Fly your flag today for Memorial Day.
On Memorial Day, flags should be flown at half-staff until noon, then raised to full staff (and retired at sunset).
U.S. flags flying at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, for Memorial Day 2015. Photo by Ed Darrell. Please use.
Just a reminder: When posting a flag to half-staff, it should be raised with gusto to full staff, then slowly lowered to the half-staff position. On Memorial Day, when changing the flag’s position at noon, simply raise the flag briskly to full staff. At retirement, the flag should be lowered in a stately fashion.
U.S. flags flying at the Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery, for Memorial Day 2015. You may use this photo.
U.S. Flag Code asks for flag flying only on the actual Memorial Day holiday, which floats on the last Monday in May. It’s become tradition in much of Texas to fly flags all through the weekend. Fine by me.
Most residential flag poles lack a way to display a flag at half staff. In that case, fly the flag at full staff.
More:
- NBC News story on Carry the Load campaign in 2017
- PBS site on annual Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol
- Military.com story on Memorial Day
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
The prayer is a nice touch.
I am not familiar with the black scarf procedure, but that makes some sense. It’s not in the U.S. Flag Code, but it may be a military tradition.
Thanks for dropping by. Come back often.
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Thank you for clarity. Half and then full was how my folks flew it when I was a kid. We said a prayer for those who died for us and a prayer for their families. Then we got together with friends and family. I am so disappointed in so many banks, city halls, businesses, etc that pay no attention to our flag.
I was taught that if you can’t fly your flag half mast you can drape a long black scarf on the pole.
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