NORTH AMERICAN VEXILLOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

VOLUME XXIII, No. 2

NAVA XXIV METRO TORONTO Metro Toronto, Canada's Queen City, and Ontario's Capital,

invites vexillologists of North America and the world to NAVA's 24th Annual Conference.

WHEN?: October 5-7, 1990 Canada's Thanksgiving Weekend WHAT CITY?: Metro Toronto contains six municipalities. North

York and Scarborough will be the officio I host citites within Metro. WHAT HOTEL?: NOVOTEL HOTEL NORTH YORK. Novotel is

a new and beautiful multi-story hotel of pink- and green-hued towers in downtown North York (Mel Lastman Square), right on the Yonge St. subway, just north of the Yonge Sheppard intersection. (3 Park Home Ave., Willowdale, M2N 6L3)

WHO?: Invitation is extended to all persons interested in vexil­lology - flag scholars, flag collectors, flag makers, flag designers, flag historians. Members of NAVA (North American Vexillological Assocition) and CFA (Canadian Flag Association) members will meet joi7ltly for the first time!

WHY?: To offer again a meeting place for discussion and promoti.on offlag interests in North America. It's Canada's turn to host and we wish to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Canada's National Flog.

HOW TO GET THERE: Metro Toronto is on all major transpor­tation routes - air services, Pearson International Airport; train services via Buffalo-Niagara, Detroit-Windsor, Kingston. By automobile, the 401 (MacDonald-Cartier Freeway) leads directly to the site. Use the Yonge St. North exit.

WHAT TO DO/WHAT TO SEE: In addition to the NAVA 24 presentations, lectures, tours and social activities from Friday through Sunday we offer all the delights of a bustling, exciting cosmopolitan city. Six cities in one. Harbourfront, Eaton Centre and Yorkville (shopping), Pioneer Village, Metro Zoo, Museums, Galleries, Universities, CN Tower, Domed Stadium, Libraries, Fes­tivals, Neighbourhoods, Markets, Provincial Capital, Islands, Forts, Churches & Temples, Boutiques, Restaurants (from Armenian to Vietnamese), Armouries, Science Centre, Ontario Place, Parks, Bluffs and Ravines, Wonderland, Subways and Street-cars! And Indian Summer weather should allow us to enjoy all this. Make it a long, long weekend.

PROGRAMME: Programme is in the hands of Scot Guenter, Vice-President of NAV A, who will issue the calf for papers and presentations. (See page 3.)

HOW MUCH: Registration details will be in the next issue. ANY FLAGS?: Of course, Metro has its own flag, each of the six

cities likewise, the surrounding eight municipalities too. We're planning flag displays, tours of flag-making plants, flag contests ...

QUESTIONS?: Your Canadian hosts are Kevin Harrington and Sandra Armstrong. Contact Kevin at (FA Headquarters, 50 Heathfield Dr., Scarborough, Ontario, Canado, MiM 3B l. Tele­phone (416) 267-9618, (evenings and weekends).

MARCH/APRIL 1990

Couldn't you use a little

TORONTO?

FLAG CONTEST The annual competition for a NAVA Conference flag is

launched. This year the 24th meeting will be held in Metro Toronto (with activities in the three cities of North York, Scarborough and Toronto), in the province of Ontario, Cmwda.

Designs must be submitted by May 1, 1990, and should be in bright and full colours on a sheet of paper no larger than 8.5 x 11 inches.

To guide and encourage particularly our first-time vexillo­graphers, let us review past winning flag designs. The first time a flag was adopted for a Conference was at Washington, NAVA 11, 1977. So we now have 13 design precedents. Winning flag designers since 1977 include Charles Brannon, Alfred Znamier­owski (twice), Dorothy Claybourne, Whitney Smith, Phil Allen, Ralph Holberg (three.times), Jim Ferrigan (twice), once with Whit­ney Smith and James Croft, and John Purcell.

Red, white and blue (combining Canadian and U.S. national colours) have appeared on seven flags. Local devices (witch, fleur-de-lis, apple, phoenix, etc.) have appeared on ten designs.

Triangles have been used on ten fiags, often interpreted as a 'Y' for vexillology.

The sequence number of conferences has been a clear feature of nine flag designs, e.g. sixteen stars for Pittsburgh's NAVA 16, thirteen stripes for Salem's NAVA 13, two of the Roman numerals for ten on NA VA 20 at Trenton.

A clear resemblance to NAVA's flag has been seen on three designs.

Below are some local symbols, names or logos for those unfamil­iar with Ontario and its largest urban areo. This is just a suggestion of symbols that might be employed.

Metro Toronto - blue & green, six interlocking circles or loops. Toronto - royal blue, City Hall, eN Tower, Domed stadium.

Commonly called the Queen City, Hogtown and T.O. Scarborough - red, white and blue, the Bluffs and waves of Lake

Ontario. North Yark - blue and wmte, gold discs, also uses the 'city with a

heart' idea. Province of Ontario - The trillium is the floral emblem. The flag is

the old Canadian red ensign type with arms (St. George's cross and three green maple leaves on one stem) in the fly.

A small red maple leaf appear~onthe flags of Scarborough and Toronto.

Please send in entries to Kevin Harrington, NAVA 24 Contest, 50 Heathfield Dr., Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, M 1 M 3Bl.

NAVA News March/April1990 PAGE 1

FROM THE PRESIDENT ... DON HEALY

What a great year to be a vexillologist! With demonstrations flooding the evening news nightly, show­

ing thousands upon thousands of Lithuanians, Poles, Czechs, and scores of other ethnic and national groups waving countless flags, the public's awareness of flags must be aRproaching an all time high. This makes it a golden opportunity for all vexillologists to plug their field of study, business or hobby. .

Those who are currently giving talks on the American, Canadian or Confederate flags, might want to add to their repertoire a presentation on the flags and symbols of Central Europe and the nationalities of the Soviet Union. Schools might really need such a "current" topic for their students. Maybe your loci newpaper might be interested in a locally authoried "Flags in the News" column.

We should use this once in a lifetime occurrence to introduce as many people as possible to vexillology. For once, a large number of people have a desire to understand the symbolism, history, usage and emotional attachment linked to flags. History is bom­barding. them with images of tri-colors with their center ripped out and coffins draped in strange flags.

As the world witnesses dramatic political changes, vexillology is one field of study that can help people understand the motivation and zeal of long suppressed minorities. Vexillologists understand the flag symbols to a for greater extent than the average citizen and know the historical backgrounds of these unheard of places. By explaining these symbols, we can increase the understanding of their hopes, dreams and aspirations - while extolling the merits of vexillology and, of course, giving NAVA a plug.

*****

UPHEAVAL IN THE EAST - A Vexillologist's Checklist

With so many different cultural and political changes occurring within the former Communist "bloc", here is a simple checklist of flags and arms whose days may be numbered as of January 31, 1990.

Some have already fallen by the wayside, some may survive, but as of this dote, they all look threatened with extinction: Benin - arms & national flag Bulgaria - arms, national flag, naval jock, flag for the Chief of

State, Cambodia - arms & national flag (yes, again) Czechoslovakia - arms (proposal to combine the traditional arms

of Bohemia, Slovakia & Moravia has been made by Pres. Havel), River Patrol ensign, Presidential standard

Ethiopia - arms & state flag (rebels are only 70 miles from Addis Ababa)

German Oem. Rep. - arms, all flags Hungary - arms & state flag (add Kossuth arms to the national flag) Poland - arms (already changed, crown restored), naval ensign,

coast guard ensign, state flag, Presidential standard, military unit flags

Romania - national flag (already changed, arms deleted), arms, jack, Presidential standard

U.S.S.R. - Armenia SSR flag; Azerbaijan SSR flag & arms; Estonia SSR flag (already restored) & arms; Latvia SSR flag already restored) & arms; Lithuania SSR flag (already restored) & arms; Moldavia SSR flag & arms; Georgia SSR flag & arms; Ukraine SSR flag & arms; Nakhichivan ASSR Flag & arms (note: Nakhich­ivan has declared itself of Azerbaijan SSR & USSR and Azerbaijan is threatening secession); Abkhazia ASSR; USSR arms (should Azerbaijan & Lithuania secede)

Yugoslavia - national flag, naval ensign, jack, arms, Presidential standard, the arms& flogs of Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia, Her­zegovina and Slovenia (flag & arms may have changed already - star changing to yellow and deletion of hammer & sickle from arms).

PAGE 2 NAVA News Morch/April1990

FLAGS OF THE LATVIAN REPUBLIC

1918 TO 1940 by Harold L. Herman

Following the collapse of the Russian Empire, the Latvian repub­lic was proclaimed on November 18, 1918. In 1940 U.S.S.R. forces occupied Latvian territory, and on August 5, 1940 Latvia was incorporated into the Soviet Union, as the Latvian S.S.R.

National-Merchant

... . . ~.::i· ~~

'. ~,:-:" .:".;'~ .... , . . ,

;.' .

Ensign Jack

•

C. ot O. ot Forces

Admiral

~~ .~ Captain in charge of d1 v.

All flogs are Red-Brown on White

.*.***.*.*

CHANGE OF ADDRESS Please note the following changes in Membership List and/or

previous notices in NAVA News: Correction - NAVA News, Nov.!Dec. '89; CHARLES SPAIN, 1512

Woodlawn. Address Change -DOREEN BRAVERMAN, 1755 W. 4th Ave., Vancouver, B.C. Can­

ada V6J 1M2 DAVID C.R. HEISSER (Dr.), 5839 S.W. 74th Terrace South, Apt. #

103, Miami, Fl33143 JOERG M. KARASCHEWSKI, Burgermeister-Smidt Str. 125, 2850

Bremerhaven BRD, West Germany Please mail notice of change of address to the treasurer, Gus

Tracchia (address on last page of NEWS).

f ~\ ..

FLAG DESECRATION LEGISLATION: HISTORICAL ANTECEDENTS Part Three: Public Space versus Private Space

by Scot M. Guenter

From disputes over the limits of acceptable usage of the flog of the United States in advertising (see earlier articles in this series), legal debates concerning flag desecration moved to a focus on distinctions between public space and private space in the period from World War I to World War II. Not surprisingly, the increased nationalism of wartime sparked some interesting cases on this subject during both wars. To appreciate a developing shift in interpretations of an individual's "rights" in regard to flag dese­cration - which paved the way for the current focus on First Amendment rights - we can examine two World War I judicol rulings on flag contempt and contrast them with two World War II court responses.

In 1915 Kansas passed a flag law that contained the following lines: "Any person who shall publicly multilate, deface, defile, or defy, trample upon, or cast contempt, either by words or act, upon any such flag, standard, color, or ensign (of the United States) shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor." Under this low Frederick Shumaker, Jr., was tried and convicted for suggesting to someone in a blacksmith shop in Wetmore, Kansas, a "very vulgar and indecent use of the flag." What's more, he made the statement on Lincoln's Birthday in 1918. What exactly he said was considered too rude to be included in the written record of the court. Shu­maker appealed to the Supreme Court of Kansas which heard his case on 9 November 1918. That court upheld the lower court's decision, ruling that the term "publicly" in the text of the low applied to a place of business such as a blacksmith shop.

The Shumaker case demonstrated that in those states with a flog law, irreverential reference to the flag in public could lead to a fine. It could also lead to imprisonment. E. V. Storr of Montano was cornered by a vigilante mob of some sort in March 1918. (My guess is that he was a labor sympathizer, possibly a Wobblie,since none of the newspaper accounts suggest he was pro-German.) The mob tried unsuccessfully to force Storr to kiss the flag. He refused, saying, "What is this thing anyway? Nothing buta piece of cotton with a little paint on it and some other marks in the corner there. I will not kiss that thing. It might be covered with microbes."

In August 1918 Storr was tried and convicted at sedition tor this statement. He was sentenced to not less than ten years nor more than twenty years at hard leibor in the state penetentiary, along with a $500 fine and responsbilityfor all court costs. On 31 Januarl 1930, the Federal District Court of Montana, denying his appeo , upheld the right of the state to pass such laws. He had made a public statement against the flag.

At the beginning of World War" the issue of public versus private space reappeared in rulings on convictions for flog con­tempt. A fellow named Peacock from Plymouth, Moine, was found guilty for saying the following on 13 June 1940: "What is the flog anyway? It is nothing more than a piece of rag. If I had an American flag here now I would strip it up and trample it under my feet." (He then made motions as if he were ripping up an imaginary flog then stomping it underfoot.)

The Supreme Court of Maine, however, overturned this convic­tion in 1942. That body reasoned that Peacock has said this in the privacy of his home, and that although two others were present, it was a private not a public space.

In June 1941 Joe Johnson was convicted in a lower court in Searcy County, Arkansas, for verbally abusing the flag of the United States at a welfare commissary. He appealed to the state supreme court. It turned out that someone in charge at the commis­sary had requested that Johnson salute the flag to demonstrate his patriotism. He hod refused, saying - among other things - "You can't get anything here unless you salute the flag ... It doesn't mean anything to me. It is only a rag." The higher court affirmed the conviction, ruling that the term "rag" is contemptuous and that the commissary was a public place.

<, No attention to First Amendment issues entered this dispute; what mattered was the distinction between private and public space. It should also be noted that these were state laws and state court rulings - with the federal court approving the constitutional­ity of the law in the Starr case. The first federal legislation against flag desecration would not appear until the turbulent years of the

Vietnam conflict, as arguments over notional destiny and foreign policy spilled over into the politics of flag usage.

NEXT TIME: 1968: HOFFMAN CHALLENGES THE NEW LAW

*****

WELCOME TO OUR ... NEW MEMBERS JOHN ANASTASIO (Active): 420 Ardmore Ave., Trenton, NJ

08629. - Not listed. . MICHAEL S. CHASTAIN (Active): 2960 Gordon St., Honolulu, HI

" 96818. - All areas. DAVID CHAVEZ (Active): 208 E. Ross St., Lancaster,PA 17602.

-The history behind city flogs. J.H. HARPER (Active): 57 Princess Anne Cres, Etobicoke, Ontario

M9A 2P3 Canada. - Canadian Military Colours and Flogs. Researcher.

ROBERT J. KIDD (Active): 518 S. McKenzie, Adrian, Michigan 49221. - AII,city, county. Helped design City of Adrianflag.

RONALD E. SOUCY (Active): 1348 5th Ave., Waterville, NY 12189. - Collects 4x6. Revolutionary, Civil War, US wi stars, State, city, & sports.

HUGH WARNER (Active): 5741 Elmer Derr Rd., Frederick, MD 21701. - Flag Dealer Reproductions of U.S. historicals.

*****

HEAR YEt HEAR YEt HEAR YEt OFFICIAL CALL FOR PAPERS

The official call for papers for NA VA 24 to meet in Toronto, Ontario at the Novotel Hotel, North York, 5-7 October 1990 will be included with the next issue of NAVA News. But it's never too early to start researching and planning your participation. The pivotal purpose of NAVA is to promote the study of flags - so start thinking now about which of your projects you might develop, a research interest you can turn into a 20-30 minute talk to share with us, your fellow NAVA members, as you provide fresh insights into some aspect of vexillology. It is important that your research be original, contributing new data to the information we continue to accumulate in our study of flags.

There are many directions you might go with your presentation. Certainly you might tailor your choice to an area of vexillology in which you are particularly interested: flag ritual, flag manufac­ture, flag design, flog history, flag legislation, etc. The following list of suggestions is intended to be suggestive, not exhaustive. Also, feel free to write Program Choir, Scot Guenter, at 201 S. Fourth St. #617, Son Jose, CA 95112 USA if you's like to discuss your idea in the early stages.

POSSIBLE TOPICS FOR YOUR NAVA 24 PRESENTATION -the history of your city flog -0 focus on changing or dynamic uses of flags by any of the

nationalist ethnic groups intheSoviet Unior or the democratiz­ing nations of the Eastern bloc

-the.story of a "special" flag you have encountered -debates in flog design -flag ritual or controversy in your community -the role of flogs in education . -cross-cultural flog encounters -reports 9n new flags, exotic flags -an analysis of flogs in some aspect of art, music, literature, film,

sports -developments in flag technology -cultural connections to local, national, or international flag

industry -(with deference to our hosts) new material on the flogs of Ontario,

Canada, the British Commonwealth, Francophonia -a topic of your choice

Start thinking NOW about what topic you might like to research and present in Toronto. If you've never attended a NAVA meeting before, plan nowto combine a visit to a cosmopolitan, thriving city with a gathering of friendly flag folks like yourself. A presentation proposal form will be included in the next issue of NAVA News.

Scot Guenter Program Chair, Nova 24

NAVA News March/April 1990 PAGE:i

ON. U.S.A. MILITARY FLAGS (Part 3)

THE U.S. ARMY FLAG and THE ARMY FIELD FLAG

James B. Lipinski 4524 N. Pegram Street Alexandria, VA 22304

THE US ARMY FLAG

The United Sttes Army Flag is the senior flag of the Army. It is comparable, in purpose, to the Air Force Flag, the Navy Flag, etc. The flag of the Army is white, 4 feet 4 inches by 5 feet 6 inches, trimmed on three sides with yellow 2 112 inch fringe. The device of the department of the Army seal is depicted as the major design element, appearing in ultramarine blue. A s<!arlet scroll, inscribed "UNITED STATES ARMY" in white, is centered between the device and the ultramarine blue numerals "1775".

The flag and its design was approved by Executive Order of the President in June 1956, as an identifier to be authorized for only those individual headquarters, offices and organizations as desig­nated by Headquarters Department of the Army. It appears that the original intent was to strictly limit the issue of the flag to major aCtivities. However, prior to its creation, there was no one flag which represented the entire Army. Prevailing practice was to use the organizational flag of the senior unit in a given area cis the senior Army flag. The popularity of the new flag and its acceptance was evident from the veritable avalanche of requests for it which quickly poured in from all levels of the Army. Subsequent demands engendered regulation changes which authorized its use through­out all'T1ost the entire Army, down to and including Divisions.

The U.S. Army Flag has precedence over all other Army flags and normally occupies the parade position to the immediate left of the National Colors, preceding organizational or positional colors. It is not authorized to be flown from outdoor flagpoles. Although not prescribed by regulation, it appears to be standard practice to have the flag attended by a color guard when dis­played in public. The flag is dipped in salute at ceremonies.

The old War Department seal, which is the featured device of the flag, is believed to have been designed during or immediately following the Revolutionary War period and has been little changed in documented history. An interesting aspect of this seal is that the National Color, the flag of the United States, is shown to the (seal's) left of the device, with a generic Army organizational coloron the seal's right - the reverse of accepted flag code. At the time of design of the flag, this fact was noted and Presidential approval sought for continuation of the exception. Upon research, it was found that this condition on the seal had been noted by earlier members of the Army and government. Files indicated that General Pershing had noted the error and had accepted the seal because of its provenance. President (General) Eisenhower, fol-

PAGE 4 NAVA News Morch/April1990

lowing precedent, responded similarly. Therefore, the design, as depicted above, was accepted.

The total design is described as having, as a central element, a Roman Cuirass, a symbol of strength and defense. The United States flag, of a design used in the formative years of the nation, and the other flag emphasize the role of the Army in the establish-ment of the nation. The esponton (a type of half-pike formerly used ( by subordinate officers), an unsheathed sword with the Phyrigian cap (Cap of Liberty), the musket and bayonet, and the cannon, cannon balls, mortar and mortar bombs are representative of traditional Army implements of battle. The drums are symbols of public notification of the Army's purpose and intent to serve the nation and its people. The motto, "THIS WE'LL DEFEND", on a scroll held by the rattlesnake, signifies the Army's constant readi-ness to defend and preserve the United States.

An element of the order eventually establishing the U.S. Army Flag specified that, "On such official flags of the U.S. Army as the Secretary of the Army may d~signate, there shall be displayed below the spearpoint of the flagstaff one streamer for each of the officially recognized campaigns in which the U.S. Army has partic­ipated. There shall be embroidered on each streamer the name of the campaign and the year in which it occurred." This subsequently created a problem for the Army, as we shall see.

As discussed in an earlier column, the Army has utilized diverse methods of expressing unit honors for battle participation, includ­ing embroidered battle names on the unit colors and on the U.S. Flag, or silver rings and silver bands on flag staffs. The display of battle honors on flags of the United States military came into prominence in the Civil War period, although the display of such honors can be identified as early as 1509, where they are said to have appeared on British Colors of the "King's Pensioners and Spears." Cloth streamers, as an expression of unit honors, came into being during World War One, when General Pershing could not obtain the silver for bands and was authorized to substitute embroidered cloth streamers; therefore, individual units which had participated in any battle since the creation of the Army carried the appropriate cloth streamers on their organizational colors. However, the streamers of any given unit were of a limited number. The U.S. Army Flag presented a different streamer problem. It was to carry streamers for every battle. and campaign in which any unit of the Army had participated. The number was significant. (The t terms "battle" and "campaign" rose during the Civil War, when it ~ __ was decided that a group of related battles could be combined into a campaign, for honors purposes.)

Planners were undecided about the use of streamers when designing the U.S. Army Flag. Several were opposed on the grounds that the some 144 streamers required at that time (1956) would be too cumbersome and would be ostentatious in joint service displays of the flag (i.e. the Army "outstreamering" the other services.) Some favored limiting the use of streamers to the flags in the office of the Secretary of the Army and the Army Chief of Staff. Others wanted to limit the number of streamers by differ­ent means, such as one streamer of appropriate color for each period of conflict. Therefore, in late 1955, three different sample streamer sets were ordered from the Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot for selection of potential attachments to the planned U.S. Army Flag. One set of 13 was·to be plain, not embroidered, one streamer in the designated colors of each war period. A second set of 144, also unembroidered, would represent all battles and cam­paigns. A third set of 13 would have multiple battle honors embroidered on each streamer.

The depot made a mistake in the last set; it embroidered a streamer for each battle and campaign. Time factors precluded re-doing the third set, so it was presented to the Chief of Staff, along with the other two sets. The Chief of Staff selected the third set for presentation to the Secretary of the Army as the final proposal, apparently still intending to limit the number of sets required.

Initially, the key was that the Secretary would limitthe number of flags with streamers. But over the years, practice put the U.S. Army Flag, complete with streamers, in more than 500 activities of the Army. Only one activity, Recruiting, was ciuthorized to display the flag without streamers.

Cost entered into thericture, early on. While the flag itself cost under $300, the cost a the individually embroidered streamers mounted to thousands. At one time, the total cost of one flag, with streamers, pole and stand, totaled over $8,000. (Subsequent com­puterized machine embroidering techniques have reduced the streamer costs somewhat.)

Opposition to display of the flag without streamers persisted while the number of flags authorized for issued continued to rise.

An alternative was sought. These conditions brought about the birth of the Army Field Flag.

THE ARMY FIELD FLAG

The Army"Field Flag was authorized in April 1962. An ultrama­rine blue flag, its size is 3 feet hoist by 4 feet fly, fringed on three sides. (Note the difference in size; The U.S. Army Flag was designed to match "Positional Colors" size flags, while the Army Field Flag was designed to match "Distinguishing Flags for Organizations. ") The device of the Department of the Army seal is centered in white, identical in design to that of the U.S. Army Flag. A white scroll, inscribed "UNITED STATES ARMY" in scarlet, is centered beneath the seal. The numbers '1775", in white appear below. In essence, the design is the same but the colors of the Army Field Flag are simply the reverse of the U.S. Army Flag. Streamers are not authorized for the Army Field Flag.

The Army Field Flag is not authorized for concurrent display with the U.S. Army Flag, nor is outdoor pole flying of the flag permitted. It is dipped in salute at ceremonies.

Introduction of the Army Field Flag permitted a revision of the list of activities authorized the more expensive U.S. Army Flag. The absence of streamers from the Army Field Flag alleviated the cost problems of streamer procurement and it replaced the U.S. Army. Flag in many instances. Basically, the Army Field Flag is authorize9 for specified activities not authorized for the U.S. Army Flog ..

Thus, the cost factor of the streamer problem was somewhat reduced. However, the sheer number of streamers authorized on the U.S. Army Flag continues to pose a logistical problem in han­dling the flag, particularly during outdoor ceremonies. Prior to Panama, 168 streamers graced the flag! (It is assumed Ihot an Expeditionary Force Streamer, "PANAMA 1989-1990", will be authorized and may have been authorized by the time this column is printed. The author has viewed such prepared streamers.) The already difficult task of carrying an almost 4 1/2 x 51 12 foot flog in a slight breeze is exacerbated by the addition of 168 streamers pulling the finial in every direction. Further, the vast number of streamers serve to conceal the embroidered lettering thereon. Various approaches are used to reduce the number and enhance the display. Under appropriate weather conditions, bearers may be authorized to corry only the first and last streamer of each war, reducing the number to some 25.

Streamers onthe U.S. Army Flag are four feet in length. They are attached to the pole by a clever perforated disk arrangement­which fits just below the finial. When in static display, regulations require that the "YORKTOWN 1781" streamer be in the pre­eminent position, in the center facing forward and completely identifiable. The streamer "GRANADA 1983" is also required to be visible on stationarY display.

The colors of the streamers for each period of conflict derive from the campaign medal ribbon denoting service in that particu­lar wor. Because some period of conflict are too brief to generate campaign medals and ribbons, a general "Armed Forces Expedi-

_ tionary" streamer has been authorized and was used for Granada - and undoubledly will be used for Panama.

The first battle streamer was awarded for action at Lexington, in 1775. A total of 16 scarlet and white streamers mark the Revolu­tionary War. The Warof 1812 odded 6, also of scarlet and white in

I

DISPLA Y OF STREAMERS

ON US ARMY FLAG

a different arrangement, and the Mexican War contributed another 10, of green and white. The Civil War placed 25 blue and gray streamers on the flag. The Indian Campaigns added 14 more, of scarlet and block, and the brief Spanish Campaign endowed the flag with 3 of yellow and blue. The China Relief Expedition bes­towed 3 more yellow streamers on the flag, followed by 11, of blue and red, for the Philippine Campaign. While the Mexican Service period supplied only 1 green, yellow and blue streamer, World War I tendered a total of 13, in double rainbow colors. World War II saw 38 streamers added: 1 for the American Campaign, of red, white, blue and black; 21 yellow, white, red and blue for the Asiatic Pa:ific Theater actions; and 16 for the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaigns, in brown, green, white, red and blue. Korea gave the flag 10 blue and white streamers and Viet Nam added 17, of green, white and red. Granada's single streamer, in the Expedi­tionary colors of green and white, brought about the 168th addition to the U.S. Army Flag.

As costs continue to mount and the simple logistic problem remains inadequately resolved, it it the author's opinion that the Army will be moved to alleviating actions in the area of streamers in the not-to-distant future. Meanwhile, the U.S. Army Flag and the Army Field Flog continue to play an important role in symbolizing the historic endeavors of the U.S. Army since its inception in 1775.

N.B. A list of Campaign Streamers is available from the author for a First Class postage stamp.

NAVA News March/April1990 PAGE 5

MEMBERS IN NEWS . ..

PINOLE CITY FLAG

Flying high In Pinole Rich Kenny, for right, shows Rotary Club President Larry Waters, and project chairman Jerry Cates the flag he designed for Pinole.

Taken From The Tribune, Oakland, CA, Thursday, Jan. 18, 1990.

by Rich Kenny

The Legend of PINOLE states that the U.S. surveyors who were sent to California in the 1800s found themselves in this foreign land with winter coming on and running very Iowan edible supplies. They, in their duties, came upon the Indians living in this area. When they mode known their plight the Indians warmly received them and offered them food from their own supplies. This food was a mixture of corn, nuts and berries, which were harvested from this area and was called, in the Indian language, PINOLE. The warm, giving reception that the Indians extended is now carried on by the present City of PINOLE in their many aspects of life and activities. The warmth is shown in the colors of the flog, the rich brown and tans. This design, bold and destinctive, will serve as a vanguard to surrounding communities to aspire to new heights of recognition from their peers.

On 4 December 1989, the flag officially adopted was the design I submitted. The Pinole Rotary Club commissioned me to make the first flag which they then presented to the City Council. The presen­tation was made on 16 January 1990.

Official colors: Flesh - top and bottom stripes Spice Brown - middle stripe and rays of sun Buff - Indian and sun White - Seagulls (From Annin & Co. Nylon Color Chorl)

NA VA NEWS CONTRIBUTORS

Scot Guenter Kevin Harrington Don Healy Harold L. Herman Rich Kenny

PAGE 6 NAVA News March/April1990

Lynn Knights jim Lipinski

Glen D. Nolan Gus Tracchia

LYNN KNIGHTS CARES ABOUT FLAGS

This quote is from a three column story about Lynn in The Tele-graph, Nashua, New Hampshire, 4 January 1990. "When Lynn { Knights returned to Milford about four years ago after living in Dixon, Illinois, one ofthe first things he noticed after crossing the state line was a New Hampshire flag. The flog flapped proudly on a pole in front of someone 's home on Route 13. Knights would have been delighted by the display but for one detail. The flag was flying upside down. Before heading into town, Knights stopped to per­suade the homeowner to set the flag straight. Knights cares about flags. Not just New Hampshire or American flags, but all flags; they're his hobby."

The article goes on to say' 'The hobby also gives Knights a unique view of politics. While many Americans have watched recent upheavals in eastern Europe with excitement, Knights has been especially interested in what changes will be made with the coun­tries' flags.

Romanian demonstrators have been waving flags with the socialist emblem ripped out of the center. In adopting a new flag, however, Romania can't simply remove the emblem because the African nation of Chad already uses the plain green, white and orange vertical stripes, Knights said.

Changes in a flog's design must be carefully considered because every element of a flag carries some symbolism, Knights said. For example, red was an appropriate color for the Continental Colors because it has traditionally represented bloodshed and revolution, he said.

"You can write a whole history into a flag, with the design and what it stands for," Knights said.

New Hampshire's flag shows The Raleigh, the first ship built for the U.S. Navy.

"New Hampshire's is the only flag anywhere that shows a piece of someone else's territory," Knights said, noting The Raleigh is shown under construction at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which is located in Kittery, Maine.

Knights specializes in city flags, and he recently designed a flag for Milford's bicentennial in 1992. The first flag will be completed II and put on displQY later this month, and voters at Town Meeting may be asked to decide whether to adopt it as the official town flag.

Knights follows flag news through newsletters and annual con­ventions of the North American Vexillolical Association. Derived fromthe Latin word for flag, "vexillum," vexillology is the study of flags. "

A flag commemorating the founding of America's first state, Dela­ware, is one of the full-size bonners in Lynn Knights' collection.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Lynn is alsa involved in organizing a mini-regional meeting of NAVA Members living in New England. We hope to hear all about that and the outcome of the Milford city flog in a future issue.

EXECUTIVE BOARD PRESIDENT Donald T. Healy 523 Center St. Trenton, NJ 08611-3017 (609) 392-4574

VICE PRESIDENT Scot M. Guenter 201 S. Faurth St. #617 San Jose, CA 95112 (408) 295-1425

CORRESPONDING SEC'Y Adam Stolfi P.O. Box 481 Armonk, NY 10504-0481 (914) 242-0431

RECORDING SEC'Y David Pawson 2700 Ave. K, Ste. 700 Plano, TX 75074 (214) 380-8329

TREASURER Gustavo Tracchia 82-67 Austin St. #205 Kew Gardens, NY 11415 (718) 847-2616

CONSULTANTS (Past NAVA Presidents) Dr. Whitney Smith (1967-77) Rev. D. Ralph Spence (1977-78)

Rev. John R.B. Szala (1978-80) Robert S. Gauron (1980-B1)

John M. Purcell (1981-83)

Groce R. Cooper (1983-86) Doreen 8raverman (1986-87) W. \'.'. �R�i�d�~�w�C�i�'� �(�1�9�~�F�-�8�9�)�

NAV A News Distribution

1989·90 COMMITTEES Nominating Committee Lynn Knights John Lowe Woody Ridgway Auditing Committee Sandra Armstrong Lynn Knights Pete Van de Putte Budget Committee Nick Artimovich, II, Chair Jim Lipinski Gustavo T rocchia Membership Committee Gustave Tracchia, Chair Kevin Harrington Whitney Smith Adam Stolfi NAVA 24 Program Kevin Harrington, Hast/Chair Scot Guenter, Pragram Chair Sandra Armstrong Public Relations Committee Kevin Harrington Rich Kenny Don Klett David Poyson Publications Committee Grace Cooper, Chair/Editor Nick Artimovich, II James Croft Glenn Nolan Parliamentarian Robert Coykendall Historian Mark Liss Vex. Projects Special Committee Nick Artimovich, II, Chair Anne Platoff Whitney Smith Grace Cooper, Consultant By-Lows Special Committee Rev. John 5zola, Chair Grace Cooper Lynn Knights John Lowe

EDITOR'S NOTES ... From Bruce Druckenmiller, Kirkwood, MO, I received a news­

paper clipping �(�1�/�1�9�/�~�0�)� about the "Earth Flag ", a mere image in the minds of St. Louisians Ken Roffmann and David Fischer iust six months earlier. The flog shows the photo of Earth, taken from ( Apollo 17 as it orbited the moon, on a field of midnight blue. "Putting the whole Earth on a flag is a powerful statement of one planet, one people." At a meeting of the Campaign for the Earth in Sedona, Arizona last November Sweden's Caes Nobel saw the flag as Roffmann and Fischer attended with their design. Nobel became an early booster. The goal is to have the Earth flag fly at Worldwide Earth Day observances in April and at every national, regional and state capitol by December 31, 1992. NAVA Member Druckenmiller says, "Seems to me this flog was displayed at a NAVA meeting several years ago. Is this true?" I don't remember seeing it, does any NAVA member? In St. Louis the flags are sold for $50 each at the Cathedral Bookstore, 1210 Locust Street. They can be ordered by calling 1-800-PtANET.

,qtJjNick Artimovich's Collectors Corner "F is for Finland, G is for �·�~�&�o�y�a�v�a�"� will appear in the une NAVA News. Don Healy's

. ever-popular 4" x 6" Co e in that issue also. CORRECTION: in the article "Foreign Flag

Or.e£f5'" NAVA N 989, page 9, should read Carol-inc\'VWerseas, Inc., Circle, Charlotte, NC 28211.

REMEMBER: Mail all ress to Treasurer, Gus T rac-chiao �~�n�d�,� have you your 1990 dues? Dues are payaple as of January 1, 1

j,,'

.d':-

Delowore Valley Printers & Moilers, Inc.

238 East Hanover Street

BULK RATE US POSTAGE

PAlO TRENTON. N.J.

Trenton, New Jersey 08608

Cmddnlyou use a little

TORONTO? NAVA XXIV October 5-7, 1990

NAVA NEWS EDITOR Grace R. Cooper Route 9 West, Box 43A Great Cacapon, WV 25422 304/941-7622

PAGE 8 NAVA News March/April1990

Mark A. Liss, Heritage Flag Co. P.O. Box 31521 H6uston TX 77231

PERMIT NO. 39

NAVA 24 -- TORONTO -- CALL FOR PAPERS

Notice is hereby given that proposals for papers to be delivered at the twenty-fourth annual meeting of the North American Vexillological Association are now being accepted by the chair. Please complete and return this form, along with a 250-500 word summary of your topic and presentation NO LATER THAN 15 AUGUST 1990 to: Dr. Scot Guenter, NAVA 24 Program Chair, 201 South Fourth St. #617, San Jose, CA 95112 USA.

Name:

Address:

Phone Number:

Title of Paper:

Although summaries are due by 15 August 1990, A COMPLETE COPY OF THE TEXT OF YOUR PRESENTATION must be postmarked NO LATER THAN 15 SEPTEMBER 1990 and sent to the Program Chair at the address given above. Presentation time limits should be 20-30 minutes. Special requests for more than 30 minutes will be considered but are not assured.

Amount of time yo~ request:

REQUEST FOR AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENT

Many speakers find the use of AV equipment helps in delivering their presentations. Please check any equipment you will need supplied to give your presentation:

overhead projector slide projector VCR (please use VHS rather than Beta) cassette player other (specify)

Any questions? Call Scot Guenter at (408) 295-1425. respond promptly; pay attention to deadline dates.

Please

N.B. Don't forget the presentation judged by the Executive Board to best further the aims of vexillology through presenting new documented information based on research will be awarded the William Driver Award and a cash prize of $100 generously donated by the National Flag Foundation.

DISPLAY: Planning a display table?? Please give your display a title and send a description of what it will include to Scot Guenter at the address given above NO LATER THAN 15 AUGUST 1990.

SEE YOU IN TORONTO IN OCTOBER!!!