[bgeorgiac]

What 3 items are needed to go above or below the flag pole

[Peter Ansoff]

What 3 items are needed to go above or below the flag pole

I suspect that you are referring to a piece of folklore that's been around since the 1950s. It seems to have orginated at the Citadel Military College in Charleston, SC, as something that the freshmen ("knobs") were required to memorize. Here is what the current edition of the Citadel's "Knob Knowledge" book says:

"The old flagpole on the parade ground was moved to the stadium in December 1997, for storage. Inside the ball are said to be three items: a razor blade, a match, and a bullet. These items are supposed to be used if The Citadel is overrun by an enemy. The razor is to cut the flag. The match is to burn the flag. The bullet is to be used to shoot yourself.

"Another part of the story said that a pistol was buried on the Parade Ground, six feet from the old flagpole, that would be used to fire the bullet. The razor blade, the match and the bullet were found inside the ball. No one ever found the pistol. "

This is all silly nonsense, of course, and it's really amazing that anybody would take it seriously.

Best,

Peter Ansoff