Checking it twice!

September 30, 2014 ~ Online Stores ~ Leave a comment

We are getting ready for Christmas. Making lists for the little ones. Asking the older ones what they want. I have already created an event for a Cookie Exchange for early December. I invited 25 people for the exchange and I hope we get at least 20! I love the holidays! I think it is mostly the family getting together from just around the corner and many miles away. I also like the goodwill towards others; we tend to give to others more around the holidays. very sad but very true.

I was thinking of gifts for family and friends and trying to keep a budget – UGH. I have relatives and friends that have everything, they don’t need things. But everyone has a like, a hobby, a passion that is hidden if you look around. Mine is Santa Claus, I don’t like clutter, so I get to bring out my Santas at Christmas, display them and pack them until the next season.

While scrolling through United States Flag Store for a Santa themed Garden Flag. I thought what better way to stay in budget but to buy garden flags? For the holiday season there is Jesus, Santa, nature. There are snowmen and animals – so many different themes and motifs. They are just so many to choose from.

I thought, What about the men in my life? There are all sports-themed (Pro and College), any branch of the military, golf, fishing, historical, nautical. I think I am on to a great idea! For the ladies in my life, hummingbirds, flowers, welcomes, and so many seasonal: spring, winter, fall, summer, Valentine’s day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter, St Patrick’s Day. Ok, I do not have to list them all – you get the idea! The ideas are not exclusive to gender because I have some picked out that would look great at my uncle’s home and that one is a farm theme. Pricing ifor the ones on my list range from $9.00 to $18.00. With that in mind, I am thinking for a couple presents, I can combine a gift for the home with a monogram instead of some gift they will re-gift next year! Happy Shopping!

**Jacquie

National Airborne Day

August 15, 2014 ~ Online Stores ~ Leave a comment

August 16, 1940 is the first established Army Parachute jump. In August of 2002, President George W. Bush put forth the proclamation for August 16th to honor the Airborne Forces, annually.

The idea of men jumping out of planes was not a new one, it was tossed just after World War I by General William (Billy) Mitchell. The General tested this out in San Antonio, Texas as a demonstration. Although the jump went well, the theory did not catch on here in America. During World War II, Germany started to use paratroopers in 1940 to quickly invade and surprise the enemy behind their own resistance. Triggered by the success Germany’s Fallschirmjäger , the US Military branches began a full-scale production to develop this type of warfare. In April of 1940, the War Department approved a test platoon of Airborne Infantry under the Army’s Infantry Board, this was set up at Fort Benning 29th Regiment.

In July of 1940, First Lieutenant William T. Ryder volunteered and was designated the Platoon Leader. Because of the rigid physical and health standards set, only 48 were elected out of 200 volunteers. Lieutenant Colonel William C. Lee, a staff officer for the Chief of Infantry, was intently interested in the test platoon. He recommended that the men be moved to the Safe Parachute Company at Hightstown, NJ for training on the parachute drop towers used during the New York World’s Fair. Eighteen days after organization, the platoon was moved to New Jersey and trained for one week on the 250-foot free towers.(http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~douglas/Creeds_Histories/abnhistory.html)

Because the towers worked so well the Army purchased brought them to Fort Benning. In less than 45 days, on August 16, 1940, out of a Douglas B-18 over Lawson Field the first drop was held. Out of these 48 men, they held a lottery to see who would go after Lieutenant Ryder and Private William N. (Red) King. On August 29, 1940, the platoon made the first mass jump in the United States. Less than 45 days it took these dedicated men to be ready for their first jump. That is crazy-brave.

The traditional paratrooper cry “GERONIMO” was originated in the 501st by Private Aubrey Eberhart to prove to a friend that he had full control of his faculties when he jumped. That cry was adopted by the 501st and has been often used by paratroopers since then.

The First all black 555 Parachute Infantry Company is remembered as the Triple Nickel. Another landmark is in December 1973, when Privates Joyce Kutsch and Rita Johnson became the first women to graduate from the Basic Airborne Course.

**Jacquie

National Navajo Code Talkers Day

August 14, 2014August 14, 2014 ~ Online Stores ~ Leave a comment

Navajo Code Talkers Day is celebrated on August 14, President Ronald Reagan declared in 1982 to officially honor the Code Talkers for their service to our country. During World War II the Allied Forces found it hard to stump the Japanese code breakers or cryptographers. Now a little history: the military was not the one to come up with idea it was civilian named Philip Johnston, he was a civil engineer in Los Angeles but had grown up on the Navajo Indian Reservation, his parents were Protestant missionaries. Johnston read an article about the military communications debilitating losses. Johnston went to Camp Elliott to meet with Lieutenant Colonel James E. Jones, Marines’ Signal Corps Communications Officer. Jones was not convinced that it would work but after Johnston explained the language, inflections and completely different meanings that one word may mean, they gave it a try. The initial run was a success so the Marines needed volunteers by mid-April of 1942, they traveled to the Navajo reservation to recruit personnel. Now these recruits had to be bilingual in both English and Navajo languages. The enlistees also had to be physically fit. After boot camp, the new Marines were to construct a new Military code. “The first part, a 26-letter phonetic alphabet, used Navajo names for 18 animals or birds, plus the words ice for I, nut for N, quiver for Q, Ute for U, victor for V, cross for X, yucca for Y, and zinc for Z. The second part consisted of a 211-word English vocabulary and the Navajo equivalents. This code, when compared with conventional Marine Corps codes, offered considerable savings in time, since the latter involved lengthy encoding and deciphering procedures by Signal Corps cryptographic personnel using sophisticated electronic equipment.” http://www.historynet.com/world-war-ii-navajo-code-talkers.htm

There were 29 original Code Talkers. This became the 382nd Platoon USMC . By August 1943 the number swelled to over 200. 421 Navajos had completed wartime training at Camp Pendleton’s code talker school, and most had been assigned to combat units overseas. Navajo code talkers served with all six Marine divisions in the Pacific and with Marine Raider and parachute units as well. Major Howard Conner, the Fifth Marine Division’s Signal Officer, said that ‘The entire operation was directed by Navajo code. . . . During the two days that fol lowed the initial landings I had six Navajo radio nets working around the clock. . . . They sent and received over 800 messages without an error. Were it not for the Navajo Code Talkers, the Marines never would have taken Iwo Jima.’

In December of 2000 the US Congress passed, and President Bill Clinton signed into law, which awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the original twenty-nine World War II Navajo code talkers, and the Silver Medal to each person who qualified as a Navajo code talker (approximately 300). In July 2001, U.S. President George W. Bush personally presented the Medal to four surviving original code talkers (the fifth living original code talker was not able to make it) at a ceremony held in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. Gold medals were presented to the families of the 24 original code talkers no longer living.

The last of the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers passed away this year, June 4, 2014. His name is Chester Nez. Mr. Nez has a memoir, its title is: Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir by One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII

Hollywood made an historical fictional movie about Navajo Code Talkers, Windtalkers, released in 2002.

~Jacquie

You Are Not Alone

June 19, 2014 ~ Online Stores ~ Leave a comment

June is PTSD Awareness Month.

My Disclaimer

I have noticed that a large portion of our US Flag Store community “likes” the posts on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and I wanted to dig a little deeper. It’s a sensitive, serious subject, and please correct me gently if I step on any toes. PTSD is a broad term used to describe any disorder triggered by severe trauma. While we use it on our website to refer to military personnel and vets who suffer because of it, it is a very real condition for many who have never been in battle. I cannot imagine the trauma suffered by those who have.

I started by going to the militarymentalhealth.org website and taking their quiz on PTSD. After filling out some basic information I was directed to four questions signifying the criteria for diagnosis:

Did you have nightmares about the event, or thought about it when you did not want to OR
Went out of your way to avoid situations and places that reminded you of the event OR
Were constantly on guard and easily startled OR
Felt detached from others and your surroundings

My first husband committed suicide. I have been abused, among other things I’d care not to share online. Additionally, in the last 8 months I have gone through a divorce (second husband), terminal cancer diagnosis for/subsequent care of/death of a parent, job change, city relocation, home purchase; I figured if any civilian was borderline suffering from something traumatic, it would be me. Not. I passed with flying colors. However, I immediately answered “yes” to all four questions answering for my boyfriend, whose teenage son was killed in an auto accident.

I already knew I can’t possibly fathom what he lives with, day in and day out. So here is the tender part: I am writing about something whose depths I do not understand. If you are reading this, please don’t misunderstand that I think I know what you are going through, that I could offer platitudes or begin to understand what you have seen and felt. You deserve more than that. I read over this article after it is finished and my words seem so trite. It was an exercise in educating myself. Please take my findings as simply that: a collection of resources that I found online, that may direct you to help if you or someone you love needs it.

You Are Not Alone!

Important thing to remember: You are not alone. This can’t be said enough. 7.7 million Americans aged 18 and over suffer from PTSD, also known as shell shock or combat stress. It can be brought on by a variety of events, regardless whether you were physically harmed or not. Common symptoms include nightmares, sleeplessness, depression, numbness, anger, irritability, inability to focus, and myriad other things that reduce your quality of life. Symptoms often do not manifest immediately, and may not be constant.

Factors that can contribute to an event leading to PTSD include intensity, physical pain, loss of loved one, proximity, lack of control, and lack of support after the event. That last one screams that it is imperative to get support as soon as possible, even if you feel fine at the time.

Many sufferers report handing the condition with drinking, suicidal thoughts, workaholism, and isolation. These things actually eventually exacerbate the issues.

Is there help?

There is. PTSD has been recognized as a viable condition and researchers from around the world have increased our understanding of it and how to treat it. Medication and counseling are the two most effective methods of treatment. Counseling can help you understand and cope with what you are feeling while medications can block feelings of excessive despair. You can make lifestyle changes to help you on the path to recovery also – communicating with loved ones about what places or situations make you uncomfortable; volunteering in your local community can offer you the support you need. Start by talking to someone if you notice you are having a tough time: your spouse, best friend, doctor, or religious advisor. Connect with others who have been there, who can help you know what to expect and what things worked for them, and who will offer to be there for you if you feel you have nowhere else to go. That is one place I know we all have been!

Explore some of these resources, many of them free – they are my resources for this writing:

Military Pathways

Vet Centers

Understanding PTSD Booklet

Understanding PTSD Treatment

PTSD Program Locator

And once again, whether you are Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines, we here at US Flag Store genuinely thank you for your service!

Flag Day

June 16, 2014June 16, 2014 ~ Online Stores ~ Leave a comment

Flag day this year brought us our fourth Show Us Yours! photo, from Darryl M. in Diamondhead, MS.

We love this montage that he sent us. Darryl shares that he loves to fly all the flags he orders from us, and says quality is the biggest factor when choosing! “I change them out twice a year to keep them in good condition.” This is great advice. “I also use your 20ft telescopic pole for my weather station,” he adds.

What about that weather station? “I have been a weather spotter since 1991. I report to two TV stations: one in New Orleans, LA; and the other in Biloxi, MS.” He said he looked around for a long time for something on which to put his weather station – then found our site and the 20ft telescopic pole. “It works perfect. I can lower it down when I have to do maintenance on it. It is a great price and high quality pole. You can see it on the pictures I sent to you. Feel free to visit my website anytime!”

We’re not ones to turn down an invitation, so we are passing along his link, where you can again see the beautiful triptych Darryl submitted: http://darrylmeltondiamondheadweather.com/

Darryl, please let us know what you end up getting with your credit. Thanks so much for sharing!

Priceless!

June 9, 2014December 23, 2022 ~ Online Stores ~ 1 Comment

US Flag Stores received their third entry (second official but that’s a story for another day) in our Priceless! campaign, requesting loyal customers to show us their products in exchange for a $25 credit and tons of appreciation. The rules are simple – a photo of any of our store’s products in use, emailed to elizabeth.stubna@onlinestores.comalong with your customer email or name, and the SKU/item number of the product – will get you fame and fortune. Ok, not much of either, but some of both.

Eddie (USMC) and Jacquie M. of Florida sent the photos you see here in this blog. They purchased 500 of our little American made flags for Memorial Day and placed them around Veteran’s Memorial Park in Pensacola, Florida to honor others.

When we notified Jacquie of the thank-you credit posted to her account, she replied, “I can’t wait until Eddie gets home. I kinda want to be selfish and get him the US Marine Corp flag, but I will wait ’til we decide together.” If thinking of picking out something for someone else is “selfish,” may we all be that selfish. Thank you to you both!

Beautiful couple, beautiful photos!

He Showed Us His!

May 30, 2014May 30, 2014 ~ Online Stores ~ 1 Comment

United States Flag Store, in conjunction with the other merchants of Onlinestores, Inc., is currently inviting owners of our products to send us photos of them in use or on display. For our loyal customers’ efforts, we are rewarding them with $25 in store credit, and displaying their photos across our social media.

Stephen N. of MA sent us this photo of the United States Flag Store flag in his front yard. “[Here’s]…my American Flag on the flag pole in my front yard. One of the things I like best about the home we purchased.” This quality Valley Forge flag is SKU #USA46SPVF . It is a sturdier flag designed for colder climates and has a 6-month warranty. Stephen purchased it two years ago and has been flying it ever since. A repeat customer that first ordered from us in 2008, Stephen also flies a US Marine Corp flag that he bought from us. “I proudly fly the American-Made flags I purchase from Online Stores.”

Thank you, Stephen!

Priceless!

May 19, 2014May 19, 2014 ~ Online Stores ~ Leave a comment

Clever picnic invites: $10
Bug spray: $5
3×5 Made-in-the-USA Flag from the United States Flag Store: $25.70
Having your photo on United States Flag Store’s website: Priceless!

Send us your photos of our products in use or on display. If we use your picture, we will send you a $25 thank-you gift to be used on any of our merchandise! email photos to elizabeth.stubna@onlinestores.com with the product’s website item number or SKU, and the name and address on your registered account, so we can be sure to get your prize to you!

Please note the following: you must be a registered user of united-states-flag.com to receive your non-transferrable credit code. (you can register here: https://www.united-states-flag.com/customer/account/create/) Limit one credit code per registered user of united-states-flag.com. Submitting photos indicates your agreement that the photos are your own, and everyone identifiable in them has given consent to have their likeness used by us for any purpose on any onlinestores.com website. Photos must be accompanied by the SKU or item number from united-states-flag.com.

We Mean It!

May 16, 2014May 16, 2014 ~ Online Stores ~ Leave a comment

One of the first things you will see when you visit the United States Flag Store’s online presence is a banner stating, “when we say it we mean it” and a graphic of a tag that reads, “Made in America.”

Since the 70’s, the United States has seen a shift in being the leading society of producers, to a society of doers and thinkers. While America has gravitated towards technology and research over manufacturing, China has stepped in to be the major producers and exporters of goods.

According to the Made In America movement, “the average American will spend about $700 on gifts this year. If only half this amount were spent on gifts Made in USA, up to a million American jobs would be created!” (http://www.themadeinamericamovement.com/) The reality is, because of our great country’s fair wages, quality standards, and safe workplaces, these products are not always the most economical. Add to this the fact that the FTC defines “Made in America” as only a product whose final assembly or processing takes place in the US, and the waters can get quite muddy. If you have talked to anyone who has an opinion on this debate, you know it can be as heated a topic as politics or religion.

As a manufacturer of quality flags of every kind, we try to provide the market what they want: choice of high quality premium American flags, as well as more cost-effective imported designs. Every flag we offer on our website clearly indicates “Country of Origin.” On the Specification Tab in the product information, you can easily see where the flag is made so you can be sure you are getting exactly what you want. Additionally, if you prefer your flag be made right here in the United States, we have an entire pull-down menu dedicated to US Made American Flags for your shopping convenience. If you are ever in doubt or need help, you can call our friendly customer service specialists at 1-877-734-2458.

Here at the United States Flag Store, when we say it we mean it.

Brand New Easter Flags

April 2, 2014April 2, 2014 ~ Online Stores ~ Leave a comment

It’s that time of year again…Easter! A time for joy, religious reflection, fluffy bunnies, and of course candy. This year, Easter falls on April 20th and we want to make sure that you’re prepared and have the best house warming decorations.

For a traditional, stylish, and cute Easter welcome, take a look at the Floating Easter Eggs flag. This flag displays beautiful, vivid colors that are sure to brighten up your home and make your entrance way unique. This flag features a ribbon-like banner that runs over the top reading “Happy Easter”. There are eggs of different sizes, colors, and patterns tied to ribbons that are dangling down the flag. This flag was printed in the USA and measures 28″ x 40″ and is listed at $18.15.

If you’re looking for a more religious Easter flag, we have those too! The new Easter Cross garden flag is smaller compared to the banner flag and measures at 12″ x 18″. This garden flag continues to have the stunning, vivid colors featuring a cross with lilies resting on it and inspirational Bible quotes remain in the background. This garden flag is listed at $9.09. That’s a great steal!

However, maybe you’re looking for something a little different? How about flowers and bunnies to celebrate that spring is finally here? Our brand new Tulip Bunnies welcome flag is sure to please. This flag features some plaid printed on the top border and polka dots on the bottom border. There are adorable bunnies that are popping out of tulips in the foreground in front of some flowers in the background. This flag is listed at $18.15 and measures 28″ x 40″. You can’t go wrong with this flag!

Check out the rest of our Easter flags: here.