Roosevelt Room flags

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I got a note today asking about the flags in the Roosevelt Room. The question focuses on the numerous streamers on the flags, wondering if they represent individual battles for each of the branches, if the Battle of Wounded Knee is included, and who decides which battles to include. I’ve never heard of such a thing. Anybody else?

6 thoughts on “Roosevelt Room flags”

  1. The flags located in the Roosevelt Room include the American Flag, the President’s Flag, the Vice President’s Flag, and one flag for each branch of the U.S. military. For the military flags, the streamers on them represent the battles that particular branch has fought in, thus, the US Army has the most streamers. I’m not sure if the Battle of Wounded Knee is included.

  2. Each branch decides what constitutes a “campaign”, but it usually involves more than one battle. Generally, the flag streamer’s colors are an enlarged version of the ribbon from which hangs the campaign medal awarded to those who fought in the action. The name of the campaign is embroidered on the streamer and then attached to the flagstaff. The Army flag has nearly 200 streamers. the following website has a pdf file showing the Army streamer’s colors and campaign names:

    http://www.epicflags.com/175arstseto2.html

    There is not one for the battle of Wounded Knee alone.

  3. (Sorry, I didn’t mean to post anonymously)

    Each branch decides what constitutes a “campaign”, but it usually involves more than one battle. Generally, the flag streamer’s colors are an enlarged version of the ribbon from which hangs the campaign medal awarded to those who fought in the action. The name of the campaign is embroidered on the streamer and then attached to the flagstaff. The Army flag has nearly 200 streamers. the following website has a pdf file showing the Army streamer’s colors and campaign names:

    http://www.epicflags.com/175arstseto2.html

    There is not one for the battle of Wounded Knee alone.

  4. Each military unit (as small as a battalion, in the Army) also has a flag. Streamers are authorized to the unit’s flag to show that unit’s participation in the campaigns in which it took part. Streamers representing Unit Citations, awarded for performance of duty or heroic action above what is expected, are also awarded and hung from the flagstaff.

  5. Slightly off topic, but it’s very important to remember that it is the “MASSACRE at Wounded Knee.” It is no longer recognized as a battle, and it is highly offensive to call it as such. Many innocent people died that day in an attack that was entirely unprovoked.

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