Flag rite a wrong, vets fear

Times Leader ^ | 4/14/2004 | KASIA KOPEC

[Born Conservative]

WILKES-BARRE - Local veterans are protesting the use of flags bearing the names of victims of Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in a memorial honoring them. Jim Walsh, a World War II veteran, said while there is no law against it, flag etiquette prohibits imprinting flags with any "mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture or drawing of any kind."

The city plans to display 4,000 flags as part of its Healing Field memorial at Kirby Park May 15-31. About 1,500 flags are imprinted with names of Sept. 11 victims, including rescue personnel who perished responding to the terrorist attacks.

"I think (the event organizers') hearts are in the right place," said Walsh, a Wilkes-Barre resident and member of the American Legion Post 395, based in Kingston. "I have no problem with Healing Field, or with plans to use proceeds to benefit local veterans groups and other nonprofit organizations, but I do have a problem with what has been done to these flags."

Legion members had planned to participate in the Healing Field program, but its board of directors voted against taking part at a meeting Monday night.

"As far as we're concerned this is a desecration of our flag and we don't want to be a part of it," said board President Frank X. Steinberg.

City Administrator J.J. Murphy, who is a captain in the Air Force Reserve and recently returned from active duty at Langley Air Force base in Virginia, disagrees with those who say the inclusion of victims' names on the flags is a mark of disrespect.

"These are commemorative flags, not traditional flags," said Murphy. "And I'm sorry if anyone thinks this is a negative, because our intention is to display the flags in recognition of those who died on Sept. 11 and in recognition of those in the armed services who right now are fighting the war on terror."

Walsh said he understands the city's intentions, but believes it is important to spread the word about flag etiquette so people interested in purchasing Healing Field flags can make an informed choice.

"A lot of veterans don't even know that there is anything wrong with this," he said.

[Martin Tell]

I don't have a problem with this. In the War Between the States, both sides regularly sewed on flags the names of battles.

[GreenLanternCorps]

You are right, the "prohibition" against writing on the flag is relatively recent, (definately after 1865).

There are numerous examples of writing on flags in history. Both US and rebel troops listed their Batlle Honors on their colors during the Civil War. British and Commonweath Regiments to this day will list Battle Honors on both their Regimental and Queen's Colours.* Japanese soldiers and sailors often carried flags with good luck or patriotic sayings on them during World War II.

* US Regiments carry two Colors, The US Flag (Called the National Colors IIRC) and the Regimental Colors. Battle honors are carried as streamers attached to the pole at the top.

British and Commonwealth Regiments carry two square colours: The regimental colours, a square flag with a square Union Flag as the canton and the regimantal crest in the center of flag. And the Queen's Colors, a square Union Flag, defaced with the regimental crest. Both flags will display battle honours written as scrolls defacing the flag.