American Flag - Muted: Can anyone use?

Gsxrdoug

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Wow, that was long winded. I'm retired Navy and say I like the idea that we can be proud of our flag and fly it. Just remember it's not backwards it's always moving forward as in battle, never retreat.
 

Grooge

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Was going to put a few muted American Flags on my truck right below the side vents. Was told by a neighbor that indicates former military (I'm not former mil, just patriotic) and that it would be "theft of honor."

Theft of Honor is definitely not my goal and neither is passing myself off as mil / ex-mil.

Is that really a thing? Only Military or Ex-Military should use the muted flag? I'm pretty sure it's covered by the first amendment but also not looking to ruffle any feathers - especially of those who served.
I served. So did my wife. Both of us are military brats of at least three generations on people who served.

Every American has the right to be proud of the flag. Displaying the flag honors those who served, not steels from them.

Honestly, the bigger issue the hate we have seen towards the flag that we served under.

Mod your truck in the way that makes you happy.
 

DoctorsTARDIS

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The flag is properly displayed with the stars upper left. Upper right is used on uniforms.
If a flag is displayed on a vehicle the stars should always be facing the direction of travel. Just always imagine the flag as if it was a piece of fabric and there is an imaginary pole.

Also, if we want to talk about disrespecting the flag, we could point to all the crap people put it on. T-shirts, napkins, tablecloths, socks, g-strings, the "thin blue line" flag. All against the flag code
 
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Wytchdctr

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Over 20 years in and I'll play devil's advocate here......

You never, ever, go and let someone tell you what you can and cant do with a flag. IMO fly it anyway but upside down. Just kidding on that advocate crap.. but someone probably was getting ready to reply in anger.

Stolen valor is wearing the uniform and/or medals and even that isn't illegal unless - like others have said - you are doing it for financial, etc gain (in most States?). Even if legal it might be a good way to get an beating if you run into the wrong vet (not legal - not advocating violence).
 


canyonslicker

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The flag is properly displayed with the stars upper left. Upper right is used on uniforms.
The stars face forward no matter which side they’re on. Upper right for right side, upper left for left side giving the appearance of advancing..
 

VAMike

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The stars face forward no matter which side they’re on. Upper right for right side, upper left for left side giving the appearance of advancing..
For the first couple hundred years the flag as an image was always portrayed with the stars in the upper left. When mounted on a pole on a vehicle the stars were closest to the pole and would naturally be toward the front when the vehicle was in motion unless there was a strong wind (vehicles weren't usually very fast) or if it were a ship (they rarely sailed directly into the wind). Over the past few decades it has become fashionable that a picture of a flag on a vehicle or a person or anything else should be portrayed as though it were an actual flag flying into a headwind. That doesn't make this depiction right--or wrong. If someone wants to do it that way, they can. If someone chooses not to do it that way, they can. The only thing that's really wrong is telling other people they're doing it wrong.

The primary source of this fashion are modern military standards which mandate the "flying" depiction of the flag. If someone is an employee of the DoD they should certainly adhere to those standards. But, people not working for the DoD can do as they think best. And, in the past, before the "flag always advances" slogan was introduced, the US military itself did not universally follow the "imagine the flag is flying from a pole" rule, and depictions depended on specific circumstances and command preferences. (Most often it would be depicted as if flying when it was replacing the expected "proper" flag identifying the allegiance of a vehicle, especially trains--prior to motorized transportation the idea that you'd always be moving fast enough to stream a flag out behind you would have seemed insane. Anyway, the key was whether the picture was being used as a substitute for an actual flag. Small/secondary depictions or uniform patches often but not always followed the usual "stars upper left" rule.)
 

ControlNode

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I get the look are are going for with the flags mirroring each other, but since the flag on the right as rules for proper display I would swap the flag locations so the star field is on the top left as it should be for that flag.
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