He's the flag guy

Joe Briley, VFW members tell story of nation's flag to students

By CHRIS CLINE
Daily Journal Staff Writer

PARK HILLS — Many area students know Joe Briley simply as the flag guy, and that’s fine by him. Briley thinks of that as a huge compliment. He said as much as students learn in the classroom, the fact that they remember the program he helps put on about the history of the American flag, well that’s pretty special to him.

Briley, the commander of the Mineral Area VFW Post 5741, along with several other members of his post were at Central High School Wednesday morning for the flag program.

“This is a program that tells the story of our nation’s flag,” Briley said. “We talk about how to honor and display the flag.”

His post had nine different flags on display at the school, ranging from the first American flag to the current one with all 50 stars.

“This is actually the second time we have done this program as a post,” Briley said. “We did it last spring at Central West Elementary. We adopted this program from the Farmington VFW.”

Briley said today’s generation of children needs to know more about the American flag and what it means to honor it.

Each student received a bookmark and a brochure about the American flag. The brochure gave examples of certain guidelines of flag etiquette. For example, during a speech the flag should always be placed to the right of the speaker, while other flags are placed to the left. When the flag is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally from a window sill, balcony, or building the stars of the flag should be placed at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half staff.

When the flag is flown with flags of other countries, all of the flags should be displayed on separate staffs of the same heights. Each flag should be the same size. It’s against international law for one nation’s flag to be flown above another during time of peace.

When the flag is used to cover a casket, it should be placed with the stars at the head and over the left shoulder. The flag should not be lowered into the grave or be allowed to touch the ground.

The flag should never be dipped to any person or thing, and can be flown upside down only as a distress signal. The flag should never be used as clothing, bedding or drapery.

Chris Cline is a reporter for the Daily Journal. Contact him at 573-431-2010, ext. 114 or at ccline@dailyjournalonline.com.

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