Flag Rises From Mud, Flies In Iraq

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 04/14/08 | John Hollis

[PurpleMan]

"A mix of 170 U.S. soldiers and civilians recently braved 100-degree temperatures and the risk of enemy fire to attend a ceremony to restore dignity to an American flag found lying in the mud last month in front of a Conyers apartment complex."

[PurpleMan]

When I first saw the article, I thought the flag was left to rot in front of one of John Conyers' apartment complexes.

In true humor (humor, meaning my barbs at Conyers) there is always an element of truth.

[theDentist]

I thuoght the same.

[raynearhood]

Neat story, I suppose. The intent behind the flying of the flag and the ceremony was great. However, this was not the proper way to pay respect to the Flag. It should have been ceremonially buried or burned. Any time that The Colors are unserviceable or soiled from anything other than incidental contact with the ground, this is the proper way of paying respect to the Flag.

Only Flags with special meaning (i.e. Iwo Jima, The Star Spangled Banner) should be salvaged for historical purposes. Even then it is ceremoniously displayed, not flown. I don't think that someone dumping the Flag in a muddy lot fits the bill. This one should have been retired.

[american_ranger]

I believe that your “correct” opinion is not needed nor appreciated. How dare you inject your snide and holier-than-thou observations? These people showed their respect and love for their country and its flag by going out of the way to restore this flag and even add to its intrinsic value. Your snooty remarks are obviously based on your inability to understand that these people undid what some unnamed jerk attempted to do by leaving the flag in the mud.

[SlowBoat407]

I believe this effort has honored the flag more than the “letter of the law” would have done. In the process, it has filled the hearts of those who participated and redeemed an otherwise sad story.

[rhombus]

raynearhood: I think you are probably correct with your comments about flag etiquette. These days, however, I am glad when anybody does anything respectful with the flag. But no, I don’t think your comments were “snooty”, “snide” or “holier-than-thou”. I do think the poster who wrote these things was being hyperbolic, overly sensitive and engaging in “shooting the messenger”. Thanks for your post on flag etiquette. I wish more people would show an appreciation for such things.

[MEGoody]

However, this was not the proper way to pay respect to the Flag.

True, it probably wasn't handled according to the official guidelines, but in this case, I think it served a greater purpose for the flag to be flown. The flag is a symbol, and this was a very meaningful symbolic gesture.

[raynearhood]

Thank you.

[RonF]

Any time that The Colors are unserviceable or soiled from anything other than incidental contact with the ground, this is the proper way of paying respect to the Flag.

I am currently an Assistant Scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts of America and have been a Scouter for the last 15 years. It has been part of my responsibilities to teach young men how to display and care for the American flag. To that end I have studied the U.S. Flag Code in detail and have read through publications from Congress, the VFW, the American Legion and the BSA.

If a flag has been damaged beyond the ability to repair it, then the U.S. Flag Code calls for disposing of the flag in a "dignified manner, preferably by burning." However, if the flag is only soiled (even if quite heavily) and is not permanently stained, it is entirely appropriate to simply wash it and then continue to display it.

I brought a flag to my local cleaners, run by a Korean couple, that had a small tear in it and asked them to repair it. They fixed the tear (the repair can only be seen on very close inspection) and cleaned and pressed it for no charge.

[raynearhood]

I stand corrected. If the flag was cleaned before being displayed, I applaud the ceremony. No heartache was intended by my first post.

Thank you for reminding me, it's been a couple years since I looked at the Code.