Displaying the Flag
When displayed flat or hung vertically, the union (the field of stars) is always uppermost and to the Flag’s own right, the observer’s left. The Flag should be lit if displayed at night.
Honor the Flag
The Flag
Appreciation, respect, and understanding. Educating the next generation of Americans on the heritage, etiquette, and stories of the United States Flag.
Heritage
History & Evolution
When the Flag was first recognized by Congress in 1777, it did not have the familiar thirteen stripes and fifty stars it does today. Since independence, it has been revised twenty-seven times, a living record of a nation that kept growing.
- 1777
A Flag for a new nation
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress resolved that the Flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white, with thirteen white stars on a blue field, one for each of the original colonies.
- 1795
Fifteen stars and stripes
With Vermont and Kentucky joining the Union, the Flag grew to fifteen stars and fifteen stripes, the version that flew over Fort McHenry and inspired “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
- 1818
Return to thirteen stripes
Congress restored the thirteen stripes to honor the original colonies, and provided that a new star be added for each new state on the Fourth of July following its admission.
- 1960
Fifty stars
With Hawaii’s admission, the Flag reached its familiar fifty stars. Since independence, the national Flag has been revised twenty-seven different times.
Etiquette
Care, handling & respect
Discover how to properly care for, handle, display, and respect your American Flag per the U.S. Flag Code. Appropriate etiquette is the responsibility of every American.
Raising & lowering
The Flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously. It is customarily displayed from sunrise to sunset, and may fly twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated.
The Flag at half-staff
To place the Flag at half-staff, first hoist it to the peak for an instant, then lower it to the half-staff position. Before lowering for the day, raise it again to the peak.
The Flag in mourning
Half-staff is reserved for occasions designated by the President or a state’s governor. On Memorial Day, the Flag flies at half-staff until noon, then is raised to full staff.
Folding the Flag
The Flag is folded lengthwise twice, then folded in triangles from the striped end to the union, until only the blue field shows, a reminder of the soldiers who served under it.
General care
A weathered Flag may be washed or dry-cleaned and mended. Keep it clean and dry, and never let it touch the ground, the floor, water, or anything beneath it.
Retiring a Flag
When a Flag is no longer a fitting emblem of display, it should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning. Many American Legion and VFW posts hold retirement ceremonies.
The Flag at events
During the National Anthem or Pledge, face the Flag and stand at attention; those in uniform render the military salute. The Flag should never be used as apparel, bedding, or drapery.
Stories
The story of a country and its people
Intertwined within the threads of red, white, and blue lies a story of a country and its people. Behind every Flag is a person, a family, a moment worth remembering.