Backwards flags

[EmailPoster]

Hello,...

Hello,

I've been told that the reason the flag on the shoulder of US troops is
backwards (that is, the stars are in the upper right corner rather than
the upper left) is that the backwards flag signifies hostile action or a
state of war. Is this correct?

Thank you,

Peter Nogueras

[sarahw]

Peter,

That's sort of right. If you can imagine a flag being carried in battle, it would be flowing back over the shoulder of the soldier who was carrying it, which would mean if you were on the right side of the soldier, you'd see the blue union (where the stars are) at the top right instead of the top left.

This is meant to signify forward motion as if hurrying into battle. The flag is always "backward" (the Army calls it the "reverse side flag") on the right shoulder. It doesn't have anything to do with currently being in a state of war.

This is addressed in Army regulation 670-1.

Thanks for asking!

Sarah

[NAVA1974]

Sara's reference to the flag "flowing back" applies to flags painted on vehicles as well - the canton is always towards the front.

[DarkMedievalTimes]

Peter,

That's sort of right. If you can imagine a flag being carried in battle, it would be flowing back over the shoulder of the soldier who was carrying it, which would mean if you were on the right side of the soldier, you'd see the blue union (where the stars are) at the top right instead of the top left.

This is meant to signify forward motion as if hurrying into battle. The flag is always "backward" (the Army calls it the "reverse side flag") on the right shoulder. It doesn't have anything to do with currently being in a state of war.

This is addressed in Army regulation 670-1.

Thanks for asking!

Sarah

So why was it flying the correct way in every other war?
This new War seems to be new phenomenon to have have the Americon flag backwards....

[DarkMedievalTimes]

Peter,

That's sort of right. If you can imagine a flag being carried in battle, it would be flowing back over the shoulder of the soldier who was carrying it, which would mean if you were on the right side of the soldier, you'd see the blue union (where the stars are) at the top right instead of the top left.

This is meant to signify forward motion as if hurrying into battle. The flag is always "backward" (the Army calls it the "reverse side flag") on the right shoulder. It doesn't have anything to do with currently being in a state of war.

This is addressed in Army regulation 670-1.

Thanks for asking!

Sarah

If what your saying is true, than why has the flag not been displayed in this fashion in any other war that America have been involved in and an exception is made for the "War on Terror"?

If it was displayed upside down it would be seen as a distress signal, the fact that it now flys backwards signifies to me that there is something wrong with displaying it as it's normally seen, backwards is anti-thesis of something...

[paultreacy]

I watched a PBS broadcast about the Bad Voodoo boys in Iraq just last week and noticed, for the first time, the backwards flag. Most intriguing. My wife works at the VA medical center in the Bronx. I'll ask her to keep an eye out for this on uniforms though most people there don't wear uniforms being vets.
Photohumorist

[Peter Ansoff]

Hi, Paul,

As pointed out elsewhere in the forum, those flags are not really backwards. The flag code says that the union should be to the viewer's left when a flag is displayed flat against a wall -- it does not specify the orientation for flag patches on uniforms. Military regs are clear that the union should be on the viewer's right when the patch is on the right sleeve (which is the correct place for it, at least according to Army regs).

Many people don't realize that the flag code does not apply to the military to begin with. Chapter 5 of the code makes this clear:

The following codification of existing rules and customs pertaining to the display and use of the flag of the United States of America is established for the use of such civilians or civilian groups or organizations as may not be required to conform with regulations promulgated by one or more executive departments of the Government of the United States.

Even if the flag code did say that flag patches should have the union to the viewer's left (which it doesn't), this would not affect the military's uniform regulations.

Peter Ansoff