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Friday, June 18, 2021
The Spokesman-Review
VETERANS CHRONICLE
Every day is a fine day to fly the American flag By Ruth Aresvik VETERANS HELP NET CORRESPONDENT
Every morning after my coffee-and-book-inbed routine, I put out my flag. As I pick it up and call “Attention!” my Chiweenie dog Sailor flies to the arm of the couch facing the window and comes to a frozen halt. I open the front door to secure the flag in its holder. All day, until the day is done (gone the sun), Old Glory waves her stars and stripes. I catch glimpses of her throughout the day celebrating her proud freedom. And mine. For me and many others every day is a day to fly the flag. Officially, Flag Day is celebrated in America on June 14, commemorating the day the first flag resolution was passed. On June 14, 1777, less than one year after Betsy Ross had received the order from General Washington to make the first flag, the Second Continental Congress passed a flag resolution that “the Flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation.” The first national observance of Flag Day was on June 14, 1877, one hundred years after adoption of the resolution. The most recognized claim for the earliest Flag Day observance comes from New York. On June 14, 1889, Professor George Bolch, principal of a free kindergarten for the poor of New York City, had his school hold patriotic ceremonies to observe the
ASSOCIATED PRESS
An American flag blows in the wind Nov. 2 in front of the Supreme Court building on Capitol Hill in Washington. anniversary of the Flag Day resolution. By the late 19th century, schoolteachers all over the United States began conducting similar ceremonies to teach children about history. One schoolteacher, Bernard J. Cigrand, lobbied Congress for many years for Flag Day to be officially observed. Other patriotic groups, including the Colonial Dames and the Sons of the American Revolution, also spent years trying to convince Congress to make Flag Day official. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation stating that June 14 shall be National Flag Day, and in
1949, it was made official by an Act of Congress. Hurray for the red, white and blue! As the flag flies, enjoy these flag facts by Andrew Albert and the National Flag Foundation. There have been 27 versions of the American Flag. From the 1777 original that had 13 stars and 13 stripes for the American colonies, there have been many changes and iterations of the flag. Each time a state was added to the union, a star was added. We now stand with 50 stars and 13 stripes. The flag can be displayed for all 24 hours. While it is federal
law that the flag should be displayed from sunrise to sunset (unless there’s inclement weather), there are measures that can be taken to show the flag for all 24 hours. All that needs to be added is proper illumination of the flag so it can be seen in the dark. The colors were chosen carefully. The red, white and blue did not happen by accident. The Founders wanted the colors to have meaning, not just look visually pleasing. Red symbolizes hardiness and valor; white symbolizes purity and innocence; and blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice. The current design
wasn’t professionally made. A 17-year-old high school student, Robert G. Heft, of Lancaster, Ohio submitted the design in a contest in 1958. It was chosen out of over 1,500 submissions by President Dwight Eisenhower. The current flag is the only one to have lasted more than 50 years. As stated above, there have been many changes to the design of the American flag. But the one we currently observe is the longest running iteration of the symbol because no states have been added to the union since 1959. A snippet of the flag that “The Star-Spangled Banner” was
written about was sold in 2011. The flag that flew at Ft. McHenry, immortalized by Francis Scott Key, is still around. A 2-inch by 5-inch swatch of it was sold at an auction in 2011 for a whopping $38,000. The rest of the flag is on display at Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The flag has a national day of recognition. Flag Day, which celebrates the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777, was established by a presidential proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30, 1916, after years of local celebrations. Flags should be disposed of in a “dignified manner.” If an American flag is damaged beyond repair and you need to dispose of it, you can burn it with dignity. Many municipalities around the country conduct flag burnings, such as Boy Scouts or The American Legion. The flag can touch the ground and still be used. There is a myth that once a flag touches the ground it needs to be burned or disposed of. That’s not entirely true. If a flag is soiled or touches the ground, it can be washed and dry cleaned and continue to be used. Five American flags have made it to the moon. You have probably seen Neil Armstrong on the moon with an American flag, but he is not the only one to plant one on the surface of the moon. Five additional Apollo missions – 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 – ended with an astronaut placing a flag on the moon.
