December 4, 2023
I had always heard of the protocol but had never seen it in real life.
On a business trip, I was driving I-35 from Austin back home to Wichita. The four-lane highway is nicely divided in Texas, lots of space in the median. The stretch from Austin to Ft. Worth is a busy one with lots of construction, lots of slow-downs, and exits every two or three miles.
On this day, no construction impeded my progress and I was making good time. I should be home in time for supper.
I had gotten an early start, so it was 8:00 AM when I saw the flag.
There was a large manufacturing facility near the highway. I had passed it several times before and knew that what they did supported the defense industry. Ammunition, bombs, ordnance and other scary things. They have to be built someplace.
A U.S. flag flies proudly above the guard shack at the entrance.
Today, Old Glory was upside down.
An upside-down flag is an international symbol of distress. I suppose this custom began with ocean shipping before the advent of radio communications. A ship in trouble could fly the flag in that manner, and those who saw it would know they needed assistance.
What type of assistance would be anyone’s guess. At sea, it could be anything from a mechanical malfunction to the Black Plague.
I thought about it as I drove. Why would a bomb-building factory fly the U.S. flag upside down? And who else had noticed?
If there were a problem, why not just use the telephone to call for help? That would apply to virtually every emergency: Industrial accident, sudden illness, broken water main.
The only reason NOT to use the telephone was to keep someone from overhearing the call.
Why would one desire to get help, but prefer not to be overheard asking for it?
And the political aspect... This was a defense contractor making death-dealing explosives. Were there people who opposed that function? Absolutely.
Would they perhaps take direct action?
Before I fully comprehended what I was doing, I found myself taking the next exit. I negotiated the turnaround and headed back to the plant. I took the turn-off and approached the guard shack.
Coming to a stop I surveyed the area. No other vehicles, no people around. All seemed quiet and normal. At the guard shack, engine idling, I slipped the transmission into reverse and held the brake with my left foot, ready to mash the gas pedal at the first sign of trouble. I rolled down my window.
A polite middle-aged man in a uniform shirt appeared at the window of the shack. He smiled cheerfully and greeted me.
“Good morning, sir. Can I help you?”
He seemed normal. No apparent nervousness, no hesitation. I could not see into the shack to determine if he was alone.
“Just thought I’d stop by,” I said. Fixing him with a gaze, I asked, “Are you all right?”
He gave a perplexed look. “Sir?” He shrugged. “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”
I detected no dissimulation, nothing in his tone that suggested stress. “Your flag is flying upside down. I thought you might need assistance.”
He was suddenly serious and his face paled, eyes wide.
“Upside down?” he repeated.
“Are you sure things are all right here?” I studied him.
“Oh!” he said, understanding suddenly dawning. “Oh, yes sir, everything is fine.” He began to stammer. “Y-you s-see, I come to work at 5 in the morning while it’s still dark. The first thing I do is raise the colors and then turn on the ground light for it.” He shook his head, a look of consternation on his face. “I must have got it upside down this morning.”
“It’s all right,” I said. “I just thought I’d better stop and see what was up.”
“Oh, thank you, sir!” he gushed. Then he cast a look around. “I’d better go fix that right away. Thank you for stopping!”
And with that, he was gone from the window. I heard his footsteps recede, and then a door slam somewhere.
I backed out and got back on the highway. Finding another turnaround a few miles south, I made the u-turn and resumed my trip north. By the time I was even with the flag again, it was right-side up.
Theological Contemplations
Galatians 6:9-10 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
It was really none of my business, and if it were really a terrorist takeover of a bomb plant, I would much rather watch it on the evening news than involve myself directly in the event.
But it was an opportunity to either understand a very bad situation (quite unlikely), or to help some poor guy who had made a mistake with the flag.
The latter turned out to be the case.
Not to generalize too much, but people attracted to defense contractor employment are generally those who would consider themselves patriots. Imagine the humiliation for this security guard to make that mistake, of all mistakes. Displaying the U.S. flag as though the plant were in distress – or under duress – is not like forgetting to take out the trash, or using poor penmanship on the visitor’s log, or failing to buy coffee for the break room. Given the environment at that plant, it would likely haunt him all his career.
People have died protecting those colors, and those charged with handling them usually do so – and ought to do so – with great reverence.
He had taken immediate corrective action and seemed sincere when he thanked me.
I think he was truly grateful.
And that is about as briefly said as I can say it. To finish your Christmas shopping go to www.alligatorpublishing.com. We will be glad to sign a copy for you.
Have a good week!
Curt
The US Flag Flew Upside Down