I had a lady in the office the other day who had three brothers in the military; two were Green Berets and one a Military Police Officer. She asked me to run this article on paying respect to our American Flag by learning how to fold it. It seemed the least I could do for such a patriotic family.

(Constitution Week was September 17 to the 23rd.)

A - Hold the flag waist-high. 

B - Fold the lower striped section of the flag over the blue field.  

C - The folded edge (the edge nearest the reader in illustration B) is then folded over to meet the open edge.  

D - A triangular fold is then started by bringing the striped corner of the folded edge to the open edge.  

E. The outer point is then turned inward (parallel with the open edge) to form a second triangle.  

F - The triangular folding is continued until the entire length of the flag is folded in this manner.  

G - When the flag is completely folded, only the blue field should be visible. 

§176. Respect for flag

(http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.

(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.

(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.

(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.

(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.

(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.

(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.

(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.

(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.

For more information on our flag, its history and other historical information; like the Civil War, visit;

http://www.usflag.org/index.html