Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, February 20, 1995 TAG: 9502200084
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SHANNON D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
With hundreds of U.S. flags displayed across the Roanoke Valley, they are so commonplace they could almost go unnoticed. But display the flag incorrectly and you just might get a call from Joe Chapman, who takes great pride in the country's national symbol.
Chapman, 43, a Vietnam veteran who retired from the Air Force after 21 years of service, has made a habit of acting as the ``flag conscience'' for the valley. If Chapman notices a business or a public building with the U.S. flag improperly displayed, he calls to inform them.
``If you're going to fly [the flag], you should fly it right,'' Chapman said, citing the Flag Code of 1942 as his source of authority. ``People should read the rules before putting [the U.S. flag] up.''
The code, passed by Congress, establishes the proper flag protocol.
Recently, Chapman noticed that the U.S. flag at Patrick Henry High School was not displayed properly. The school was flying it at half-staff to mourn the recent death of former Virginia Gov. Albertis Harrison. A proclamation by Gov. George Allen, however, called for lowering the Virginia flag to half-staff, not the national flag.
Patrick Henry ROTC cadets, who raise and take down the flags, had misinterpreted directions from Roanoke school officials, ROTC Sgt. Joe Rhodes said.
``The directions just said to fly 'the flag' at half-[staff],'' Rhodes explained.
When Chapman detected the error, he called the ROTC sergeant. Shortly afterward, the U.S. flag was back at the top of the flagpole.
``It's nice to know there are people who are aware of what's going on'' with the flag, Rhodes said.
In the past few years, Chapman has notified several places that their flags were improperly displayed, including a Rally's restaurant, Sam's Club, Virginia Western Community College and the Veterans Administration Medical Center. Chapman even noticed a flag code violation while dropping off paperwork at Sen. Charles Robb's Roanoke office.
``I told the secretary that the flags were wrong,'' Chapman said, remembering that the U.S. flag was placed on the wrong side of another flag, instead of to the left. ``She thanked me, and they changed it immediately.''
At the VA Medical Center, where Chapman works as a phlebotomist, the U.S. flag is displayed 24 hours a day, even during inclement weather. Chapman says he would prefer that the flag be taken down at night and during bad weather.
If a U.S. flag is displayed all the time, the code says it should be well-illuminated. At the VA, however, one spotlight barely reaches the bottom of the flag.
``The flag is not well-lit. Only the flagpole is lit,'' Chapman said.
He has complained to the VA Medical Center about its constant display of the flag and poor illumination, but no action has been taken.
``It's irritating,'' Chapman said. ``The employees don't want to take the time to do it right.''
The flag code ``is full of idiosyncracies. But they're there, so they should be followed.''
Local buildings are not the only places where Chapman notices flags that are displayed wrong. He's also caught the entertainment business in errors.
In the movie ``A Few Good Men,'' Chapman said, the flags were placed incorrectly during the courtroom scene. The U.S. flag behind the judge was to the left of the judge instead of to the right.
Chapman even quizzes his three children on proper flag display, something they don't learn in school. If he's driving with his children in the car, he will ask them to point out what's wrong with a particular set of flags.
Chapman admits, however, that he and his wife, Yulanda, don't display the flag at their home in Southwest Roanoke because the family doesn't have time to follow proper flag etiquette.
``I would rather not fly it if I don't have time to do it right,'' Chapman said.
``It's a symbol of our country,'' he said. ``It doesn't signify a piece of old cloth. It signifies the freedoms we have. It loses its significance when people don't fly it right.''
Chapman says his respect for the U.S. flag grew while spending seven years overseas. In Vietnam, he said, ``we were willing to die for it.''
``The civilian sector doesn't realize how much significance is placed on the flag. ... A lot of people look at it as a decoration.''
by CNB