# U.S. Dopers: Saying "Happy Memorial Day" is Innapropriate **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 23, 2003, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023 "2003-05-23T13:39:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/1 "2003-05-23T13:39:14Z")
Memorial Day is a day of “National Mourning”. During the morning hours, all flags should be at half-staff and raised back to full staff at noon. It’s a sacred day to all war veterans. We all must recall the deaths of our fellow Americans who died in battle. I personally would like to remember all those who died for my freedom and liberties, and to also remember all those who suffered as family and friends. I would also like to do my part to remind anyone I can about the real meaning and purpose of Memorial Day. Thank You. ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/2 "2003-05-23T13:46:24Z")
Good post. One question: how does one do half staff with a flag fixed on a short pole attached to a a building at a 45 degree angle? (essentially how most flags are flown on houses) ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/3 "2003-05-23T14:17:31Z")
Also, having a barbecue is wrong. Unless you invite veterans. ---
**Author:** ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/4 "2003-05-23T14:38:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Random \* > \*\*Good post. One question: how does one do half staff with a flag fixed on a short pole attached to a a building at a 45 degree angle? (essentially how most flags are flown on houses) \*\* For flags on fixed staffs, you furl them. Usually, with a black or black and purple ribbon. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/5 "2003-05-23T14:46:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SmackFu \* > \*\*Also, having a barbecue is wrong. Unless you invite veterans. \*\* Are we supposed to barbecue the Veterans? I will never, ever understand America. ---
**Author:** ![racekarl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6bbea6/32.png) [@racekarl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racekarl)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/6 "2003-05-23T14:51:37Z")
As in recent years past, there will be a national minute of silence and rememberance at 3pm local time. If you are driving, it is appropriate to turn your headlights on for that minute. [http://www.remember.gov/](http://www.remember.gov/) ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/7 "2003-05-23T18:01:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NE Texan \* > \*\*For flags on fixed staffs, you furl them. Usually, with a black or black and purple ribbon. \*\* Can you be more specific? I’m having a hard time picturing this. Around the middle? ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/8 "2003-05-23T19:00:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GingerOfTheNorth \* > \*\*Are we supposed to barbecue the Veterans? I will never, ever understand America. \*\* Veterans are delicious! ---
**Author:** ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/9 "2003-05-23T19:41:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bruce\_Daddy \* > \*\*Can you be more specific? I’m having a hard time picturing this. Around the middle? \*\* Sure. I’m going to be more specific, but then I’m going to retract this all, so take this with a grain of salt. What I have seen, and had explained to me by a few people that were both 1) Armed Forces Veterans and 2) Boy Scout leaders (that’s where I picked this up), was that you leave it on the fixed pole (typically indoors), and take a black ribbon and tie the flag to the pole at the point halfway between the points the flag is anchored to the pole. Fairly simple. Another person insisted that it was a purple ribbon. However. To answer your question, I started searching on the web, hoping that I could locate a picture of the practice. I found none - and, although I found numerous places discussing the flag code, no mention of this practice occurs. So now I’m uncomfortable with what I had previously learned, not to mention with the fact that I passed it on. (Has anyone else heard of using the ribbon on the flag? Could this be from an older version of the flag code or something? If anyone can point me to a source for this, I’d appreciate it.) To try to make up for my hasty post, here’s a link to the US Flag code, which is in many spots on the web: [http://www.usflag.org/us.code36.html](http://www.usflag.org/us.code36.html) Quick trivia: In which location is the US flag flown always, 24/7/365, regardless of conditions, and never lowered to half-staff? ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/10 "2003-05-23T19:52:09Z")
Without google, the place where Key wrote the N.A. and . . . Betsy Ross’s house? Thanks for the info (or lack thereof 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![racekarl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6bbea6/32.png) [@racekarl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racekarl)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/11 "2003-05-23T19:55:33Z")
I think your one place trivia may be a bit out of date (except for maybe your “all weather” caveat) According to PBS The U.S. flag is flown 24 hours a day by either Presidential proclamation or law at the following places: - Fort McHenry, National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore, Maryland - Flag House Square, Baltimore, Maryland - United States Marine Corps Memorial (Iwo Jima), Arlington, Virginia - On the Green of the Town of Lexington, Massachusetts - The White House, Washington, DC - United States Customs Ports of Entry - Grounds of the National Memorial Arch in Valley Forge State Park, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania I’ve also heard that the Arizona Memorial also flies the flag around the clock… I admit though I don’t know if any of these places meet the all weather and never lowered conditions. ---
**Author:** ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/12 "2003-05-23T19:56:16Z")
Nope. There are many places where the flag is flown all the time - but generally, they are lowered to half-staff when appropriate. But not this one. ---
**Author:** ![racekarl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6bbea6/32.png) [@racekarl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racekarl)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/13 "2003-05-23T19:56:52Z")
Oh duh. The moon ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/14 "2003-05-23T20:01:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NE Texan \* > \*\*Quick trivia: In which location is the US flag flown always, 24/7/365, regardless of conditions, and never lowered to half-staff? \*\* The Moon. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/15 "2003-05-23T20:07:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SmackFu \* > \*\*Also, having a barbecue is wrong. Unless you invite veterans. \*\* I invited veterans to [Sunday’s picnic](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=183267&perpage=50&pagenumber=3), but none of them could make it - including our very recent veteran, **Airman Doors**. But I tried. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mishaa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@mishaa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mishaa)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/16 "2003-05-23T20:18:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bruce\_Daddy \* > \*\*Can you be more specific? I’m having a hard time picturing this. Around the middle? \*\* The instructions that came with my flagpole said to use the lower hole for the pole - that way the flag is almost vertical. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/17 "2003-05-23T21:04:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RTFirefly \* > \*\*I invited veterans to [Sunday’s picnic](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=183267&perpage=50&pagenumber=3), but none of them could make it - including our very recent veteran, **Airman Doors**. But I tried. 🙂 \*\* Now, him, I would barbecue. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/18 "2003-05-24T14:35:43Z")
**racekarl** and **pravnik** got it. Once you get it, it seems obvious. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/19 "2003-05-24T15:18:03Z")
I hope this is appropriate for this thread, though the perspective is a bit different. [To a soldier](http://angelfire.com/va2/iampunha1/toasoldier.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Ashkicker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@Ashkicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashkicker)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023/20 "2003-05-24T15:45:00Z")
I would like to take the time to remember [my cousin](http://www.virtualwall.org/ds/SeeberFx01a.htm) who died in the Vietnam War. He passed 3 yrs. before I was born. I don’t know the exact details about his death, but it was from a grenade accident. When I was little I used to go through my mom and dads picture drawer. I remember reading the letters that Fletcher had sent them while he was over there. I always wondered what happened. Because all I knew was that he had died. It really just wasn’t anything that we discussed. It upset the family too much. Then I moved to Tennessee from Illinois. My ex and I had took on the job of mowing the little cemetary in Frost Bottom. Once again, I was faced with wondering exactly what had happened to him as we mowed that little cemetary. That was in '89. Then in January of this year my dad was telling me about a book that he had received that had different memorials in it and I read Fletchers story. It was the first time I really got a glimpse into something that I didn’t know anything about. I came home and thought I would key it in the computer and thanks to the guy Neil Wilson was able to find this story on line. I wished I could have had the chance to thank him for telling the story, but sadly he passed away last year. I would like to say thanks to all who have made my freedom possible. You maybe gone, but you are not forgotten. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-dopers-saying-happy-memorial-day-is-innapropriate/177023.md?page=2)