Independence Day flags at half-staff called a first

American flags will fly at half-staff on the Fourth of July for the first time in the nation's history, presenting an unusual backdrop for Independence Day celebrations, a local historian said Friday.

"We haven't really dealt with this before. This is new in American flag history," said Dr. Frank Nickell, director of the Center for Regional History at Southeast Missouri State University.

Nickell said many Americans may be puzzled to find flags at half-staff on Sunday when the nation celebrates its 228th birthday.

But President George Bush proclaimed the flag was to be flown at half-staff for 30 days in memory of former President Ronald Reagan, who died June 5. That means flags should remain at half-staff through Monday, Nickell said.

Bush's proclamation follows a policy set forth by then-President Dwight Eisenhower in a proclamation on March 1, 1954. Prior to that, no clear regulations existed for flying the flag at half-staff.

Eisenhower's policy provides that flags will fly at half-staff for 30 days on all federal buildings, grounds and naval vessels throughout the United States and its territories after the death of a president or former president.

Flags are to fly at half-staff for 10 days after the death of the vice president, the chief justice or a retired chief justice, or the speaker of the House of Representatives.

Richard Barksdale, whose St. Louis company sells flags to the federal government, believes that not only government offices, but businesses and individuals as well, should fly their flags at half-staff for the 30 days of mourning.

Many homeowners have flags on short poles that don't allow them to be flown at half-staff. In those cases, Barksdale said a black ribbon should be placed above the flag to express mourning. He said he's done that with the flag he displays on the front of his home.

Barksdale said some Americans may find it hard to fly the flag at half-staff on Independence Day, the nation's most patriotic holiday.

He said a retired serviceman told him that he understands flag protocol but still plans to fly his flag at the top of his flag pole on the Fourth of July to celebrate the nation he loves.

That doesn't bother flag merchant Herb Nance of Cape Girardeau.

Nance, a veteran, said flags only have to be flown at half-staff at government buildings.

"It doesn't apply to citizens," he said.

Nance said the flag code doesn't prevent Americans from running their flags to the top of their flag poles. Nance proudly displays his Stars and Stripes from a flag pole in his front yard. He said he flew his flag at half-staff for only a few days.

"I meant no disrespect," he said. "I don't let politics enter into my flag work."

Nance said he was worried that the flag would get tangled if he kept it lowered for long, so he raised it to its normal height.

But local government offices, schools and many businesses still were flying their American flags at half-staff on Friday.

Some businesses have resumed flying their flags at the top of the flag poles.

Huck's convenience store at 353 S. Kingshighway flew its 15-by-25-foot flag at half-staff at first in memory of Reagan. But by doing so, the large flag touched stacked bags of mulch.

"Some people were complaining," Huck's manager Rick Wright said.

As a result, the convenience store resumed flying the flag at the top of the pole, he said.

Nickell said lowering the flag in a time of mourning is linked to British tradition. British ships would lower their sails as a sign of respect during funerals at sea, he said.

Nickell, who grew up on a farm in Illinois, said few American families or businesses had American flags when he was young. Flags, he said, were too expensive.

The American flag didn't become a common sight in the United States until the 1950s, a time of "super patriotism" during the Cold War, Nickell said.

"Schools in the 1950s taught you how to respect the flag," Nickell said.

Today, there's a proliferation of American flags, but many Americans know little about flag etiquette, he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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