# Flag Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 30, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flag-question/165152 "2003-03-30T03:20:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f17d59/32.png) [@Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flag-question/165152/1 "2003-03-30T03:20:35Z")
How long are you supposed to fly the flag at half mast before going back to regular hight? ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flag-question/165152/2 "2003-03-30T03:24:50Z")
Details [here](http://www.sar.org/colors/Flag-Act.htm) . > [@](#): > > The flag shall be flown at half-staff thirty days from the death of the President or a former President; ten days from the day of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives; from the day of death until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a Secretary of an executive or military department, a former Vice President, or the Governor of a State, territory, or possession; and on the day of death and the following day for a Member of Congress… ---
**Author:** ![Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f17d59/32.png) [@Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flag-question/165152/3 "2003-03-30T03:42:22Z")
Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flag-question/165152/4 "2003-03-30T05:24:35Z")
Or for as long as you are told to by the Prez or the military. See the flying of flags at half-staff after 9/11/01. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flag-question/165152/5 "2003-03-30T06:56:42Z")
But what if Clinton dies tomorrow and we start flying it at half staff and then Bush dies teh next week? Quarter staff? What if the there is a big fire in the Senate and everybody dies, one 1.268 times ten to the 30th-th staff? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flag-question/165152/6 "2003-03-30T08:51:57Z")
Note that on land, it’s half staff; at sea, half mast. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flag-question/165152/7 "2003-03-30T10:36:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flight \* > \*\*But what if Clinton dies tomorrow and we start flying it at half staff and then Bush dies teh next week? Quarter staff? What if the there is a big fire in the Senate and everybody dies, one 1.268 times ten to the 30th-th staff? \*\* The President can direct officials at Federal buildings and things under Federal jurisdiction to fly the flag in a particular way for a particular event. If two Presidents died within 30 days of each other I would guess that two 30-day period back to back would be used. There are of course no laws about what a civillian or private business may or may not do with their flag, but many simply follow the official flag codes linked to by **Ice Wolf**. ---
**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:** [March 30, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flag-question/165152/8 "2003-03-30T20:21:27Z")
And if you’re flying at half-staff for a reason other than the ones in the official flag code, then you keep it that way for as long as you think appropriate. So far as I know, for instance, astronauts are not metioned in the code, but the flag on campus was half-staff for about a month afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Bucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Bucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bucky)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flag-question/165152/9 "2003-03-30T20:34:10Z")
Please correct me if I am wrong, but I think that the flag code does not allow for the flying of flags at half mast unless there is a directive from above. This doens’t count one in my yard, perhaps, but a campus flying flags at half-mast for, say, the death of a campus president is not following the code. Nobody enforces it or much of any other items in the code, but I think that such half-mast flying is not really allowed. ---
**Author:** ![Tradnor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cab0a1/32.png) [@Tradnor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tradnor)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flag-question/165152/10 "2003-03-30T20:48:17Z")
You are right that it doesn’t follow the code, but to say that it isn’t allowed is to misconstrue the purpose of the code. As **Ice Wolf’s** link states: > [@](#): > > Federal flag code is not intended to proscribe behavior but is fashioned as expression of prevalent custom and usage regarding display of American flag.