U.S. Public Health Services Flag

These U.S. Public Health Service Flags are made of high quality nylon outdoor fabric. They are available in an outdoor version that feature a printed design, a strong nylon header and 2 brass grommets or an indoor display that measures an official size of 52 inches high by 66" inches long version that features a screen printed design, a pole sleeve and blue fringe around the flag edges. Larger sizes available by special order.

Flag Description and Origin;The Public Health Service, one of the seven uniformed services of the United States, dates its history to the establishment of a series of marine hospitals for merchant seamen in 1798. Although the marine hospitals were closed in the early 1980s, the Public Health Service continues its status as a maritime service, enforcing the nation's quarantine laws, inspecting passenger liners to ensure their compliance with health regulations, and providing doctors and other medical personnel to support the Coast Guard and NOAA Corps. Since at least 1912, the Public Health Service has used a yellow flag with the service seal--a crossed fouled anchor and winged caduceus--on the center in blue. The badge was designed by the first supervising surgeon of the Marine Hospital Service. The caduceus is not, as is commonly believed, the traditional symbol of medicine. That would be the staff of Aesculapius, with no wings and a single serpent. The caduceus is rather the attribute of Mercury, the Roman messenger of the gods, and therefore symbolizes the office of the herald, in whose presence a truce was observed. As Mercury was also the god of commerce, the caduceus also refers to the importance of the Public Health Service's mission to the conduct of maritime trade. As for the anchor, it not only represents the maritime nature of the service's original mission, but also, in being fouled (having the chain wrapped around the stock and flukes), indicates a mariner in distress. This may be the only instance in which the fouled anchor--jokingly called the "seaman's disgrace" as a symbol of maritime services--is actually a fully appropriate emblem and not merely decorative. The current version of the flag has the emblem surrounded by the name of the service and the date of its founding. It is made in various proportions depending on where it is to be displayed:

52 by 66 inches for indoor display, trimmed with a 2-inch blue fringe, an eight-and-a-half foot blue cord and tassels (sold separately), and the staff topped with a brass spearhead finial of the standard U.S. Army pattern (Sold separately). (Courtesy of Flags Of The World)

Made in the USA