The President's Eagle

The logo on the floor of the oval office is of an eagle. In one claw it holds an olive branch, the other a batch of arrows. The head points towards the olive branch.

Is it true that when teh country is officially at war that there is a seperate logo where the eagle's head is pointed towards the arrows? And so for the 4 weeks (ish) during the Iraq conflict did they replace the entire oval office carpet to change the emblem?

where did you hear this?

no offence to you americans out there, but it does seem the sort of thing that you would do. did they have it for the cold war with the head towards the arrows?

I did a search, couldn't find anything on this, I'm still looking too. I tried google, going to try some other options...

It was mentioned in "West Wing". When the President's hometown preacher pays a visit, the point is raised, though no answer is given.

yes
in times of declared war the head points to the arrows.

I heard about this in a book I read by Dan Brown. It is said that not many people realize this even happens, but there are two different rugs. They store one away and during the night they switch them at times of war (or crisis) I cant remember the exact reason.

The Presidential Seal



The Presidential Seal has not always been as we recognize it today. Originally it was fixed featuring a coat of arms similar to the one found on The Great Seal of the United States, with an eagle clutching thirteen arrows in one talon and an olive branch in the other. Prior to 1945, however, the coat of arms of the presidential seal bore a marked difference to the coat of arms of The Great Seal of the United States. The eagle on the presidential seal faced to the viewer's right, towards the talon with the arrows, while the eagle on the Great Seal faced toward the viewer's left, toward the talon with the olive branches.
One morning, standing at his desk, President Truman presented to the press a new presidential flag ... "This new flag faces the eagle toward the staff," Truman explained, "which is looking to the front all the time when you are on the march, and also has him looking at the olive branch for peace, instead of the arrows for war ..."
On October 25, 1945 President Truman issued Executive Order 9646. This order made several alterations to the presidential flag and seal, among which was the reversal of the eagle's head so that it pointed in the same direction as the one on the Great Seal. The new seal featured an eagle facing to it's right, the direction of honor; and toward the olive branches in it's right talon, symbolizing peace. The former design, first used in 1880 by President Rutherford B. Hayes, featured the eagle facing toward arrows in its left talon, symbolizing war.

our.homewithgod.com...

[Edited on 25-3-2004 by kinglizard]