Sunday, September 18, 2016

Historical Line Of Flagpole Lightings

By Zed James


The American flag, officially recognized as the flag of the United States, is to be treated with respect as it is a representative of a living country and understood to be a living entity according to Section 8 of the “Flag Code”. The flag should not be shown disrespect, dipped to any person or thing, never carried horizontally, never touch the ground, the floor, water or merchandise and never worn as apparel, bedding or drapery.

Traditionally, the flag has been universally flown only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and stationary flagstaffs. "It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness."

Proper illumination of your U.S. Flag should be installed and aimed near your flagpole if you intend to display the flag at night. There is some unique historical perspective to this question. In 1970, a disabled veteran named Philip Daigneault wrote President Richard Nixon regarding a display of patriotism by flying the U.S. Flag on a 24-hour basis till the Vietnam War came to an end.

His letter was forwarded to the Adjutant General of the time in the Department of the Army. Major General Kenneth G. Wickham wrote back to Mr. Daigneault and included a response.

It is not advisable to flood the entire area in order to illuminate the flag; you simply want to spotlight the flag itself, avoiding any other light trespass. Controlling the light to come on at dusk and go off at dawn is also recommended. The advancements in outdoor lighting technology can reduce your energy use costs while still keeping your flag lit throughout the nighttime hours.

However, there is a barrage of cheap flagpole lightings being imported and sold, that do not comply with the flag statute. This is bad for a number of reasons. Imported stuff is cheaply made and more importantly, the designs, materials, colors, and methods do not compare well with the better quality, longer-lasting, and correctly designed flagpole lightings made by American manufacturers. The Flag Company Inc specialized in flags and flagpole lightings offered a special edition of solar powered flagpole lightings to provide innovative solutions for individual projects.




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