U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer team flying the national colors, in London, August 2012 Olympics (I think) Image via I Am That Girl
August in the U.S. is a lazy, often hot, summer month. It’s a month for vacation, picnicking, local baseball games, camping, cookouts and beach vacations. It’s not a big month for events to fly the U.S. flag.
Except, perhaps, in Olympics years, when the U.S. flag is often flown a lot, in distant locations.
Only one event calls for nation-wide flag-flying in August, National Aviation Day on August 19. This event is not specified in the Flag Code, but in a separate provision in the same chapter U.S. Code. Three states celebrate statehood, Colorado, Hawaii and Missouri.
Put these dates on your calendar to fly the flag in August:
- August 1, Colorado statehood (1876, 38th state)
- August 10, Missouri statehood (1821, 24th state)
- August 19, National Aviation Day, 36 USC 1 § 118
- August 21, Hawaii statehood (1959, 50th state)
If you want to fly your flag whenever a U.S. athlete gets a gold medal at the Olympics, that’s okay. Or any medal. Or all during the Olympics.
You may fly your U.S. flag any day. These are just the suggested days in law.
US flag at site of a bitter siege in August, 1777; National Parks Service Caption: The American Flag, as it is known today, flies over [Fort Stanwix] National Monument. It is flown following the U.S. flag code regulations. At all times of the year it is a quite a site to see. National Park Service VIP Mike Hucko
- Did the first flying of the Stars and Stripes occur at Ft. Stanwix, in August 1777, during a British siege? Probably not, historians now say. Still . . .
- Colorado Day was August 1; we covered it, even if this post wasn’t up yet
Yes, this is mostly an encore post. Fighting ignorance requires patience.
Cheekos, not sure how, but this post sneaked through into the spam-to-be-trashed file. My apologies. I just rescued it today.
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[…] Residents of Hawaii fly their flags on August 21, for Hawaii Statehood Day. […]
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I’m not much of a flag-waver, in fact, not at all. But, I’ll let my two tours in Vietnam speak for me. If you do, however, take pride in flying Old Glory, do so, with respect for the Past and hope for the Future.
And by all means, learn how to fly it properly–not at night, unless lighted; not in inclement weather; and when to destroy it when it becomes torn or faded. Also, the proper way to discard it is most important.
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