They were the men and women of the Capitol's Flag Office - a little-known department of the Government whose sole duty is to raise and lower US flags over the roof of the US parliament building, so that senators and representatives can distribute to their constituents flags that have officially flown over the Capitol.
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The discretion is understandable. Most recipients - party donors, supporters, cronies and good causes, as well as ordinary constituents who have paid $US30 (about $54) to have a flag flown for them - fondly imagine that they are getting a flag that has flown all day.
In fact the Flag Office uses special short flagpoles, near the small dome over the House of Representatives. For rainy days, there are three poles under the lip of the dome, and for September11 a dozen extra poles were erected. Each flag is typically hoisted for just a few seconds.
The flags flown on September11 were a little slower, as they had to be flown at half mast, said Reynell Bennett, a supervisor.
"It takes a little longer to raise them to half mast. They have to go up to the top, then come back down and stop halfway. They said the average was about 30 seconds."
It's just quintessential capitalism, isn't it?
