Utah veteran calls PacSun T-shirt design ‘slap in the face’


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LAYTON — The retail store PacSun experienced significant backlash for selling a T-shirt depicting a black-and-white American flag turned upside down. The manager at the Layton Hills Mall said the store received negative feedback for having the T-shirts on display, so he took the display down.

One Army veteran was extremely upset about the retailer designing a T-shirt with a black and white flag, what he calls an infrared flag — something he received when he deployed.

“… You get an infrared flag to replace your colored American flag, and the only way to have it is to have been deployed at one point. When someone has an IR flag or patch, it validates their deployment,” said Tanner Barney, a U.S. Army veteran.

“To see an IR Flag, inverted, in distress, it’s such an insult to me, to any veteran, to any active duty service member, to my friends who died,” Barney continued

People are also taking to social media to blast the retailer for the shirt design.

#PacSun Shame on you for this disgraceful dishonor of our flag and all the people of our great nation pic.twitter.com/MRUdmBO9aZ — Dr. Dodger (@ebteeiii) May 25, 2015

Hi, @PacSun your shirt violates the flag code: http://t.co/xTwPh6tjhv#AntiAmericanpic.twitter.com/B1qku6h1qd — Lisa Scherr (@BBUMH) May 25, 2015

Let it not be misunderstood PAC Sun needs to be put on notice for the upside down flag!! On memorial day so disrespectful...#pacsun — LarryDBrand (@LarryDBrand) May 25, 2015

This shirt is really disrespectful to this country considering people died for that flag. Never shopping at @PacSunpic.twitter.com/yBQD63s3A8 — Corey Givans (@cgivans6) May 25, 2015

Veteran perspective ===================

For Barney, the American flag means more than most.

“It’s sacred,” Barney said. “I don’t let anyone touch it. It sits up there and it sort of reminds me what I did and why I did it.”

Barney wrote a stern note to PacSun after seeing the T-shirt displayed in a storefront.

“I said that it was a disgrace,” Barney said.


I've read a few things with people saying freedom of speech, but to say that is also a slap in the face.

–Tanner Barney, U.S. Army veteran


Under the United States flag code, the flag should only be displayed upside down when there is extreme danger to life or property. Even with the specificity of the code, Barney acknowledged that PacSun has not done anything illegal, although that’s hardly justifiable for him.

“I’ve read a few things with people saying freedom of speech, but to say that is also a slap in the face.”

PacSun has the law on its side, according to attorney Greg Skordas.

“Ironically, the military people who are upset at the fact that the flag is mistreated that way are the people that gave us the right to do that,” said Skordas. “And I know that’s some irony and some people have a real problem with that, but that’s one of the freedoms we enjoy in this country is the freedom of speech and the freedom to express ourselves.”

Barney wanted PacSun to remove the item from its stores and issue an apology.

As of late Monday afternoon, the retailer had responded with an official statement:

“As a retailer grounded in youth culture, PacSun values artistic and creative expression through the brands that we sell in our stores. Out of respect for those who have put their lives on the line for our country, we have decided to stop selling the licensed flag T-shirt and are removing it from our stores and website immediately. We thank the men and women in uniform for their extraordinary service.” — Pacific Sunwear, Inc.

Contributing: Angie H. Treasure

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