Showing the Flag

This was in the Birmingham Post-Herald yesterday--Alabama's flag flies over Baghdad airport

By THOMAS HARGROVE
SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has ordered U.S. troops in Iraq not to fly American flags so the Iraqi people will not feel humiliated by any symbols of a foreign military occupation of their homeland.

But nobody said anything against Alabama's state flag.

"So they are flying the Alabama flag over the Baghdad International Airport. I must have maybe eight or 10 pictures that people have sent me of it," said Maj. Gen. Mark Bowen, adjutant general of the Alabama National Guard.

The state flag — a simple red "X" on a white background — has flown for several weeks at the airport. Security in and around the Baghdad facility has been provided by members of the 140-man 214th Military Police Company based in the small Calhoun County town of Alexandria.

Not to be too pedantic about it, and knowing that further explanation would further traumatize poor, sensitive types--it's not a "simple red "X"", but rather a crimson saltire, or Cross of St. Andrew. As you can tell, since it has historical religious overtones, The Easily Offended would probably have a fit about it.

And the 214th is based in Alexander City (Tallapoosa County) and Tuskegee (Macon County), not Alexandria.

Several members of Alabama Guard units are known to be carrying state flags.

"I must have given out at least 12 or 15 flags. This is something that started during (Operation) Desert Storm when our guys would fly state flags around the battlefield," Bowen said.

"Soon, folks got to recognizing the Alabama flag. And so, whenever a unit needed beans or bullets, they knew they could come in and we'd take care of them. And whenever they had mechanical problems with their vehicles and they needed something fixed, they would see the flag, come over and those Alabama boys would fix 'em up," he said.

But of course!

As a practical matter, the Alabama flag is a good choice for a unit marking--graphically, it's simple and distinct, with strong contrast between the colors--the Florida flag is similar, and both the Texas and Tennessee flags are distinct enough to both be easily seen and identified. (It would probably be inflamatory to fly this one, but it's good to keep around just in case.)

Flag raisings have become something of a sore point during the second Persian Gulf War. U.S. Marines were quickly ordered to haul down the American flag on March 21 after coalition troops captured the southern Iraqi port of Umm Qasr, a public-relations gesture the Pentagon thought necessary to demonstrate that America wants to liberate Iraq, not conquer it. But the policy guaranteed there would be no Iwo-Jima type moments for American forces.

"I feel sad for our troops," said ex-Marine George Gentile, 81, president of the Iwo Jima Survivors Association. "Our troops have worked so hard to gain the ground that they deserve a little something for the effort. It gives a morale boost to raise the flag, I know. But this is a different kind of war, I guess."

Gentile was in his first battle when he witnessed the raising of Old Glory on Mount Suribachi after days of bloody fighting to take the tiny Pacific island in the final months of World War II. The raising, which was photographed and later commemorated in a national monument near Washington, became one of the most famous images in U.S. history. [...]

Again, I know I'm being a pill, but I don't think there's a Marine alive who would want to be called an "ex-Marine". He is a classy man, though, and not willing to foam and fume for a reporter about the men having to take down their flag. It is a different war.

Another thing, now that I'm all riled up, wouldn't it be nice if online editions of newspapers would give you a link to interesting places like the Iwo Jima Survivors Association?

Anyway, wrapping up is this paragraph:

But the Alabama flag has a simple design that is not well known outside the state. It's unlikely anyone in Iraq would recognize it as part of the United States, experts said.

Hey, we even have trouble here getting people to recognize us as part of the United States.
posted by Terry at 3:55:00 PM