NIGHT SHADOWS 03152024 -- A Time For Peace and A Time For War, A Time For Termination

When Did the Reverse American Flag Tradition Start?

The reversed military flag patch is a tradition born during the Civil War.

Battalions would go into battle with their own personal flag bearers flying a flag as a symbol of honor and respect for the country for which they were fighting. As they marched forward, the flag would fly backward, creating an image that would come to represent bravery and dedication to one’s country.

The first service members to wear a reverse side flag were paratroopers who were dropping in behind enemy lines. The flags were intended to help them identify one another more easily in a space enemies mostly occupied.

Well over 130 years after the Civil War, the reversed military flag patch became a staple of U.S. military uniforms (in 2003). Today, it’s referred to as “assaulting forward,” a phrase intended to describe the soldier’s onward march into the fray of the battle.

The custom is described in Army Regulation 670-1, which states that “the correct and only way to wear the U.S. flag patch on a uniform is with the stars facing forward.”

FULL ARTICLE:

https://www.medalsofamerica.com/blog/backwards-flag-meaning/