Fourth Tennessee Infantry flag to be sold

The battle flag of Tennessee's 4th Infantry Regiment is being auctioned next week by James D. Julia, Inc. It is item 3091 at Session 3 of the auction. There are a number of other flags in the auction, several of them Confederate, and one associated with Napoleon Bonaparte.

Flag of the Day

Today is Independence Day in Botswana.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Flag of the Day

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Boqueron in Paraguay.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Flags of the Day

Today is Teachers' Day in the Republic of China; and Flag Day in Thailand.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Flags of the Day

Yesterday was Constitution Day in Liechtenstein; and Revolution Day in Yemen.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Newfoundland Flag Change?

There is a move afoot in Newfoundland and Labrador to replace the province's official flag with a traditional flag often associated with independence from Canada.

Consisting of three vertical bars of colour, akin to the Irish and Italian flags, the Pink, White and Green is rooted in bridging sectarian differences. The pink and green sections relate, respectively, to the English and Irish roots of Newfoundland's settlers, with the white stitching them together.

A symbol of the campaign for independence in the late 1940s, when Newfoundlanders ultimately - and narrowly - voted for Confederation with Canada, the Pink, White and Green has been the subject of a resurgence in recent years.

Flags of the Day

Today is Heritage Day in South Africa; and Republic Day in Trinidad and Tobago.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Who are Gold Star Mothers?

Gold Star Service Flag made by Richard Gideon Flags

Gold Star Mothers are mothers who have lost a son or daughter in the service of our country. They are represented by an organization called American Gold Star Mothers, Inc., established June 4, 1928, by a group of women whose sons had died in World War I.

The "gold star" refers to the gold star that replaced the blue star on service flags and banners displayed by the families of soldiers in time of war.

The following information on Service Flags is taken from AMERICAN VEXILLUM Magazine and the web site of RICHARD R. GIDEON FLAGS.



The Service Flag was created in 1917 by a former U.S. Army officer, R. L Queisser of Cleveland, Ohio, to honor his two sons who were serving in France. He used blue stars to symbolize his sons - one star for each. The flag quickly caught on as a window banner (an advertisement for a window banner is in the October, 1917 edition of National Geographic). But it was during W.W.II. that the Service Flag really took hold, becoming a common sight in homes across America. Congress passed an Act (36 U.S.C. 901) officially recognizing the Service Flag, and Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 1348.20, 1 December 1967 (revised September, 1996), implemented the Act of Congress.

The Blue Star Service Flag may be displayed by an immediate family member of someone enrolled in the military during a time of war or national emergency, with one blue star representing each member of the family enrolled in the armed forces. It is just as proper to fly a Service Flag for a daughter who is a military doctor in a state-side hospital as it is for a son who is a tank commander in Iraq. "Immediate family members" are defined as "wife, husband, mother, father, stepmother, stepfather, parent through adoption, foster parents who stand or stood in loco parentis (the position of a parent), children, stepchildren, children through adoption, brothers, sisters, half brothers, and half sisters of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States".

The Service Flag may also be displayed by organizations for their members who are currently enrolled in the military.

Here is where the Gold Star part comes in. A gold star indicating the enrolled member has died under honorable conditions. The gold star is lapped over the blue star so that a blue border shows. Also, the death does not have to be combat related. The regulations clearly state "killed or died while serving," and do not specify how the death occurred.

President Bush Honors Gold Star Mothers

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

The men and women of America's Armed Forces selflessly serve to protect our Nation, and they are among our greatest heroes. From the trenches of World War I to the beaches of Normandy, from Korea to Vietnam, from Afghanistan to Iraq, many courageous members of our military have given their lives so that Americans could live in freedom and security. On Gold Star Mother's Day, we recognize and pray for the devoted and patriotic mothers of these men and women in uniform who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our liberty.

America's Gold Star Mothers carry a great burden of grief, yet they show a tremendous spirit of generosity in helping their fellow citizens. With kindness and understanding, they support members of our Armed Forces and their families, provide vital services to veterans, help to educate young people about good citizenship and our Nation's founding ideals, and bring comfort to many in need. We commend these proud women for their compassion, commitment, and patriotism, and our Nation will always honor them for their sacrifice and service.

The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 115 of June 23, 1936 (49 Stat. 1895 as amended), has designated the last Sunday in September as "Gold Star Mother's Day" and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in its observance. On this day, we express our deep gratitude to our Nation's Gold Star Mothers, and we ask God's blessings on them and on their families.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Sunday, September 25, 2005, as Gold Star Mother's Day. I call upon all Government officials to display the flag of the United States over Government buildings on this solemn day. I also encourage the American people to display the flag and hold appropriate ceremonies as a public expression of our Nation's sympathy and respect for our Gold Star Mothers.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirtieth.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Flags of the Day

Today is Autumnal Equinox Day in Japan; and the celebration of the Foundation of the Kingdom in Saudi Arabia.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Jamaica not keen on the "Jamaica coalition"

The stalemated election in Germany, and the subsequent efforts to build a governing coalition, have resulted in the press dubbing one possible grouping of parties the "Jamaica Coalition". This is based on the fact that the party colours of the members of that proposed coalition--the Christian Democrats, the Free Democrats, and the Greens--match the black, yellow and green colours of the Jamaican flag.

It seems that the Jamaican government is not necessarily flattered by the reference.

"Caricatures of Merkel and the other party leaders in dreadlocks have been cropping up in newspapers and on television, and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer made an offhand remark about reggae music and marijuana joints in expressing his opposition to the idea.

"The Jamaican Embassy issued a statement cautioning news media about 'trivializing' good relations between the two countries."

Flag of the Day

Today is Independence Day in Mali.

Animated flag provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Flags of the Day

Today is Independence Day in Armenia, and Belize (formerly British Honduras); and the International Day of Peace for the United Nations.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Half-Masting ends today

In accordance with the Presidential Proclamation ordering flags to be flow at half mast as a mark for respect for the victims of hurricane Katrina, the period for flying flags at half-mast ends today at sunset.

The half-masting period for the late Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist ended on 13 September 2005.

Flags of the Day

Today is Liberation Day in Luxembourg; and Independence Day in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Flag of the Day

Today is Independence Day in Chile.

Animated flag provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Tattered U.S. flag inspires Covington, Louisiana police

A tattered flag, hanging from a bent pole a foot off the ground has served as the inspiration to keep the officers at the Covington Police Department motivated and working.
Lt. Jack West, spokesman for the department, said it was the first sight the officers saw when they opened the doors at the Covington Police Station after the storm hit Aug. 29, and the officers could not have asked for a more motivating sight.

Benchmark for Flags Of The Confederacy

The counter on the Flags of the Confederacy web site rolled over the 1,000,000 mark at mid-night last night. That is the number of hits received on its old bCentral founter since it was installed on 23 May 2001.

Flag of the Day

Today is Constitution Day in the United States of America. Flags are at half-mast in memory of the victims of huricane Katrina.

Flags of the Day

Today is Independence Day in Mexico, and Papua New Guinea; and Owain Glynd?r Day in Wales.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

'Blue State' flag?

Some Democrats with a sense of humour seem to have revampted the version of the Confederate battle used by some regiments in the Trans-Mississippi Department into a flag to represent 'The United Blue States of America'. The 21 stars appear to represent the states (and DC) that voted for Kerry (or Gore?), plus the new State of South Florida, which also has a flag.

They have also developed a proposed constitutional amendment on secession.

I am not all all sure that the MoveOn.org crowd would approve of the flags' designs.

Flags of the Day

Today is Independence Day in Costa Rica, El Savador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; and Respect for the Aged Day in Japan.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

'Flag man' creates plates of United States

My friend, Peter Orenski, the "flag dude" of New Milford, Connecticut, is in the news for a new line of souvenir porcelain collectors plates illustrating the seals, symbols and mottos of the 50 states.

You can learn more about Peter's products at TMEALF.com.

Israel Lowers Its Flag in the Gaza Strip

In this New York Times photo, the last Israeli soldiers closed their Neve Dekalim headquarters and began leaving Gaza early Monday morning.

Flag of the Day

Today is Battle of San Jacinto Day in Nicaragua.

Animated flag provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Beauvoir and Old Capitol flags survive Katrina

Below is a post-Katrina photo of Beauvoir. Nan Prince of the Old Capitol Museum, says that the historic flags at Beauvoir (at least the ones on loan from the Old Capitol Museum) survived the hurricane and were not damaged. The flags on display at Beauvoir that belong to the Old Capitol Museum are back in Jackson now.

In response to my inquiry about damage to the Old Capitol itself, Nan writes:

"The Old Capitol did sustain major damage. Half of the roof peeled back during the storm and some exhibit areas and one of our collections storage rooms were drenched. We are closed to the public and will probably remain so for the next several months while we repair the building. Most of the artifacts seem to be in good shape and are drying out nicely. Even though they were in the affected room, none of our flags got wet. After seeing all of the destruction in our state and Louisiana, we feel pretty lucky."

Flags of the Day

Today is the Day of the Nation in Cape Verde; and Popular Revolution Day in Ethopia.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Super Flag!

Nora, who has been taking care of me for almost thirty years now, brought to my attention the web site of the folks who provide giant flags for big occasions. The trade name of this business is, fittingly, Superflag. They have four different sizes of Super Flags that they make available on a rental basis. The largest, THE Superflag, measures 255 x 505 feet and requires at least 600 volunteers to unfurl. The small one, Superflag Jr., only measures 47 x 82 feet and can be unfurled by a mere 65 volunteers.

Flag of the Day

Today is Patriot's Day in the United States of America; the 4th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the United States.

Owain Glyndwr's flag flies again

Cardiff Council has agreed that the flag of the 15th Century Welsh revolutionary, Owain Glyndwr, will fly from the battlements of Cardiff Castle next week. It will be hoisted above the walls on Friday 16 September in celebration of Owain Glyndwr Day, which commemorates the date in 1400 when he declared himself Prince of Wales.

Arrest follow display of flag of Biafra

Supporters of the secessionist state of Biafra, which was crushed in the 1960s in its attempt to secede from Nigeria, attempted to hoist the Biafran flag in the city of Asaba.

"Members of the group numbering about 25 arrived the town in the early hours of yesterday from the neighbouring Anambra State and marched through the streets as they demanded for a Republic of Biafra chanting war songs."

Ten of the demonstrators were arrested while attempting to hoist the Biafran flag.

Flags of the Day

Today is the anniversary of the 1798 Battle of St. George's Cay in Belize; National Day in Gibraltar; and Independence Day in Guinea Bissau.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.