Every June, Portland’s Rose Festival welcomes “the fleet” from the US and Canada. Moored along the Willamette river, the ships display a colorful range of flags to see—ensigns, jacks, signal flags, and courtesy flags.
A large Maple Leaf Flag, along with many smaller flags, flies from the sailing ketch HMCS Oriole, a Canadian Navy sail training vessel (launched in 1921, she is the oldest commissioned ship in the Royal Canadian Navy).The maritime signal flag “K”, the POW-MIA flag, and the Portland city flag fly on the USCGC Waesche.The Canadian Naval Ensign flies from the frigate HMCS Calgary (FFH 335).The Union Jack of the United States flies from the bow of USCGC Waesche (WMSL-751), a National Security Cutter. She flies the traditional U.S. jack—only US Navy ships are flying the so-called First Navy Jack with the rattlesnake.
Portland Flag Association 