MACON, Ga. — We pledge allegiance to the American flag in school and veterans see it as a symbol of their service.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post Commander Tracy Burkholder is also a U.S. Army veteran. He says he knows a thing or two about proper flag etiquette, so we asked him if there's a proper way to fly and display the flag.
"If you go to U.S. Code 4 Chapter 1, it has all the information about flying the flag, displaying the flag, proper etiquette for how to respond when the flag is around or when you walk past one," said Burkholder.
So we verified, there is a right way to fly and display the flag.
"The flag is never to touch the ground. When you put it up, it goes all the way to the top of the staff. If for some reason, on one of the occasions, like Memorial Day and some of the others, when you're going to fly them half staff, you fly the flag all the way to the top of the pole, and bring it down slowly to half staff," he said.
He says to display it, the American flag always has top priority.
"As long as there's no other flags around it. If there are, the U.S. flag is always at the top, it always has priority," Burkholder said.
If your flag is worn down, you could get a new one unexpectedly.
"Don't be surprised if a veteran brings a flag to you to replace the one you have up there if it's tattered and torn," he said.
Burkholder says the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Macon collects tattered flags so they can be retired properly.