Hence my confusion reading this thread about the fuss. Googling reveals the Stars and Stripes doubles as the US naval ensign, whereas the UK has a dedicated ensign, so we don’t have any tradition of flying the Jack upside down implying distress (in fact, the design of our flag encourages it).
I don’t care what he thinks. I know what the inverted flag means in the military, and it does NOT mean “country in distress.” If he was in the Marines, he knows that too.
They use “SOS” in the Army too. They use it in the Boy Scouts. You don’t need a ship.
As I said, the symbol originated as a Navy distress symbol for ships at sea. It is now a more general distress symbol, but “country in distress” is a purely political use of the symbol, not any kind of military meaning.
I think it is BS to give a military man any more leeway than a draft-dodger when it comes to this stuff(its like letting an off duty cop get away with double parking because he’s a cop). With that said, the guys has the right to fly his flag upside down or inside out if that is what he wants to do. If we still let guys with swastikas and white hoods have parades on on main street, I think our republic can handle a guy flying his flag upside down.
](Commandant of the Marine Corps - Wikipedia)
Correct. The USCG is a part of the Department of Homeland Security (up until 2002 it was attached to the DOT).
Flying the flag upside-down doesn’t indicate the country is in distress, it indicates the party flying the flag is in distress.
My God! Those are all upside down!!!