I live in a retirement community and one of our new residents is questioning the size of the flags we display. He says they are U.S. burial flags, but I don't think they are. Is there a set rule on the size flags that can be displayed on our stage/platform and/or hanging vertically on the wall? I have searched the flag code and cannot find anything regarding the size of the flag displayed.

[Peter Ansoff]

Hello, welcome to the forum!

He says they are U.S. burial flags, but I don't think they are.

There is really no such thing as a special "burial flag." The flags used to cover caskets in military funerals are standard US flags, and there is nothing about them that is different from other flags. I believe that the standard size for them is 5 x 9 1/2 feet, which matches the official proportions for US flags (10:19) specified in the Executive Order of 1959.

Your friend may be referring to the fact that most commercially-sold flags don't conform to the proportions of the Executive Order -- they are typically 2:3 or 3:5 instead of 10:19. However, they're all US flags just the same.

Is there a set rule on the size flags that can be displayed on our stage/platform and/or hanging vertically on the wall?

No, other than any rules that the community itself might have. Obviously, the size of the flag should be appropriate to the location; e.g., it shouldn't be so big that it drags on the floor.

Peter Ansoff