ASK A PROFESSIONAL: What’s so special about our flag?

On June 14, 1777, in Philadelphia the Continental Congress of the United States adopted the stars and stripes as the national flag.

The red, white and blue colors symbolize the patriotic ideals and spiritual qualities of the citizens of our country.

The red stripes stand for the courage and integrity of American men and boys and the self-sacrifice and devotion of American mothers and daughters.

The white stripes stand for liberty and equality for all.

The blue field is the blue of heaven, loyalty and faith.

The American flag represents the eternal principles of liberty, justice and humanity and is a silent testament to American freedom — freedom of speech, religion, assembly, press and the sanctity of home.

It is the sacred emblem of our country — our birthright, our heritage of freedom purchased with blood, sorrow and sacrifice.

And never will you see its glory unfurled more widely than around the Fourth of July.

Kenneth Nichols, VFW Post 5901 adjutant, said he’d like to see people flying the flag more often.

“People think the Fourth is the time to fly them, but it’s OK to fly them every day,” he said.

Whether you choose to fly your flag one day a year or every day, there are a few flag etiquette rules that should be followed.

For starters, make sure it’s properly hung.

“If the flag is hung flat, like against a house, the blue field should be on the upper left, as viewed from the street,” Nichols said. “If hanging from a pole, the blue field should be hung toward the street. Any other way is as bad as hanging it upside down, which is a sign of international distress.”

Nichols assured me that it’s still OK to fly a flag with 48 stars, as long as it’s in good shape.

Good shape can be a little ambiguous, so I asked for a definition.

“Not torn and tattered,” he said. “However, technically you can let one fray clear back to the blue field before it needs to be disposed of.”

We all know that burning is the proper way for flag disposal, but most of us feel kind of un-American setting a flag on fire. That’s where the VFW can help.

“We do a proper disposal whenever we get enough flags,” Nichols said. “It’s to be done without ceremony and with reverence. Now that Dengel Funeral Home has a crematorium, he takes care of it for us. There’s no charge.”

Now for the pop quiz portion of Ask the Pro this week: If you’re flying an American flag, a state flag and a POW flag, in which order should they be?

Time’s up.

The correct answer is the American flag, the POW flag and the State flag.

The POW flag should be displayed directly under the American flag because it is the only other flag recognized as a federal flag.

American flags are available at VFW Post 5901. The standard size stocked is three-foot-by-five-foot, but they can order any size needed. They also can order flag poles and have flag etiquette booklets on hand.

Fly it, salute it, honor it and guard it as the title deed of freedom — freedom that is ours to enjoy and hold in trust for posterity.

Linda Brown is marketing director for The Ottawa Herald. E-mail her at lbrown@ottawaherald.com.