# Federal Flagpole: Secret Stash **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 16, 2001, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149 "2001-04-16T12:25:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DataMike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/74df32/32.png) [@DataMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataMike)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/1 "2001-04-16T12:25:33Z")
Yesterday at Easter brunch my nephew who is attending Purdue told the following tale: On the top of every Federal flag pole is a ball called the truck, the truck is designed to break into 13 pieces representing the 13 original colonies. Inside the truck is 3 bullets of different calibers. At the base of the flag pole is a box which contains weapons to fire the bullets as well as a sabre. Apparently, if you’re the last person around during some kind of violent outbreak, you could use these items to defend yourself/the country. Anyone able to verify this either way?? I’ve searched the archives and the net in general and could find nothing. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Erroneous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71c47a/32.png) [@Erroneous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erroneous)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/2 "2001-04-16T12:58:28Z")
It sounds like a load of crap to me. I mean really, think about it: what’s the point of these stashes if no one knows that they exist? And if the situation is such that you’re resorting to digging up a freaking sabre, do you really think it’s going to make much difference as far as defending the country goes? I really doubt that such a system is in place. Of course, now the very next person is probably going to come in and say that a flagpole weapon stash saved their life, and give a detailed history of the incorporation of weapon stashes into flagpoles throughout America. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![Freedom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Freedom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedom)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/3 "2001-04-16T13:24:54Z")
My understanding was that there is a book of matches in the flag pole at the headquarters of every military base. If there are three bullets of different calibers, then I would guess that would be to use in whatever weapon you already have. There is no way in hell that there are weapons in Federal flagpoles. So now I’m seeing the marks of an urban legend… Possibly believable story… Slight variations… ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/4 "2001-04-16T13:42:08Z")
“Possibly believable”? [_insert emoticon of extreme incredulity and amusement_] Awww… Here’s a picture of a flagpole truck. > **[LingoInc.com is for sale | HugeDomains](https://www.hugedomains.com/domain_profile.cfm?d=lingoinc&e=com)** > > Customer service is our #1 priority. Get a premium domain for your website today. Financing available. Here’s another version. [http://www.flagpoles.com/fcbta.html](http://www.flagpoles.com/fcbta.html) More light. The “truck” is the pulley that holds the ropes. The “ball” is the decorative ball on top of the “truck”. Pix of both. [http://usflag.com/accessories/hardware/hardware3.htm](http://usflag.com/accessories/hardware/hardware3.htm) The biggest one this website has for sale is 12" in diameter. Okay, first of all, the “truck” is either cast bronze or cast iron, depending on manufacturer. Flagpole balls are metal, too, with an anodized coating, whether gold, copper, whatever. I think your friend means the BALL is designed to break into 13 pieces. First of all, the ball is metal–how are you supposed to get it open to get the bullets in there? You’d have to cut it open with a welding torch. Or is it supposed to have perforations or something? Don’t see any mention of it on any of these websites. It would have to be manufactured that way at the foundry. (Oooh, are they _secret_ perforations, known only to the Illuminati?) 😃 And just who, exactly, is doing this? The federal government? Your local sheriff? Who are the public-spirited citizens climbing flagpoles all over America and putting bullets in them? Or is it just “_they_”? Oooh, I love it when it’s “_they_”… At the base of most flagpoles is a big cement pad. Is there perhaps a secret trap door in the pad, concealing the box with the weapons? Or are the 3 guns and the sabre buried in the dirt a little farther away, the better to rust quietly over the years? And only 3 bullets? Doesn’t sound like much to fight off the Commie Hordes. Oh, wait, each Yank bullet is worth 20 Commie bullets, right? So lemme see if I have this right–you’re gonna save America from the Commies with 3 guns, each of which has only 1 bullet. And when your 3 bullets are gone, you’re gonna eliminate the rest of 'em with your sabre. And you can use the matches to blow up their ammunition dump… BTW, Snopes doesn’t even mention it. I supposed it’s beneath their notice. The Duck’s vote: “load of crap”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Freedom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Freedom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedom)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/5 "2001-04-16T13:47:07Z")
> [@](#): > > “Possibly believable”? [insert emoticon of extreme incredulity and amusement] Awww… You’ll notice that my story involved military bases and a book of matches. I consider that possibly believable. ---
**Author:** ![DataMike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/74df32/32.png) [@DataMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataMike)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/6 "2001-04-16T13:49:48Z")
Oh yea, I forgot the matches. They are supposed to be in truck(ball) as well. DDG\>\>\> Well, my nephew claims the ball is called the ‘truck’…guess he’s wrong. I am thinking the whole thing could be false as well. However, I NEED PROOF. You didn’t provide any proof, just conspiratorial ramblings and links to websites that sell flag accessories. I am not looking for OPINIONS, just PROOF. Thanks! Michael ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/7 "2001-04-16T14:09:16Z")
Okay, I’ll grant you the flagpole installer guys dropping a book of matches into the ball when they hoist it up there, but the rest of it? Pfui. 😃 Upon reflection I realize that you could climb up there and take the ball off and drop bullets into it without having to cut it open, but the big question is, of course–why? Eh, Mike, proof of what? Proof that there actually are bullets in flagpole balls? There is no such proof, because it’s an Urban Legend. A Google search for “flagpoles bullets”, “flagpole bullets”, “flagpoles bullet”, “flagpole bullet” turned up no facts or “proof”, just alternate versions, similar to this one. [http://www.afscme.org/publications/alepnews/alp99111.htm](http://www.afscme.org/publications/alepnews/alp99111.htm) > [@](#): > > The ball at the top of the flagpole is called a “truck.” On an official government installation, inside the truck is a .45 caliber bullet, a .38 caliber bullet and a bullet for an M-16 rifle. > > In the event the truck falls and hits the ground, it is designed to break into 13 pieces, representing the original colonies. > > At the base of each flagpole on an official government installation is a box buried in concrete. This box contains one saber, a .38 caliber pistol and a book of matches. In the event the enemy overtakes the last government installation, the survivor is to defend the Flag with the saber and pistol and burn the Flag with the matches so that the enemy cannot capture it. The ball at the top of the flagpole is **not** called the “truck”. It is called the “ball”. Notice that in this particular version, you’re given 3 different bullets but only 1 gun. There is, however, “proof” on the other side of the fence. [http://www.nava.org/qa6.htm](http://www.nava.org/qa6.htm) > [@](#): > > From the Flags of the World web site FAQ page #3 \<[Digibel.be](http://fotw.digibel.be/flags/faq3.html#usa)\>: What is in the “ball cap” on top of a flagpole flying the U.S. flag? > > Nothing. There is a persistent rumor left over from the Cold War that the “ball”-type finials atop poles flying U.S. flags contain a razor or similar instrument, so that the U.S. flag may be destroyed in the event of a successful enemy attack to prevent its capture by the enemy. No evidence for this has ever been found. It’s just a legend. > > To which I add: At West Point, plebes who are “know-it-alls” are usually asked this question repeatedly until they break and beg for the answer, and this version is a little different than the above. They are told it contains a match, a bullet and a grain of rice in case of a successful enemy attack. The rice will sustain the soldier to do what needs to be done; the match is used to destroy the flag so it will not be captured; the bullet is used for the same purpose so the soldier will not be captured. > Dave Martucci And yes, if you read this whole website, the first guy responding does seem to be under the impression that the “truck” and the “ball” are the same thing–but that’s not what the manufacturers say. That was the point of my cites. You can refer colloquially to the whole assembly as the “truck” but it’s not correct. If you order a “truck” from [usflag.com](http://usflag.com) you’ll get a pulley, not a ball. And again, I don’t see any mention of the balls being designed to fall to the ground and break into 13 pieces. Or is that only for “secret government issue” flagpole finials? 😃 Or go climb a few flagpoles. Let us know what you find. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bonnie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a698b9/32.png) [@Bonnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonnie)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2001, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/8 "2001-04-17T00:10:28Z")
> [@](#): > > BTW, Snopes doesn’t even mention it. I supposed it’s beneath their notice. Ahem. Of course, contemporary legend expert Jan Brunvand himself has written about “The Tale of the Truck.” He discusses this piece of military folklore, explores the usage of the word “truck” in this context, and gives examples of this tale’s _many_ variants in his latest book, The Truth Never Stands in the Way of a Good Story (pp. 156-158). Brunvand prefaces with, “[p]erhaps the oddest military legend of all that I have encountered, and one that defies neat classification, is ‘The Tale of the Truck,’ a wholly implausible story, but still one that’s often told as true. It combines horror, patriotism, and whimsy and may actually be just a military prank that survives in the form of a quasi-legend told during training.” That Brunvand recognizes this tale as (mostly) allegorical and gives the thumbs-down on its literal truthfulness is good enough for me. – Bonnie ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2001, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/9 "2001-04-17T00:28:34Z")
What kind of idiot would climb a flagpole when under fire? I guess he’d have just about all day to dig up that sabre…maybe they should put a shovel in the ball instead. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![LokiTheDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6f9a4e/32.png) [@LokiTheDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LokiTheDog)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2001, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/10 "2001-04-17T06:29:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > **To which I add: At West Point, plebes who are “know-it-alls” are usually asked this question repeatedly until they break and beg for the answer, and this version is a little different than the above. They are told it contains a match, a bullet and a grain of rice in case of a successful enemy attack. The rice will sustain the soldier to do what needs to be done; the match is used to destroy the flag so it will not be captured; the bullet is used for the same purpose so the soldier will not be captured.** > Dave Martucci ``` This is the version I got as a question when appearing before the board for soldier of the quarter at Ft. Campbell back in 1998. I can't recall which of the board members asked the question but the board was comprised of First Sergeants, Command Sergeants Major (proper grammar?), and maybe a company or battalion commander or two... I've repressed most of those memories. I don't think it is meant to be taken literally, but perhaps they actually do this as a symbolic act. It wouldn't be too expensive, difficult, or dangerous to bury a small box with those items inside and cover it with the concrete for the base of the flag. Personally I took it as sort of a parable or fable ( which could be misconstrued as an urban legend when taken out of context , i.e. outside of a military setting). I don't recall ever actually being told what the single bullet was for, I just decided that was what I would use it for. Why kill one soldier out of a wave, when you can illustrate your defiance of the invaders and your loyalty to the country and create a psychological impact that would affect many. It seems like somehwere in my copy of Sun Tzu The Art of War there was a story about a general who sent a line of troops to the front to wait on the enemy. When the enemy had gotten almost into melee range, these elite troops drew their sabres and disembowled themselves, shocking the enemy with their loyalty and causing them to flee. (my memory sucks and I can't find a quote after thumbing though the book so I may have just conjured that one). Anyway, the board wasn't asking the question to see if you knew what the "right" answer was. Those who didn't know what the hell they were talking about got no points for the question, those who gave a rote reply got a point or two, and those who showed some deeper understanding of the symbolism got a few more. Sorry I don't have a definite answer of whether the truck story is true or not. Just pray no one ever has the need to find out. ``` ---
**Author:** ![LokiTheDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6f9a4e/32.png) [@LokiTheDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LokiTheDog)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2001, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/11 "2001-04-17T06:56:26Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Bonnie \* \*\* > [@](#): > > Of course, contemporary legend expert Jan Brunvand himself has written about “The Tale of the Truck.” He discusses this piece of military folklore, **explores the usage of the word “truck”** in this context > > \*\* That was the funny thing about the board question, it was phrased so that you thought they were referring to a vehicle. The question made no sense if you weren’t “in the know”. It was phrased something like, “What’s buried beneath the truck at the top of the flagpole outside of DHQ?”. I think it was sort of a means to see if you had studied any military history, or taken any interest in the Army outside of your required duties. You know how all fraternal orders have some kind of knowledge ( secret handshake, password call and reply, etc… ) to seperate the members from the outsiders and make them feel special, part of the brotherhood. I bet they can hardly contain themselves every time some private ( or better yet some sophomoric SGT ) replies with, " Uhhhh… you caint park your truck on top of no flagpole, where woodja put your chock blocks at?" ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2001, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/12 "2001-04-17T15:47:33Z")
Loki: That was one obviously piss poor promotion board. Now, if someone served in a 11, 13 or 19 series MOS, then not getting that freebie point or two wouldn’t make much difference, but when I was a 75B1L/SP4, that point would’ve been a career ender for some due to the promotion point cutoff scores and “high year tenure” limits to get to 75B2L/SP5 “back in the day” before all the SP5 and SP6 got converted to NCO. The two times I appeared in front of the promotion board, the questions were topical, professional, and based on fact. All the questions were. As to the grammar of “Sergeant Major”: [ul]Singular - Sergeant Major Plural - Sergeants Major Singular Possessive - Sergeant Major’s Plural Possessive - Sergeants Major’s[/ul] -Monty, PN1, USN (Ret) and formerly SP5 (75B2LVN), USA & SGT (75B2LVN), USAR ---
**Author:** ![Lundboat1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Lundboat1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lundboat1)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/13 "2016-06-30T03:41:42Z")
My brother is a cadet at West Point and it is common legend that in the ball of the flagpole there are three things inside incase the post is under attack and you are the last American alive; bread so you won’t die hungry, wine so you won’t die thirsty, and a revolver with 6 bullets so you can kill as many tangos as you can before being killed. My grandmother also dated a few cadets back in the 1950’s and she said she heard about this legend many times. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/14 "2016-06-30T03:49:58Z")
This thread is 15 years old, and no banned posters - that must be some type of record! ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/15 "2016-06-30T04:26:09Z")
I can speak for some flag poles, that the ball breaks into two pieces, and not 13. Company that I worked for anodized the poles and hemispheres. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/16 "2016-06-30T04:47:41Z")
> [@Lundboat1](#): > > My brother is a cadet at West Point and it is common legend that in the ball of the flagpole there are three things inside incase the post is under attack and you are the last American alive; bread so you won’t die hungry, wine so you won’t die thirsty, and a revolver with 6 bullets so you can kill as many tangos as you can before being killed. My grandmother also dated a few cadets back in the 1950’s and she said she heard about this legend many times. Did the legend happen to mention who shimmied up the flagpole every few days to change out the moldy bread? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/17 "2016-06-30T07:24:26Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Did the legend happen to mention who shimmied up the flagpole every few days to change out the moldy bread? :dubious: It’s hardtack. Guaranteed to be as edible in a century as it was the day it was fired… uh, baked. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/18 "2016-06-30T13:05:31Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > It’s hardtack. Guaranteed to be as edible in a century as it was the day it was fired… uh, baked. I heard that in modern times the bread was replaced by Hostess Twinkies. They will be good until the heat death of the universe. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/19 "2016-06-30T14:31:20Z")
> [@Lundboat1](#): > > My brother is a cadet at West Point and it is common legend that in the ball of the flagpole there are three things inside incase the post is under attack and you are the last American alive; bread so you won’t die hungry, wine so you won’t die thirsty, and a revolver with 6 bullets so you can kill as many tangos as you can before being killed. My grandmother also dated a few cadets back in the 1950’s and she said she heard about this legend many times. Right, and we tell new plebes at Annapolis and new sailors in the fleet lots of urban legends as well, not to mention pranks like telling them to fetch some shoreline, or relative bearing grease, or a bucket of prop wash, or a water hammer, or put them on the mail buoy watch. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149/20 "2016-06-30T21:14:03Z")
No, no, see, not only does the ball break into 13 pieces, but they’re in the shape of the 13 colonies. And the Massachusetts piece is actually a revolver, that fires a Delaware-bullet. That’s why they made those states those shapes, didn’t you know? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-flagpole-secret-stash/62149.md?page=2)