The Daily Flag

My husband’s grandfather, Pop, used to shoot a wild turkey every year for Thanksgiving, until he got too old to hunt.

The difference between putting a golden, succulent Butterball on the table, and putting a wild turkey on the table, is the difference between driving to the grocery store, or lying in wait, patient and ignoring all discomforts (and they are legion)—for the wily, wild turkey to stroll into your gunsight.

To cook a wild turkey, Pop skinned the whole bird and soaked it over-night in buttermilk. Then he wrapped it in bacon, with a cut up apple and onion on the inside, or a handful of chopped celery and green onions, and carefully roasted it. He was a free-style cook when it came to wild turkey, and it might vary from year to year.

He didn’t do all those fancy things that other cooks do to turkeys, except to put it on a handsome platter, with a well-sharpened knife and fork along side. And by “well-sharpened,” I mean you could do surgery with it. Hendrick men can sharpen a knife until the edge disappears into infinity.

No matter what else was on the table, we all took a serving of Pop’s turkey (you would have too). Would you like dark meat, or darker meat?  For me, it was a reminder of hard times, and good times. Hard times, you know, to find wild turkey on your plate.

Good times—dear God in Heaven! What a blessing—to have wild turkey on your plate.

Whatever is on your plate today, I hope you will Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Tags: Thanksgiving, wild turkey

I have shown you all kinds of flag videos on The Daily Flag, but Red Flag is not the usual.

Please fasten your seat belt, and block out 48:29 minutes from your day.

Hat Tip to Exile in Portales, via Steeljaw Scribe.

Tags: Hulu Videos, Nellis Air Force Base, Red Flag

After a decade’s conservation, the flag that inspired the National Anthem returns to its place of honor on the National Mall.

By Robert M. Poole for Smithsonian magazine, November 2008

Long before it flew to the moon, waved over the White House or was folded into tight triangles at Arlington National Cemetery; before it sparked fiery Congressional debates, reached the North Pole or the summit of Mount Everest; before it became a lapel fixture, testified to the Marines’ possession of Iwo Jima, or fluttered over front porches, firetrucks and construction cranes; before it inspired a national anthem or recruiting posters for two world wars, the American ensign was just a flag.

 

For the rest of Robert M. Poole’s splendid story in Smithsonian magazine, go here.

On Wednesday, President George Bush and First Lady Laura Bush dedicated the renovated National Museum of American History. Today is the grand opening to the public, with retired Gen. Colin Powell scheduled to read President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

The original Star-Spangled Banner—the one that flew over Fort McHenry and inspired America’s National Anthem—had long been displayed in the museum, but for the past ten years it has been in the hands of conservationists, who have carefully preserved the fragile flag.

Now it is beautifully displayed again in a specially designed gallery and enclosure that will protect this national treasure.

All photography from the Smithsonian web site.

Tags: flag conservation, Fort McHenry, National Museum of American History, Star Spangled Banner

On October 20, The Daily Flag linked to this story in The Oregonian. Today there is an update, with some exciting news for vexillologists.

The response to the flag contest redesign has floored us. I quit counting more than a week ago when we already had 1,000 entries. Now, in the final days (deadline is Friday 5 p.m.) we’ve also gotten envelopes full of submissions from art and history classes across the state.

It’s surpassed what we hoped it would do. The contest has made people — from student citizens to senior citizens — think about what makes Oregon distinct. What symbols brand us. It’s been great to read the letters so many of you have written about what you love about Oregon and why it’s important to you.

I designed a great flag, but the contest asked for entries from citizens of Oregon. My design uses the existing blue and gold, and adds two shades of green. On the hoist side, I used half a wagon wheel in gold (superimposed over the blue) that looks like the rays of the setting western sun. And I bet there are at least 100 entries that look just like it.

Tags: Oregon state flag, The Oregonian

Good manners are always appropriate.

Dear Abby: Standing during pledge is simply respect

Dear Abby: “Silent Supporter, Benson, N.C.” (Aug. 26) cannot say the Pledge of Allegiance because of religious reasons.

I support his or her right not to participate. However, I disagree with “Silent’s” interpretation that standing is participating.

For the rest of Abby’s column today, go to Amarillo.com.

Last month The Daily Flag received a question about flag precedence, etiquette and protocol, which is routine, but for the event in question, it was not.

It was for the “Run for the Fallen,” to the Healing Field Memorial at Patriot Park in Cathedral City, California, sponsored by the Cathedral City Rotary Club and Cathedral City.

The “run” was a motorcycle parade, lead by motorcyclists bearing four American flags in honor of four local soldiers who had fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan.

There is a wealth of information about how to carry the flags in a parade, but when the flags are borne by motorcycle riders, extra care must be taken, and the members of these motorcycle riding clubs wanted to make sure they carried these flags of honor properly.

The Run for the Fallen motorcycle procession was held by a consortium of local motorcycle riding clubs, with riders on 175 motorcycles from The American Legion Riders of Palm Springs, the Desert Riders Association, and the Palm Springs Harley Owners Group.

The riding clubs carried the four U.S. flags in honor of SPC Jason Chappell, 1st Lt. Joshua M. Palmer,       PFC Ming Sun, and Corporal Jesus Gonzales, who were from the area in and around Cathedral City.

During the Healing Field Memorial, the 4,248 names of American service men and women were read. The National Anthem was sung by legendary band leader Buddy Greco and his wife, Lezlie Anders.

The Cathedral City High School Symphonic Band, and the United States Marine Corps Band from the Air Ground Combat Center in Twenty-nine Palms performed.

Guest speaker was Gunnery Sgt. Christopher W. Cox, U.S. Marine Corps.

More photographs can be seen at The Desert Riders Association website.

Tags: American Legion Riders, Cathedral City CA, Cathedral City High School, Cathedral City Rotary Club, Desert Riders Association, Healing Field Memorial, Palm Springs HOG, US Marine Corps

Now would be a good time to sign up for the RSS feed from The Daily Flag.

Last week I took a small vacation from The Daily Flag, and during that time I made major business decisions about The Daily Flag and Flags Bay.

I will continue to write for The Daily Flag, but I am reducing the number of articles to one a week, maybe two, which will include occasional book reviews, too.

More than half the people who come to TDF are looking for specific information on flag protocol and etiquette, and I need to make changes on the website so that information is easier to find.

One of the serendipitous consequences of writing at TDF is that I have developed two book ideas which I never would have known about or considered, were it not for TDF and the research required to write here.  I don’t know if these ideas are viable, but I am devoting more time to them. That means trips to distant libraries, because the information I am looking for is not found on the Internet.

I would tell you what the book ideas are, but I cannot (unless you are a book publisher reading here—then one book is an undertold story in American vexillology, and the other idea is about a flag whose mysterious origin, I believe, is deeply buried in one of the oldest and most beloved works in all of English literature. Write me at deborah@flagsbay.com).

Until next week, I remain vexillologically yours, Deborah.

The flag image shown above was adapted from a U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs 1984 Veterans Day poster. The name of the artist is not available presently, but I’m on the hunt.  Isn’t it a beautiful painting!

Tags: Flags Bay, The Daily Flag, U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Day

From the Department of Veterans Affairs, an overview of Veterans Day.

What a remarkable silhouette. Definitely 21st century.

Tags: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Day

“Be it Resolved That two battalions of Marines be raised consisting of one Colonel, two lieutenant-colonels, two majors and other officers, as usual in other regiments; that they consist of an equal number of privates as with other battalions, that particular care be taken that no persons be appointed to offices, or enlisted into said battalions, but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve for and during the present war with Great Britain and the Colonies; unless dismissed by Congress; that they be distinguished by the names of the First and Second Battalions of Marines.”

 

Happy 233rd Birthday to the U.S. Marine Corps!

Since November 10, 1775, the U.S. Marines are still taken with “particular care.”

Left: U.S. Marines from 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, conducts a foot patrol through the town of Barwanah, Iraq, on Dec. 2, 2006.

The 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, is deployed with Regimental Combat Team 7, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Andrew D. Young

Tags: 233 Birthday U.S. Marine Corps, 2nd Battalion-4th Marines, USMC Cpl. Andrew D. Young

Did you ever raise your right hand and take an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States? If you did, then I know you are forever changed by this act of sacrifice.

From Flags Bay and The Daily Flag, we thank you for your dedication and service to our country.

Veterans Day is Tuesday, November 11.  The flag is flown in the full-staff position all day.

Tags: U.S. Armed Forces reenlistment ceremony