Flag Case

joedw00 · Post by **joedw00** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:47 pm

Great job!!!

jcraigie · Post by **jcraigie** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:35 pm

It's beautiful your Grandpa would be proud.

spiderclimber · Post by **spiderclimber** » Fri May 13, 2011 9:26 am

So it has been a bit since I posted here on this thread. The goal was to get the flag case completed and to my Grandmother before the 2 year anniversary of my Grandfathers death. I got it to here 2 weeks prior to that.

I posted some pictures of the case to my facebook page for my extended family to see that couldn't come to my Grandmothers home to see the case in person. one of my uncles in California looked at the case and said the stars are crooked. He looked online and found a picture like this, a clearly photoshopped stars and blue field from a picture of a flag layed out then inserted digitally into the case.

[ATTACH]12966[/ATTACH]

Being the all knowing uncle who works as a civilian fire chief on a military base, he had to have the flag folded by an honor guard on the base. He badgered my grandmother for 3 weeks until she agreed to send out the flag as it wasn't folded right in his mind.

So a different uncle who lives with my grandmother, takes the flag out of the case, unfolds it and stuffs it into an envelope to mail to california.

The honor guard did the worst job I have ever seen folding a flag. It was loosely folded, enough that it went from 22 inches across to over 24, making it no longer fit in the case. On top of that there is an inside and outside to a true embroidered flag. The stars are embroidered to look better one way than another. They folded it inside out and had the bad side of the stars showing. Best yet was the stars were more uneven than what I had folded the flag to. My uncle finally asked the honor guard why and they said the stars don't matter, just that the red and white are not showing. I guess he should have researched that a bit more.

The sad thing is, this hurts my grandmother the most. She was without the flag for 2 weeks as it was flying across country stuffed into an envelope. Then the flag was folded improperly and now won't fit into the case. Sadly, I took the time to fold it the way a true Arlington honor guard does, where the flag is not tucked on the back, just folded to lay even in the arms of the widow. I was an eagle scout and I know how to properly fold a flag. I also know how to treat a flag and the fact that my Grandfathers flag flew across the country jammed into an envelope makes me sick.

Anyway, needed to vent. I feel better now. Next weekend, I am going back to my grandmothers to refold the flag and put it back in the case. I think I will glue the back of the case on to permanently hold the flag in.

berry · Post by **berry** » Fri May 13, 2011 11:33 am

Brilliant design!

terrydowning · Post by **terrydowning** » Fri May 13, 2011 11:33 am

It is astonishing to me that an Honor Guard was not aware of the inner and outer on an embroidered flag.

In general that lack of respect towards our flag and the traditions surrounding it is disturbing to me. It's as if people just don't care anymore.

I see people fly the flag on their home but then forget to bring it in or light it at night, or just let it be all tattered and an unsuitable symbol for our country. I'd rather them not fly it all.

As a vet I know way too many people that have paid the the highest sacrifice. Thanks for making the shadow box and ensuring that the flag is honored correctly.