Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of the USA, TrailLife USA, the U.S. Military and other organizations regularly conduct dignified flag retirement ceremonies. The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything. The flag should never touch anything physically beneath it. The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds but always allowed to fall free. The flag should always be permitted to fall freely. (An exception was made during the Apollo moon landings when the flag hung from a vertical pole designed with an extensible horizontal bar, allowing full display even in the absence of an atmosphere.) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally. The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature. The flag should never be upside down, except to signal distress or great danger. When displayed vertically against a wall, the union should be to the observer’s left. Federal Law Regarding Flag Etiquette and National Anthem While the Flag Code itself does not directly address behavior during the playing of the National Anthem, the same public law codified elsewhere, covers suggested respectful conduct. The relevant part of law for the general public states: (b) Conduct During Playing.—During a rendition of the national anthem— (1) when the flag is displayed— (C) all other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart (2) when the flag is not displayed, all present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed. History Flag Day Prior to Flag Day, June 14, 1923, neither the federal government nor the states had official guidelines governing the display of the United States' flag. On that date, the National Flag Code was constructed by representatives of over 68 organizations, under the auspices of the National Americanism Commission of the American Legion. The code drafted by that conference was printed by the national organization of the American Legion and given nationwide distribution. On June 22, 1942, the code became Public Law 77-623; chapter 435. Little had changed in the