Fourth of July may be in the books, but there’s always an opportunity to display the flag.
By Jim Callahan
During a recent holiday, I placed two very small American flags in a lone planter on my front porch. After lunch, I headed out on a short shopping expedition.
Passing many neighbors and many businesses, I was shocked to see that the act of displaying our Grand Old Flag had been forgotten.
Considering how many patriotic holidays we celebrate, history tells us that more flags should be going up.
HISTORICAL MARKER
Folklore has Betsy Ross presenting the first flag to Gen. George Washington, the acknowledged Father of our proud country. But the flag, didn’t fully come into the nation’s consciousness until just before the country’s Centennial in 1876.
Memorial Day was the first official holiday to embrace the flag on May of 1868, after a speech by Gen. John A. Logan, when more than 20,000 graves of Union and Confederate Soldiers were commemorated and decorated. Memorial Day became a National Holiday in 1971 and garnered a huge wave of rejuvenation in 1986 after a speech by President Ronald Reagan included honoring “fallen heroes.”
George M. Cohan wrote songs that buoyed the spirit of American troops, including “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”
You can Google Joe Rosenthal’s iconic photograph, showing six U.S. Marines raising the Stars and Stripes atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.
Even isolated incidents underscore what the flag means to citizens. In 1976, a man ran onto the field of the Los Angeles Dodgers during a televised baseball game. He was carrying a large American flag, a can of lighter fluid and matches. As he sprayed the flag with lighter fluid and readied to light it on fire, his efforts were thwarted by Dodger center fielder and former Marine, Rick Monday. The large crowd cheered their approval.
Sept. 11, 2001. No American will ever forget where they were on this date. More than 3,000 Americans were lost that day, including 400 rescue workers. Soon an American flag was flying over the wreckage.
FLYING HIGH
Patriotism and flag waving can be good for business—most of your customers will love it. I’m not just preaching to those born in the U.S., but also to the thousands of new American families who make their living in the convenience store industry.
However, what some business owners may not know is that there are rules for how and when the American flag can be flown in front of a commercial business. According to attorney Daniel Taylor:
Using a flag pole. There are several rules for flying the flag on a flagpole. If flown in a group of flags with state, local or group flags, the U.S. flag should always be on top and should be raised first and lowered last. If flown with the flag of another nation—Canada for example—the flags should never be flown on the same pole and the flags should be of even height, with the U.S. flag always to the viewer’s left.
Window flag displays. If displayed in a window, the American flag can be displayed vertically or horizontally, but always with the Union (the stars representing the states) on the viewer’s upper left.
Flying the flag at night. Contrary to what you might have heard, you can fly your flag at night. However, it must be illuminated. Also, the flag should be removed during inclement weather, unless it’s an all-weather flag.
Using the flag in advertising. U.S. Code Title 4. “Flag and Seal, Seat of Government, and the States” has clear rules for how the flag is to appear in conjunction with commercial advertising. “The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard.”
Displaying the flag is the right of every business. It’s why we celebrate some of the holidays we do. Remember, flying the American flag shouldn’t be done for style points, but for patriotism.
My feeling is: fly the flag, wear the colors, celebrate, be proud of your heritage and always honor America. Three cheers for the Red, White and Blue.
Jim Callahan has more than 40 years of experience as a convenience store and petroleum marketing executive. His Convenience Store Solutions blog appears regularly on Cstoredecisions.com. He can be reached at (678) 485-4773 or via e-mail at [email protected].