Memorial Day weekend. The flag is up.

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geezer

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Kruse'n
The flag will stay up for the weekend, with a light on it at night.

I have friends and relatives memorialized at Arlington National Cemetery, and other places around the world. I don't visit, but I do raise the flag.

Nearer home, last year I noticed that a neighbor 4 blocks away did not have his customary American and Marine flag up, which normally flew year round, it had not been up for most of the year. I stopped and asked why, and found that he had passed away a few years ago, and his wife was now not up to the task. I asked permission to raise the flags, and promised to return and lower them. It meant a lot to her as she stood on her porch and watched while my wife and I took proper care of the flags. Sunday, her daughter was there, and participated, morning and evening, followed by Memorial Day itself.

I am the only veteran on my street, and the only flag flying. We went for a bike ride this morning, about 3 miles, and saw just one flag (His father was Navy, WW 2).

How many flags are up, or will be up on Memorial Day among the members here?
 
Mine's up 24/7/365, properly lit at night. Wall mount with no way to do half mast. Appropriate days bring out the mini-flags in the front yard. Socially distanced 6' apart.
 
Normally this weekend is when my dad starts having the US and MD flags out everyday all summer.
So, as he is recovering from COVID-10, I am getting his house ready for summer. Last weekend I was working on the outside, and noticed the flag poles both had cracked and mounts were broken. Ugh. Ordered new ones last week. Due to arrive in a month.
I think this will be the first time I can recall not having the flag up for Memorial day in my life at my parents house. Brings to mind a good point, over the past eight years of moving around I got out of the habit of flags up in summer. I need to restart it.

Tim
 
Friends wife (anti war type) called and advised that he had passed away.

I called his daughter, asked if his American flag was up as usual, she said yes, and I requested that she lower it to half staff so the neighbors would know he was gone, as well as recognize his service. She did, and thanked me for remembering the significance of half staff. Unlike her Mom, she was proud of her Dad's service.

He is in Arlington, with the same honors as a retired Admiral I knew, and although I have known him since high school, and he was only an Airman 3rd, I have no idea why he qualified for Arlington or the honors. He had a top secret clearance, and seems to have been shot down twice, nearly captured once. The first time was over North Korea, before he was in the Air force, testing some secret electronic gear.
 
Flag is up 24/7, with lights that come on/off automatically with the change in sunlight.
 
Love the flag and all that it represents.
I think the night time illumination requirement is antiquated and unnecessary; I don't believe it would show disrespect to fail to light it up.
(The problem is unnecessary lighting of the nighttime sky, especially around observatories such as the one near me.)
 
I bring mine in at night. I don’t have a way to keep it lit. Maybe I’m old school, but I only put it out during daylight hours (and some night hours because I forget to take it down at sunset.)
 
geezer said:
Friends wife (anti war type) called and advised that he had passed away.

I called his daughter, asked if his American flag was up as usual, she said yes, and I requested that she lower it to half staff so the neighbors would know he was gone, as well as recognize his service. She did, and thanked me for remembering the significance of half staff. Unlike her Mom, she was proud of her Dad's service.

He is in Arlington, with the same honors as a retired Admiral I knew, and although I have known him since high school, and he was only an Airman 3rd, I have no idea why he qualified for Arlington or the honors. He had a top secret clearance, and seems to have been shot down twice, nearly captured once. The first time was over North Korea, before he was in the Air force, testing some secret electronic gear.
Click to expand...

Sumpin to be said about a woman who stays with a man she’s not proud of. Or is that an assumption because she is ‘anti war?’ My wife is anti war. So am I. But I am proud of my service even though I wish it wasn’t necessary. So is she.
 
The anti war wife was his second, married years after his service. I may drive over to hr house and check if there is a flag up, but will not stop, we do not get along well. Long drive, so not real likely I will go. I suppose I should call his daughter, and ask her.

Married life is a series of compromises, and continues if the parties have enough to agree with to make it work.
 
Saw some videos of the Tomb Sentinels at Arlington cemetery.

I now have big time respect with who they are, why they do it, and what is involved to be qualified for the job.
 
Flags in went on as usual in Arlington, even though it’s closed to visitors.

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I live in an "over 55 active adult" community with lots of veterans. I put out our flag on Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, and Veterans Day, like about half the homes here.

I don't see patriotism, love of country, and respect for the flag as political or partisan; it's not a Republican flag, a Democratic flag, or an Independent flag. It is an American flag.
 
24/7/365 and Lighted at night.

The local Optimist Club has a program called Avenue of Flags where for $40 a year, they put an 8' pole and flag in your yard next to the curb on holidays. My whole street has joined that program so this weekend, if you drive the street there are flags at every house plus a few like me who have flag poles year round.

Cheers
 
My grandfather (Marine WWII, Okinawa) had a flag pole made out of oilfield drilling pipe (owned an oil lease in KS). Painted white and stood about 20' tall, it had a hammer union about 3' from the ground to allow relatively easy maintenance to replace pulleys and such. Flag was up 24/7. When he had passed and grandmother was moved to an assisted care facility, we sold the house but parents dug up the flag pole and moved it to their current home. US flag flies 95% of the time, but occasionally an OU flag or jolly roger gets out up when dad is feeling adventurous, lol.
 
Anti war = disposed of his uniforms, pictures from when he was in service, objected to us talking of our experiences in peace time in Europe, because we were in service then.

I avoided visiting when she was home. After he became disabled, when things broke in his house, I would go and fix them, he would tell me when his wife would not be there, so we met less times. His last days were socially interesting to say the least, as she was always there, and had no choice but be polite. She did not notify any other friends of his passing beyond hers, and my wife and I were the only ones at Arlington for the service besides the Chaplin, their daughter, and her priest.

With this relationship, you can see why I have not asked why he qualified to be in Arlington.
 
geezer said:
With this relationship, you can see why I have not asked why he qualified to be in Arlington.
Click to expand...
https://www.military.com/benefits/burial-and-memorial/arlington-national-cemetery.html

Because of limited space, Arlington National Cemetery does limit burials to:
  • Members who died on active duty and their immediate family
  • Retirees and their immediate family
  • Recipients of the Purple Heart, or Silver Star and above
  • Any honorably discharged POW who died after Nov. 30, 1993
Inurnment, the storage of cremated remains in a Columbarium - or wall, is limited to honorably discharged members including:
  • All those listed above
  • Veterans and their immediate family
  • Reservists, National Guard, or Air National Guard members who die while on active duty for training or full-time service and their immediate family
  • Reserve or National Guard members with at least one day of active duty (other than for training) and who are qualified to collect retired pay
If he was an honorably discharged veteran, he was eligible for inurnment in Arlington National Cemetery.

Stan (another geezer vet)
 
Matthew said:
Flags in went on as usual in Arlington, even though it’s closed to visitors.

View attachment 86109
Click to expand...

glad to see it’s getting done. I did this ride for a number of years when I was living in SoCal. https://nbcpalmsprings.com/2020/05/19/annual-memorial-day-bike-run-canceled/ Every rider and passenger got a flag to place on grave when getting to Riverside National Cemetery after a ride through the streets of the city. The streets were lined with people along the way.
I’ve been doing this one since moving North but alas attending live isn’t happening this year. I’m sure the ‘remembered’ understand and know they are no less remembered. https://www.nps.gov/fova/learn/news/memorialday2017.htm
 
Stan, you have the answer!
His remains were cremated.

Because of limited space, Arlington National Cemetery does limit burials to:
  • Members who died on active duty and their immediate family
  • Retirees and their immediate family
  • Recipients of the Purple Heart, or Silver Star and above
  • Any honorably discharged POW who died after Nov. 30, 1993
Inurnment, the storage of cremated remains in a Columbarium - or wall, is limited to honorably discharged members including:
  • All those listed above
  • Veterans and their immediate family
  • Reservists, National Guard, or Air National Guard members who die while on active duty for training or full-time service and their immediate family
  • Reserve or National Guard members with at least one day of active duty (other than for training) and who are qualified to collect retired pay
If he was an honorably discharged veteran, he was eligible for inurnment in Arlington National Cemetery.

Stan (another geezer vet)
 
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