Half-Mast/Half-Mass/Half-Staff

[littlefoote5@yahoo.com]

Is it not Half Mast when it is flying on a ship, half staff when it is flying on a flag pole? If so, when is it half mass? Is this a correct term?

[american_flag_uk]

well ive never heard of half MASS before... maybe u head half MAST incorrectly or the person said it wrongly??

the flag code refers to it as HALF STAFF referring to flagpoles on land.

[Peter Ansoff]

The terms "half-staff" and "half mast" mean the same thing, and can be used interchangably. I suspect that littlefoote5 is correct that "half staff" originally referred to land displays and "half mast" to ships. The Flag Code calls it "half-staff," probably because the original language of the code was adapted from Army rather than Navy regulations.

The President's proclamation on 17 April used "half-staff," but also stated that it applied to flags flown on navy ships.

Regards,

Peter Ansoff

[living a life]

Peter is correct. i was looking it up just a couple of days ago because i have a report due soon on the American Flag.

[balliss]

do I fly the flag at halh mast on memorial day

[Peter Ansoff]

balliss: do I fly the flag at halh mast on memorial day

According to paragraph 7m of the flag code, the flag should be flown at half-mast until noon on Memorial Day, and then raised to full mast.

Regards,

Peter Ansoff

[camccormick]

Is there a protocol for how long the flag remains at half staff for instance for the loss of an ambassador's life and those of the others in Libya? Thank you for your help.

[Robin Hickman]

...
The "Flag Code" (U.S. Code , Title 4, Chapter One: "The Flag", Section 7, sub-section M) does not mention Ambassadors by title in the section covering fly the Flag at "Half-Staff".

http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagcode.htm

On Wednesday, September 12th, 2012, President Barack Obama issued a "Presidential Proclamation" regarding the flying of the U.S. Flag at half-staff for Ambassador Stevens and the other three Americans killed in the attack on the American Consulate in Benghazi, Libya on Tuesday, September 11th, 2012.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/09/12/presidential-proclamation-honoring-victims-attack-benghazi-libya


I hope this answers your question.


Robin Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA
...

[camccormick]

Many Thanks to you, Robin.

Colleen