My Fire Truck and Flag

[firemanjax]

Several years ago I bought a 1974 fire truck that has an 85 foot boom / basket on it. Some time later I bought a 20' x 35' flag to display at funerals and special occasions free of charge. I suspend the flag vertically at about half height for these events. In my mind, I am simulating half staff since the boom could go higher. Occasionally, when suspending the flag above a roadway, I have the dilemma of which way to put the star field. In the recent Memorial day ceremony, I had it positioned so that the star field would be observers left as viewed from the stage area. This meant that those driving up to the event would see the incorrect placement of star field right. I am assuming I am doing this correctly as nobody has made mention of an error, but still it bugs me.

I do the best I can about flag storage which also bugs me. Folding a flag of this size correctly would require a small army and most of the time I am faced with taking it down by myself and whatever volunteers walk over to help out. Usually only 3 or 4 people is the most I can get. The best solution I could come up with was to buy a large military duffel bag to put the flag in when not in use. This effectively keeps the flag from touching the ground and when taking it out of the bag, it comes out nicely. Any wrinkles it got from being in the bag are soon gone, I guess the weight of the flag itself helps pull them out.

My fire truck / flag display is well received at all events and I am sadly set to go to a retired firefighter's funeral this week.

[NAVA1974]

Dear Firemanjax:
Welcome to the forum. What a wonderful way to honor your colleagues and others who have served their country and its citzens. Here is the answer to your question about flying a flag over a street:

When the flag is displayed over a street, it should be hung vertically, with the union to the north or east. If the street runs north-south, the stars should face east. For streets running east-west, the stars should face north. If the flag is suspended over a sidewalk, the flag's union should be farthest from the building and the stars facing away from it.

Nick

[firemanjax]

if I had put the star field North as suggested, that would have put it to the right or opposite to the way it is in the picture. This application is unique, I know.

[Robin Hickman]

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Hello, Firemanjax !


Welcome to the USA-FLAG-SITE Forums !


Thank You for the valuable patriotic service that you're providing your community !


If the Flag is hung over and across a street as a static display, then Nick's (NAVA1974) advice is correct. On the other hand if you're hanging the Flag in front of an "audience", then the canton (or Union) should be in the upper left-hand corner AS THE INTENDED AUDIENCE WOULD SEE IT. In the photo you provided earlier, you'd hung the Flag correctly for the AUDIENCE (for whom it was intended) in attendance at the Memorial Day service.

As for your Flag's "storage" problem, the only real advice I can give is that the "simplest" solution is often the best one. In your case, it sounds (to me) like you've got the initial storage situation handled. Don't worry about getting the Flag folded into the mostly ceremonial "triangle" shape. It isn't necessary, nor is it time or cost effective.

However, once you've left the site (and your Flag's "in the bag"), I'd suggest that at the first available opportunity to take the time to pull it out of the bag and straighten it out and loosely fold it so that it can go back in the duffle bag for transport to the next Flag-flying function. If you're all by yourself (especially if "room" is limited) I know it will be rather difficult to do. But if you can manage to do it, then (with fewer wrinkles) your Flag should "look" and "fly" much better, and probably last longer too!


But no matter how it goes, Thank you for providing such a valuable patriotic service to your community and GOOD LUCK !!!


Robin Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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