"How to Respect and Display our Flag"

"How to Respect and Display our Flag"

History of the American Flag

This book explains both the history of the American flag and how to properly display it. The book was released in 1968 and coincided with a period of heightened national focus on patriotism, especially during the Vietnam War. It was created for the purpose of educating Americans, especially Marines, on how to properly handle and display the American flag. It was handed out in Arlington and served both as a ceremonial and patriotic purpose, reinforcing national identity and military tradition. The Marine Corps used it to teach service members, ensuring uniformity and respect. It promoted awareness of flag etiquette, history, and symbolism to the public, aligning with broader patriotic campaigns of the time. Finally, the book provided instructions for flag use in official events, memorials, and daily life, helping maintain the flag’s dignity in both the military and civilian life. The book was a patriotic and instructional tool designed to preserve the flag’s meaning, teach correct usage, and instill the respect it deserves.

ID: Flag photo one is the book cover, and it features a colorful format of multiple soldiers, wearing blue coats and white hats, marching while one carries a rifle, one carries a red flag with the words “Marine Corps” on it, and one carries the American flag. In the middle ground, there is a crowd of people watching the soldier’s march. In the background, there is green land, blue sky, and some orange depicting a sunrise, and on the cover is the title of the book, How to Respect and Display our Flag. Flag photo two, pages two and three, goes on to explain what the stars and strips of our flag represent, stating that, “the star is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial: the stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun,” (Percy Webb). Flag photo three, pages eight and nine, states how whenever a new state joins the Union; a new star is added to the blue part of the flag as of April 4th, 1818. It is also said that the flag became a symbol of both sovereignty and Liberty. Flag photo four, pages sixteen and seventeen, then explains how on June 12, 1961, the American flag is to be flown 24 hours a day at the Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. It serves as a memorial to the Iwo Jima campaign, one of the most significant battles of WWII, and “points out that the American flag… …is a symbol of courage and valor of the American fighting forces in war,” (Percy Webb). Finally, flag photos five and six, pages twenty-six – twenty-nine, shows how to display the flag during certain conditions such as, when it is displayed over the middle of a street it should be suspended vertically with the blue facing north, when it is displayed from an angled staff the blue should go to the peak of the staff, when it is carried with other flags it should be on the marching right, and when it is used to cover a casket the blue should be at the head and over the left shoulder.

Physical Dimensions: 5.25 x 7.5 inches

U.S. Marine Corps

Marine Master Sergeant Percy Webb

United States Marine Corps

1968

Connor Lockard

This material is subject to copyright law and is made available for private study, scholarship, and research purposes only.

PNG

English

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