Actually, I was just thinking about this on Tuesday. You see, we have three flags. Two of them are the usual kind with the big rivets at each end – the kind that are hung with cord on regular flag poles. One of those is a big one that had been flown over the White House (my husband got that one when he was ComNavBase Sailor of the Year in 1989). Kevin has that one hung on the garage wall, as it is too big to fly except on one of those giant poles cemented into the ground. The second is a smaller flag that my dad flew on his house during Operation Desert Shield. Dad put it up the day my husband’s ship left for Desert Shield (3 days after Kuwait was invaded) and flew it day and night (with a light on it, of course) until Kevin’s ship came home at the end of the Gulf War. I also have a third flag that I bought 3 years ago because it fit my new flag pole – that one has a placket on the side that you use to slide it onto the pole.
I didn’t hear about the events on Tuesday until about 10 AM – I had been doing homework with the TV off. My husband called from his ship to tell me to pack his bags and stand by to bring them to him if need be. Like most people, news of the tragedy hit me badly – I was crying and panicking. I was walking around the house picking things up and putting them down, I went and got Kevin’s seabag out of the attic, and then dropped it in the living room and started to call my mom. Then I hung up quickly so as not to tie up the lines for people who really needed them. Leaving the sea bag, I went in the bedroom to start digging Kevin’s uniforms out of the closet, then ran back into the laundry room to start a laundry (his dirty uniforms and tee-shirts). Then I abandoned the laundry, and sat down at the computer and started to surf the message board. Then, real quick, signed off so as to free those resources in case they were needed by someone else. And, all the time I had the TV blaring, so I could hear it all over the house. I was crying and hyperventilating – I was a real mess! Finally, I sat myself down and tried to get a grip. The first coherent thing I could think of was to hang the flag. I have the big flag pole by the front door and I also have a smaller flag pole out on the mailbox. Usually I keep decorative flags on both of those poles, plus a wreath on my front door – all of them matched to the season or holiday. For Independance Day, Flag Day, Memorial Day and such, I hang the US flag by the door, a little patriotic banner down by the mailbox and a wreath with bunting and miniature flags and red, white and blue flowers on the door. So I hauled this all out and put it up, and felt a little better – or anyway, calmer. Then I started thinking about the Desert Storm flag and thinking that that might be a better one to hang – more symbolic, right? So I took it out and looked at it. It is dirty and very slightly frayed, but the main reason I’m not flying it is because I couldn’t attach it to my flagpole. Then, of course, I got busy with practical things – I really did need to pack Kevin’s stuff, although – so far – his ship hasn’t been called anywhere. Anyway, now I’m wondering if it’s acceptable to wash a flag? And, could a sew a placket to the side so I can use it on my pole? I guess I’ll follow the flag etiquette sites so kindly provided and find out.
Long-winded Jess, still a little pannicky and manic