegiance. It was written inAugust 1892, and he hoped thepledge would be used bycitizens across the world toshow respect for their country.

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QUESTIONS? Contact Publisher John Watkins at 375-4481 orjwatkins@ridgecrestca.com

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Our flag is more than just a symbol of our pride, it represents the values our country was founded on:

one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

On this Flag Day, may we never forget the brave men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend our flag and the freedoms we hold dear.”

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