Position of multiple flags on 1 pole.

[cindyb222]

I was surfing the web to find out the correct position of the U.S. flag, POW/MIA flag and a State flag on the same pole. I found my answer on the Flag Rules and Regulations site or so I thought. It states for civilian use the order is as follows: seen top to bottom. 1. U.S. Flag, 2. POW/MIA flag, 3. State flag, 4. US territories, 5. Military (in order of establishment) other. Then I saw an article from the Vietnam Veterans - Veterans Helping Veterans website that the moderator from this site stated it should be from top to bottom: 1. U.S. flag, 2. State flag, 3. POW/MIA.
So my question is, where is your information coming from? and how do I find out the correct answer? Thanks

[NAVA1974]

The US flag code only states that the American flag be at the top. State and local regulations may or may not address the precedence of other flags but there is no national guidance on this issue.

[PRGringo]

I would feel most comfortable with the Viet Vet order.

[Peter Ansoff]

NAVA1974 is correct that there is no civil regulation dealing with the precedence of the POW/MIA flag. However, Army and Air Force military regulations indicate that all other national, state, and command flags take precedence over it. The references and details are discussed in my post dated 5/4/08 in the Other Flags section -- the thread is called "Order of precedence."

Of course, you don't have to follow those regulations if you're not in the Army or the Air Force. However, they are reasonable guidelines. The regs do not specifically say why the POW/MIA flag comes last, but a I'd assume it's because the other flags represent a corporate entity (nation, state, military formation, etc.), while the POW/MIA flag does not.

The information on the Flag Rules and Regulations site is not correct. It cites two sources: Title 36 Section 902 of the US code, and a "Home of Heroes" web site. Section 902 says nothing about precedence, and the HoH site has incorrect information. I suspect that the latter is based on a misinterpretation of the Army regulations.

Peter Ansoff