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Written by Harriett Williams, administrative assistant with the Americus Fire & Emergency Services in Americus, Ga. Williams provided the photos and story in this blog as part of her “One Country. One Flag.” April submission about what the U.S. flag and being an American means to her department. She was the April winner of our deluxe Beacon® U.S. flag set. You may submit your favorite American flag display photos and stories to qualify to win a flag set in May 2021 or June 2021 at: /one-country-one-flag

Much like drivers must follow a series of universally-agreed-upon rules and regulations when driving a vehicle, so must businesses and individuals follow a series of flag etiquette rules when displaying an American flag. Below is a guide to American flag etiquette that answers many frequently asked questions regarding the placement and the display of the American flag:

With its 13 stripes, its 50 stars and its red, white and blue color scheme, the American flag is an iconic symbol of freedom, unity and patriotism. While the basic design elements of the U.S. flag have remained constant since its inception, there have been 27 different versions of the American flag during its 244-year history, with the majority of those changes accounting for stars being added to the flag’s blue field as new states were added to the Union.

Emma Kitchin, of Newland, N.C., is the recipient of the Spring 2021 Beacon® Scholarship for Rural America, a scholarship that was introduced by Carrot-Top Industries in 2018. We received applications from states across the country, including New Jersey, Tennessee, Michigan, Arizona and California. Kitchin is a shining example of community patriotism that continues to thrive in rural towns today.

Every year on February 23, we recall the anniversary of U.S. military service members raising the American flag on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima during World War II. The U.S. military sought occupation of Iwo Jima because it was strategically located about 750 miles southeast of the main island of Japan and could be used as an aircraft base for launching air raids on Japan’s main island.

Each year on either the second or the third Saturday of December, hundreds of volunteers and businesses partner to place wreaths on veterans’ graves throughout the nation. Known as “Wreaths Across America Day,” this year’s event will be held on December 19th at 2,400 cemeteries. It has become an annual tradition of remembering our nation's fallen heroes during the holiday season.

For more than 200 years, Americans have celebrated the Inauguration Day ceremonies for both the President-elect and the Vice President-elect of the United States. Inauguration Day is a federal holiday that occurs every four years on January 20, or on January 21 if January 20 falls on a Sunday. The next U.S. Inauguration Day will occur on Wednesday, January 20, 2021. On that day, the U.S. will celebrate its 59th inaugural ceremonies.

The Fall 2020 Beacon® Scholarship for Rural America had the largest number of scholarship applicants since Carrot-Top Industries introduced the scholarship in 2018. We received applications from 25 out of the 50 U.S. states including first-time states such as: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Mississippi, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina and West Virginia.

As July 4th approaches, you may realize you need to replace your worn and weathered flags and flagpoles. Everyone wants to make a great impression with their patriotic display for Independence Day. For many, it is important to buy their American flags, flagpoles and patriotic decorations from a company that is knowledgeable about the flag industry and provides unsurpassed quality products. Here are 5 reasons Carrot-Top Industries is the expert flag company for you:

Anthony Martino, from Penrose, N.C., is the recipient of the Spring 2020 Beacon® Scholarship for Rural America, a scholarship which was introduced by Carrot-Top Industries in 2018. We received applications from states across the country including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Louisiana, North Carolina, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Martino is a shining example of community patriotism that continues to thrive in rural towns today.

Carrot-Top Industries enjoys providing guidance to others as they learn how to properly display their American flag. We have worked with government, military, educational, and business institutions for over three decades to ensure their flag displays are following proper flag etiquette, and the U.S. flag is getting the respect it deserves. As a reminder to everyone on how and when to fly your flag correctly, we have included a Flag Flying Guide below which you can download to use as a reference year-round. Save it, print it out, or share it on social media so we can all be certain our flag is presented in the best way possible.

The Fall 2019 Beacon® Scholarship for Rural America had the largest number of scholarship applicants since Carrot-Top Industries introduced the scholarship in 2018. We also received applications from a wider variety of states this time around including Alabama, California, Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

At Carrot-Top Industries, our mission is to help support and bring communities together across the United States. We honor the American spirit by providing American-made products that build and promote patriotic, corporate, and individual pride while helping our customers enhance their permanent facilities and special events. Carrot-Top also feels it is important to assist community organizations as they raise money for and awareness of their special causes.

Equity Resources, Inc. has helped people buy or refinance their homes since 1993. When Ed Rizor began Equity Resources, he had a vision that people deserved a mortgage company that thinks and acts like a service company, not a big bank or finance company. Since September 2001, part of their special customer service has been to give homeowners a Beacon® American Home Flag Set purchased from Carrot-Top Industries.

Flag Day is June 14. To celebrate the American flag’s birthday (242 years old!), we wanted to share a checklist on how to ensure your U.S. flag is American made. In recent months, the Flag Manufacturers Association of America (FMAA) discovered several companies were selling American flags they falsely claimed were “Made in the U.S.A.” This is concerning to the FMAA since its members are “dedicated to educating the public on the quality of flags manufactured in the United States and raising awareness of the importance of American flags “Made in the U.S.A.”, as well as the proper use of our nation’s greatest symbol.”

Carrot‐Top Industries, one of the leading providers of flags and patriotic products, is a national sponsor of this year’s MuckFest MS events in Boston May 18, Philadelphia June 8, New Jersey July 20, Chicago August 17, and Denver September 14. MuckFest is a 5K run through a muddy 18+ obstacle course to raise funds for the National MS Society to help bring attention to what MS is, how it affects people who live with MS, and support research efforts to treat and eventually cure MS. MuckFest's unique course includes obstacles such as mud-filled pits, trenches, craters, and a lot of laughter from the participants. MuckFest brings out the kid in all of us!

At Carrot-Top Industries, we have had the pleasure of providing American-made U.S. flags and patriotic, special event, and custom-made products to schools across the country since 1980. Whether we provide customer service to an elementary school, high school, or college, we know students would not be able to succeed without the hard work and tireless dedication of their teachers. One of our top priorities is to support teachers and students across America through our ongoing educational support projects.