U.S. Department of War (DOW) – Pole Hem Flag
U.S. Department of War (DOW) - Pole Hem Flag
- Official Department of War design on nylon, made in the USA
- Printed or sewn; single-sided, double-sided or mirror-sided
- Pole hem, plain or with gold fringe
- 3x5 FT, 4x6 FT, 5x8 FT or a custom size
Product Description
The U.S. Department of War (DOW) Pole Hem Flag is made for indoor and parade display: lobbies, hearing rooms, auditoriums and the ceremonies where the Department of War is represented. It carries the Department of War’s official design on nylon, it is made in the USA, and it is finished with a pole hem, the fabric sleeve that slides over an indoor or parade pole.
This is a call-in item, so you choose the details with us. Order the DOW pole hem flag printed or sewn, single-sided, double-sided or mirror-sided, plain or with gold fringe, in 3x5 FT, 4x6 FT, 5x8 FT or a custom size. Pick your options above, then call 703-751-2411 or request a quote and we will confirm the details before production.
The Department of War is the executive department that oversees the United States Armed Forces: the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force. It is headquartered at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and it is the largest employer in the federal government.
Choose Your Options
Every U.S. Department of War (DOW) Pole Hem Flag is made to order, so tell us how you want it built. These are the choices.





- Printed or sewn: Printed flags are dye-printed on 200 denier nylon, so fine seal detail reproduces exactly. Sewn flags are appliquéd and embroidered by hand in our Alexandria, Virginia shop: each color is a separate piece of fabric stitched to the field, with lettering and fine detail embroidered.
- Single-sided, double-sided or mirror-sided: A single-sided flag carries the design on the front only; the back is blank. A double-sided flag is two flags sewn back to back, so the design reads correctly on both sides. A mirror-sided flag is also two layers, but the back is a mirror image of the front.
- Fringe or plain: Gold rayon fringe on three edges is the traditional ceremonial finish for an indoor flag. Plain leaves the edges hemmed. Either way the hoist edge gets the pole hem.
- Regular or Premium construction (sewn flags): Regular sewn flags are chain stitched. Premium sewn flags are lock stitched, a stronger interlocking stitch, and they carry a separate part number. Printed flags do not need this choice.
- Size: 3x5 FT, 4x6 FT, 5x8 FT are standard. For a custom size, give us the finished width and height you need.
Product Features
- Official Department of War design: the U.S. Department of War (DOW) Pole Hem Flag carries the Department of War’s official emblem, reproduced to the agency’s design in the finish and size you order.
- Nylon field: lightweight nylon that hangs well on an indoor pole and carries cleanly in a parade.
- Pole hem finish: a sewn sleeve along the hoist edge that slides over an indoor or parade pole.
- Built your way: printed or sewn, single-sided, double-sided or mirror-sided, plain or fringed, in standard or custom sizes.
- Made in the USA: every DOW flag we sell is made in the USA.
- Matched sets: order one flag or a set for every office, and the finish and size will be the same on each.
Historical Background
Congress established the Department of War on August 7, 1789, one of the first three executive departments, and President Washington named Henry Knox its first Secretary. For more than 150 years the department ran the Army, while a separate Department of the Navy, created in 1798, ran the fleet.
The National Security Act of 1947 placed the services under a single National Military Establishment, and a 1949 amendment renamed that establishment the Department of Defense. On September 4, 2025, an executive order authorized Department of War as a secondary title for the Department of Defense, so the Secretary of Defense may also be styled Secretary of War. The department's legal name stays the Department of Defense unless Congress changes it.