Flag of the United States

The flag of the United States also known as the American flag, Old Glory, Old World flag, or U.S. flag, was the national flag of the United States of America.^[1]^{[Non-game 1]}

Several variants of flags are found throughout the wasteland, where some are craftable. Trifold American flags were given as commemoration for military service.^[2] One of these flags from an Anchorage veteran was donated to the Treasures of Jamaica Plain exhibit.^[2]

Background[]

One of the first known variants of the United States flag bears similarities to the real world Betsy Ross flag. The pattern of the flag is 13 alternating red-and-white stripes with stars in a field of blue in the upper left corner canton. Its distinguishing feature is thirteen five pointed stars arranged in a circle, which in the real world represent the thirteen colonies that fought for their independence during the American Revolutionary War.

50 states us flag — The "50-star" flag; adopted in 1960 in the real world and relinquished in 1969.

The second flag utilized by the country consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton (referred to specifically as the "union") bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows, where rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternate with rows of five stars. The fifty stars on the flag represent the fifty states of the United States of America that existed before the introduction of the Commonwealths.

13 commonwealths us flag — The "13-star" flag, adopted in 1969.

With the introduction of the Commonwealths system in 1969, the canton that would normally represent the states was amended to reflect the number of constituent commonwealths.^[3] The number of stars represents the commonwealths that comprise the United States of America.^[4]^[5]^{[Non-game 2]}

Two variants were used: One with 12 stars surrounding a central one, dating back to the foundation of the Thirteen Commonwealths, and another with thirteen stars, introduced before the Great War. The two versions were used alongside one another.^{[Note 1]}

US Flag — The "14-star" flag, used until the Great War.

Despite this change, the 50 star flag was still used, albeit rarely, in posters, weapons, armor, and clothing.^[6] Delta IX rockets also had a 50 star flag painted on their fuselages, next to the crew section entrance hatch.^[7]

FO3 Enclave Flag Recreated — The flag of the Enclave used by the organisation post-war, bearing a close resemblance to the aforementioned 14-star flag.

Believing themselves to be the continuation of the pre-war US government, the Enclave adopted a version of the pre-war 14-star flag, replacing the star in the center of the flag's canton with their insignia.

Variants[]

Type	Image	First used	Appearances							Notes
Type	Image	First used	Fallout	Fallout 2	Fallout 3	Fallout: New Vegas	Fallout 4	Fallout 76	Fallout	Notes
14 star		Lonesome Road (2012)								Current standard; stars point outwards
13 star		Fallout 3 (2008)								Also intended for use in Van Buren.^[8]
14 star		Fallout (1997)								First design, stars point inwards
Enclave		Fallout 76 (2018)								Used by the Enclave, post-war.
Historic flags
50-star flag		Fallout 2 (1998)								Divergence
48-star flag		Fallout (1997)								1912-Divergence; also appears in vintage propaganda posters in Fallout Tactics
34-star flag		Fallout 76 (2018, cut)								1861-1863
Betsy Ross flag		Fallout 4 (2015)								1777-1795 Erroneously used on Frank Horrigan's talking head model

Notes[]

↑ There is no explicit explanation for the addition of a thirteenth star to the circle. Barring simple changes in design between Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, which is when the 14 star flag was introduced, the addition can be explained as representing annexed Canada. This would explain why the roundel in the flag retrieved from the Moon landing site has twelve stars in the circle, while roundels definitely issued after the annexation have thirteen (such as the Survivalist's rifle, issued by the Long Branch Arsenal in Ontario, USA territory).

Behind the scenes[]

In game flags look similar to real world flags utilized over the course of the United States' history, specifically the Betsy Ross flag and the Cowpens flag.
The idea of using a different flag design for the United States originated in Fallout in 1997. Tim Cain commented that the 13-star flag was used because Leonard Boyarsky favored it, planning on creating a backstory about 13 super-states to it that never materialized.^{[Non-game 3]} The design was only seen briefly in the intro and in a promotional render, and was later seemingly forgotten: Fallout 2 (1998) used a plain 50-star flag as basis for assets such as the flag in the President's office, while Frank Horrigan has a Cowpens flag on his pauldron.
The alternate flag was intended for use in Van Buren (cancelled 2003), with a 12+1 design planned for use (as seen on the helmet textures and J.E. Sawyer's design for the Enclave insignia for SIMPLE).
With Fallout 3 (2008) the franchise went back to using an US flag with a circle of stars, however with 12 stars surrounding the central star instead of the 13 used currently in the franchise. This flag design would also be used in Fallout: New Vegas (2010), until the release of its add-ons.
The current standard, with 13 stars surrounding a single central one, was introduced in Lonesome Road (2011) and remained in use in mainstream games ever since (Fallout Shelter being the notable exception), and has been prominently featured in the Fallout TV series(2024). Some depictions have the stars aligned like in the European Union flag, but official depictions always use the rotated, outward-facing version.

Gallery[]

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13+1 star variant (current)

13+1 star variant (inward stars)

13 star variant

50 star variant

48 star variant

34 star variant

References[]

↑ Ulysses' logs; Ulysses log Y-17.21
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Treasures inventory
↑ Massachusetts State House plaque: "The 'new' state house was completed in 1798 to house the government of the state of Massachusetts. The land selected was originally John Hancock’s cow pastures. The first dome was constructed of wooden shingles and covered in copper smelted by Paul Revere. The state government used this building continuously until the formation of the Thirteen Commonwealths in 1969."
↑ Patient log: Y-17.5
↑ Fallout TV series, Season 1, Episode 1: "The End"
↑ U.S. Army recruitment posters, Stars and Stripes bandana, Dynamite (Fallout: New Vegas), Winterized T-51b power armor (world object)
↑ Delta IX rocket in the Museum of Technology
↑ Motorcycle helmet (Van Buren)

Non-game

↑ Fallout 76 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide p. 393: "24. ROUTE 24 TURNOUT
A cluster of rusty military vehicles and Old Glory on a flagpole indicate what used to be a road turnout."
(Fallout 76 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Atlas of Appalachia)
↑ Fallout Bible 8: "Chris Avellone asks:
Why does the Fallout flag have 13 stars?
Tim Cain says:
Leon [Leonard Boyarsky] said he used that flag because it looked cool and he didn't want to use a standard American flag with 50 stars. Eventually he planned to make up something about 13 super-states or something, but he never did."
↑ Fallout Bible 8: "Chris Avellone: Why does the Fallout flag have 13 stars?
Tim Cain: Leon [Leonard Boyarsky] said he used that flag because it looked cool and he didn't want to use a standard American flag with 50 stars. Eventually he planned to make up something about 13 super-states or something, but he never did."

[8] There is no explicit explanation for the addition of a thirteenth star to the circle. Barring simple changes in design between Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, which is when the 14 star flag was introduced, the addition can be explained as representing annexed Canada. This would explain why the roundel in the flag retrieved from the Moon landing site has twelve stars in the circle, while roundels definitely issued after the annexation have thirteen (such as the Survivalist's rifle, issued by the Long Branch Arsenal in Ontario, USA territory).

[1] Ulysses' logs; Ulysses log Y-17.21

[treasures-3] 2.0 ^2.1 Treasures inventory

[MSH-4] Massachusetts State House plaque: "The 'new' state house was completed in 1798 to house the government of the state of Massachusetts. The land selected was originally John Hancock’s cow pastures. The first dome was constructed of wooden shingles and covered in copper smelted by Paul Revere. The state government used this building continuously until the formation of the Thirteen Commonwealths in 1969."

[5] Patient log: Y-17.5

[6] Fallout TV series, Season 1, Episode 1: "The End"

[9] U.S. Army recruitment posters, Stars and Stripes bandana, Dynamite (Fallout: New Vegas), Winterized T-51b power armor (world object)

[10] Delta IX rocket in the Museum of Technology

[11] Motorcycle helmet (Van Buren)

[2] Fallout 76 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide p. 393: "24. ROUTE 24 TURNOUT
A cluster of rusty military vehicles and Old Glory on a flagpole indicate what used to be a road turnout."
(Fallout 76 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Atlas of Appalachia)

[7] Fallout Bible 8: "Chris Avellone asks:
Why does the Fallout flag have 13 stars?
Tim Cain says:
Leon [Leonard Boyarsky] said he used that flag because it looked cool and he didn't want to use a standard American flag with 50 stars. Eventually he planned to make up something about 13 super-states or something, but he never did."

[12] Fallout Bible 8: "Chris Avellone: Why does the Fallout flag have 13 stars?
Tim Cain: Leon [Leonard Boyarsky] said he used that flag because it looked cool and he didn't want to use a standard American flag with 50 stars. Eventually he planned to make up something about 13 super-states or something, but he never did."

[1]