"Reverse" American Flag Patches ??

[Solus]

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".

I wonder if that is a custom or tradition or recommendation or if there is a policy making that statement?

[lhprop1]

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.

Mr Ansoff is incorrect, as well.  I was watching Combat Rescue (great show, by the way), and all of the PJ's had the stars forward flag on their right shoulder.  PJ's are AF.

[MikeBjerum]

My only experience in actually wearing a flag on my shoulder was in Cub and Boy Scouts (military did not want many of us in '76).  It was always on the left shoulder with the Union forward.  However, I was always taught that when using the flag in procession that the Union always led the way.

The most important lesson to take from this thread is to always check Flag Etiquette before using the American Flag.  Today most people are uneducated and don't care.  We see many inappropriate uses every day, and this causes confusion in anybody that is not up on their etiquette.  To take this into a rant, can we please have a group go to the Olympic Committee and meet with the athletes before the leave for competition.  Somebody needs to explain to them that the flag is not a rag or a towel, and it does not get flopped around without a staff, worn around the neck like a towel, or hung on their back like a cape!

[Jrlobo]

m58,

      I am of the same sentiment. BUT, if we can burn the damn thing, why can't we wear it around our necks like a cape? I don't advocate flag burning. I think it is wrong. And, I don't advocate trashing the flag. BUT, the Olympic youngsters that parade around our flag in victory are trying, in their perhaps lame way, to show respect and their pride for our country. Sometimes I think we get too wrapped up (pun intended) in our flag. After all, comes the revolution, what flag will we be fighting under? And them? The very same one.

[billt]

I'm watching "First Blood", the first "Rambo" movie. In it the police have a conventional American Flag patch on the right arm of their jackets. The movie was made in 1980, so maybe this reverse thing was something recent???

[Sponsor]

[jnevis]

The flag being placed on the right shoulder started in Iraq after we started setting up thier security forces.  It was so you could pick out the Americans fairly quickly among all the Coalition Forces.