Rep's Corner

Flag Day, June 14, was first proclaimed a national day of observance by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Wilson’s proclamation, it was not until August 3, 1949, that President Harry S. Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14 of each year as National Flag Day. However, Americans had been celebrating Flag Day since 1897 to commemorate the origin of the flag created by a Resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. The Resolution stated, “…that the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternating red and white; that the Union be 13 stars, white in a field of blue, representing a new constellation.”

The most prevalent myth of the origin of the flag recounts the story of Betsy Ross, an expert Philadelphia needlewoman. While there is no official record to substantiate the creator of the original flag, the story of Betsy Ross captured the popular fancy of the American people.

Some historians claim that in June, 1776, General George Washington, Robert Morris, and Betsy’s uncle, George Ross went to her Arch Street upholstery shop. The men told her they were members of a congressional committee and they showed her a rough design of a stars-and-stripes flag. They asked her to make the emblem. She agreed to the request and recommended making the stars five-pointed instead of six. Betsy sewed the emblem and on June 14, 1777, Congress adopted it as the official United States flag.

George Washington reflected on the flag by saying, “We take the stars from heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing liberty.”

Thought to be one of the most complicated flags in the world, as no other flag requires 64 pieces of fabric, Old Glory is ageless. The Stars and Stripes were flying four years before the United States Constitution was ratified; 12 years before George Washington was inaugurated as the first president of the United States; and was an emblem of our country 37 years before Francis Scott Key composed the opening stanza of the “Star Spangled Banner.”

The flag has been a symbol of our strength throughout history. Old Glory was with George Washington and his men when they crossed the Delaware. It led armed forces to victory in the Spanish-American War. American men at Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Woods carried the flag into battle in 1918. Old Glory accompanied the armed forces fighting from one end of the Pacific to the other in World War II and it was with the United States “D-Day forces” when they landed on the shores of Europe in 1944. The flag served in armed action against communism in the Korean War. And today, Old Glory is with our military, navy and armed forces guarding freedom principles around the world.

Since the first public observance of Flag Day in 1897, the day has come to be widely recognized by displaying the flag on all public building in public places, along the streets and in front of businesses and homes. The flag is displayed on all national holidays and everyday at the Capital Building in Washington D.C., the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, the birthplace (Keyland, Maryland) and the grave (Mount Olivet Cemetery, Maryland) of Francis Scott Key, the War Memorial at Worcester, Massachusetts, and Fort McHenry (near Baltimore) where the “Star Spangled Banner” was written.

Our flag exemplifies the profound commitment to freedom, equality and opportunity made by our founders. Its presence is a daily reminder of this nation’s past accomplishments and on-going dedication to safeguarding individual rights.

The Stars and Stripes are visible to each of us on a daily basis. Whether we are at a ballpark, church, school or in a government building, Old Glory represents the fabric of our common citizenship. Flag Day calls us to reflect upon its significance as the symbol of our country, our beliefs and our dreams.

The flag is a living symbol of all that has been accomplished before us and all that we strive to contribute to the strength, freedom and the greatness of our nation. The red stripes represent the courage, heroism and sacrifices of the men and women who have fought for our country and its freedoms since the Revolutionary War. The white stripes speak for the purity of our high ideals. The blue field connotes the strength and unity of our 50 states represented by five-point stars. Together, the red, white and blue of Old Glory represent a beacon of liberty and justice.

As Calvin Coolidge reminded us, “when we look at our flag and behold it emblazoned with all our rights, we must remember that it is equally a symbol of our duties. Every glory that we associate with it is the result of duty done. A yearly contemplation of our flag strengthens and purifies the national conscience.”

Let us today honor the great symbol that has unified our great nation, led men and women in the fight for democracy and freedom and represented our courage, ideals and strength for many, many years.


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© Copyright 2008 State Representative Lynn Olman. All rights reserved.