Is it disrespectful to fly the flag upside down?
While it is legal to express yourself in whatever way you so choose, it is disrespectful to fly an American flag upside down unless in a life-or-death situation, according to the United States Code.
What does a reverse American flag mean?
Basically, the idea behind the backward American flag on Army uniforms is to make it look as though the flag is flying in the breeze as the person wearing it moves forward. During the Civil War, both mounted cavalry and infantry units would designate a standard bearer, who carried the flag into battle.
