"Reverse" American Flag Patches ??

[billt]

I was watching "Blackhawk Down" yesterday, and I noticed that many of the guys in uniform had the American Flag patch reversed on their right shoulder. (Stars were located in the upper right corner). What is the reason for this? I first noticed it when I bought a couple of Velcro American Flag patches from Midway to put on a couple of tactical gun cases I have. They have them in several configurations. I just wondered what the story was behind it?

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/493087/blackhawk-american-flag-patch

[Majer]

That's the position the flag would be in charging into battle.

[oldkat69]

   A Sgt. at Fort Leonard Wood said it is to keep the stars moving forward.

[Solus]

I believe it is a modern tradition.

The Stars lead into battle.

Don't know if it is anything official.   I guess it must be or they would be out of uniform.


Looked and found this:

Greetings, cfry191!

a fellow who stated that a flag displayed on the right shoulder with the stars facing forward was reserved for military use only and only on foreign soil. . . . Can anyone tell me if there is any truth to this?

Well, we can start with a couple of facts:

1. Current US Army regulations say that flag patches will be worn on the right sleeve, with the union facing forward. This applies to all Army personnel in working uniform, whether deployed or not. The other armed services wear the patches on the left sleeve. These regulations apply only to the armed services, of course.

2. The civilian flag code mentions flag patches, but does not specify either their orientation, or which sleeve they should be worn on. Individual civilian organizations (police forces, scout groups, sports teams, etc.) can set their own standards. The code does say that the union should be on the viewer's left when the flag is hung flat against a wall, but that is a completely different case.

So -- I would say that your friend is wrong. Display on the right shoulder is not "reserved" for the military -- in fact, the Army is the only one of the services that displays it that way. In practice, most civilians seem to put the union on the viewer's left (which would be to the rear on the right sleeve). However, I suspect that that's just because most flag patches are manufactured with the union on the left. Again, the flag code does not specify one way or the other.

Best,

Peter Ansoff


at this link:  http://www.usa-flag-site.org/forum/uniform-flags-1438.html

don't know how official it is...but was posted as official.

[Jrlobo]

As long as it is not upside down, it doesn't seem to matter except when otherwise specified, of course.

[Sponsor]

[JC5123]

About a mile down the road from where I live, there is a guy that has his house on a hill. He has 3 flags up every day. At the top, the American Flag, next lower, the Wyoming sate flag, and last tier, the Gadsden. I noticed shortly after the election he started flying the Stars and Stripes upside down. I couldn't agree with him more. We are indeed in distress.

[Solus]

As long as it is not upside down, it doesn't seem to matter except when otherwise specified, of course.

My guess is that on a military uniform, it is specified, one way or the other.

Might be up to the unit commander to make the decision.

[TAB]

Flying the flag upside down, unless you are actually in distress, is disrespectful and illegal.  People that do it can and should be charged.

[alfsauve]

When I was in ('70) we wore the US flag of the left shoulder so that the stars where facing forward.   Imagine carrying a flag on a pole.  If you look at it from the left side the stars are in the upper left hand corner and from the right the stars are in the upper right hand one.

Trick question.  What  countries'  flags are different on the obverse and reverse sides?

Which US state has different sides?

[billt]

Midway's "product information" has this:

"The blue field of stars on the American Flag should always be in the highest position of honor. When displayed on a "moving object" like a person or vehicle, the highest position of honor is the front, and not the rear; so the field of blue should be displayed to the front. Standard patches are for wear on the left shoulder, and reversed patches are for wear on the right shoulder".