Happy Flag Day!

The Meaning and Importance of Flag Day     by Bill Bruch

Flag Day is celebrated on June 14 to honor the day in 1777 when the American flag was officially recognized by the United States. The holiday celebration honors and commemorates the Stars and Stripes on the American Flag: Red - Valor and Bravery; White - Purity and Innocence; Blue - Vigilance, Perseverance, and Justice.

The flag of the United States of America represents many things and stands for every soldier who sacrificed and died for our country. The alternating red and white horizontal stripes represent each of the 13 original American colonies. Each star represents a state and symbolizes the union of each of the states. 

Stars & Stripes, the first official national flag, was formally approved by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. The first U.S. Flag Resolution read: “Resolved, that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field representing a new constellation.” The layout of the stars was left undefined, and many patterns were used by flag makers. The designer of the flag, most likely Congressman Francis Hopkinson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence from Philadelphia, may have had a ring of stars in mind to symbolize the new constellation. 

Since 1892, millions of children have recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. Flag at the start of each school day. "I Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, One Nation, Under God, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for All” is an important patriotic affirmation and solemn oath of loyalty to our Creator, our Country and our Founding Documents and, by pledging, promises Freedom and a Sacred Allegiance.

The Star-Spangled Banner is the official National Anthem of the United States. The lyrics of the national anthem, which includes: "The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave," are also an important connection to the American flag.

To celebrate victory over British forces during the War of 1812, U.S. soldiers raised a large American flag at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, on September 14, 1814. Poet, Francis Scott Key, was so inspired by seeing the flag after witnessing the fort’s bombardment, he wrote a poem called "Defense of Fort McHenry," that became the Star-Spangled Banner and the United States national anthem.

Bill Bruch Substack: The Meaning and Importance of Flag Day  -  Educate. Advocate. Mitigate. Activate!