Question about the Vertically Striped US Flag

[jedemdasseine]

Not long ago I was traveling from Canada to the USA. While going through customs at the Winnipeg airport, I noticed on the wall at passport control an enormous, vertically-striped US flag. I'd never seen one in real life and was quite surprised. And it was absolutely huge, too. Can anyone explain why this flag was used instead of the typical US flag? ???

[sirgonzo420]

Not long ago I was traveling from Canada to the USA. While going through customs at the Winnipeg airport, I noticed on the wall at passport control an enormous, vertically-striped US flag. I'd never seen one in real life and was quite surprised. And it was absolutely huge, too. Can anyone explain why this flag was used instead of the typical US flag? ???


Here's an excerpt from "The Scarlet Letter", by Nathanial Hawthorne describing a Custom house:


". . . Here, with a view from its front windows adown this not very enlivening prospect, and thence across the harbour, stands a spacious edifice of brick. From the loftiest point of its roof, during precisely three and a half hours of each forenoon, floats or droops, in breeze or calm, the banner of the republic; but with the thirteen stripes turned vertically, instead of horizontally, and thus indicating that a civil, and not a military, post of Uncle Sam's government is here established. Its front is ornamented with a portico of half-a-dozen wooden pillars, supporting a balcony, beneath which a flight of wide granite steps descends towards the street Over the entrance hovers an enormous specimen of the American eagle, with outspread wings, a shield before her breast, and, if I recollect aright, a bunch of intermingled thunder- bolts and barbed arrows in each claw. With the customary infirmity of temper that characterizes this unhappy fowl, she appears by the fierceness of her beak and eye, and the general truculency of her attitude, to threaten mischief to the inoffensive community; and especially to warn all citizens careful of their safety against intruding on the premises which she overshadows with her wings. Nevertheless, vixenly as she looks, many people are seeking at this very moment to shelter themselves under the wing of the federal eagle; imagining, I presume, that her bosom has all the softness and snugness of an eiderdown pillow. But she has no great tenderness even in her best of moods, and, sooner or later -- oftener soon than late -- is apt to fling off her nestlings with a scratch of her claw, a dab of her beak, or a rankling wound from her barbed arrows."

http://www.barefootsworld.net/images/civilflagphoto.jpg

Here's a variation that some in the 'patriot movement' use (to try to denote civility as opposed to the martial flag of the US [the more traditional 'stars and stripes']):

http://www.uscivilflags.org/images/CopperCivilflag_2.jpg

Here's the Coast Guard's flag:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v649/InvertedRedPentagram/800px-Ensign_of_the_United_States_C.png

from http://www.crwflags.com/FOTW/flags/us%5Ecust.html#desc

The flag of the United States Customs Service has a field of 16 VERTICAL red and white stripes. The white canton displays the U. S. coat of arms in blue. The original design was adopted in 1799 and the canton was modified in the 20th century (previously the "arms" consisted of the eagle with outstretched wings and an arch of 13 stars across the top of the canton.) The U.S. Coast Guard places a badge in the fly of this flag.
Nick Artimovich, 23 January 1997

The Custom's service flag was designed by Secretary of the Treasury Oliver Wolcott who used 16 alternating red and white vertical stripes on the flag, with a bald eagle in the canton holding 3 arrows in his sinister claw and an olive branch in his dexter claw. On the left and right sides of the eagle are 4 stars each in an arc pattern, and above the eagle 5 stars. On the eagle is a crest representing the U.S. This flag flew as the emblem of the Custom's Service from 1782 to 1951, when replaced by the current flag pattern.
Phil Nelson, 1 October 1998

It is actually called the Revenue Ensign of the United States. It was originally authorized by Secretary of the Treasury Oliver Wolcott to be flown on Revenue Cutters of the Customs engaged in the prevention and detection of smuggling. The Revenue Cutter Service of the Customs is what later became the United States Coast Guard, hence the flag similarity.
Brian McCabe, 17 January 1999

[iOWNme]

http://www.barefootsworld.net/uscivilflag.html


http://www.barefootsworld.net/graphics/eagleak.jpg

http://www.civil-liberties.com/art/flag17b.jpg


This site claims to debunk it:

http://home.myfairpoint.net/vzeo1z2a/CivilFlag.html

[jedemdasseine]

But why is there one of these flags at passport control at the Winnipeg airport? Why not at other US ports of entry I've traveled through? I know this all means something, but I'm not well studied on this topic.

The flag had stars, and 50, I assume. No eagle.

What was interesting is that despite its gargantuan size, no one seemed to notice it. I had to point it out to the other people I was traveling with, and even then, they just thought it was some kind of decoration.

[sirgonzo420]

But why is there one of these flags at passport control at the Winnipeg airport? Why not at other US ports of entry I've traveled through? I know this all means something, but I'm not well studied on this topic.

The flag had stars, and 50, I assume. No eagle.

What was interesting is that despite its gargantuan size, no one seemed to notice it. I had to point it out to the other people I was traveling with, and even then, they just thought it was some kind of decoration.




You're right... that is odd!

When you mentioned a vertical striped flag, I assumed you saw a customs flag or something... but that is quite peculiar if you saw one like this:

http://www.uscivilflags.org/images/CopperCivilflag_2.jpg

I've never seen one in person, aside from the one that I own as a novelty - and I would never expect to see that particular flag at an airport!

[jedemdasseine]

Yeah, it was freaking weird, and it's been nagging me ever since. I just keep thinking, wtf? ???

If I can't find a good answer, I'll just contact them directly and ask.

[Horn]

Not long ago I was traveling from Canada to the USA. While going through customs at the Winnipeg airport, I noticed on the wall at passport control an enormous, vertically-striped US flag. I'd never seen one in real life and was quite surprised. And it was absolutely huge, too. Can anyone explain why this flag was used instead of the typical US flag? ???


My guess is there using it to symbolize the bars of a jail, or once you pass this point there may not be any turning back. ;)