[June 14, 2015] For those who’ve served in the U.S. military, there will always be a special place in our hearts for the Stars and Stripes – the flag of the United States of America. In our most recent war against terror, like the servicemen of World War II, we wore a U.S. flag patch on our right arm as a symbol of our country and our ideals. Now, as I go about my travels across the U.S., one of the more common sentiments that I hear is a pride in our country and its flag. Today is Flag Day and we celebrate it.
There are many American citizens who no longer believe in the U.S. and consider our flag a symbol of racism, oppression, and evil capitalism. Additionally, a new fad of many young people is to walk on the flag as an act of purposeful desecration. Whether to bring attention to their ideology or as an act they consider being brave, they have exposed their basic lack of historical knowledge and ignorance of the concept of freedom. The latest is Eric Sheppard and his supporters who encourage us to disrespect the flag by stepping on it (worthwhile link for more on this fad).
On June 14, 1877, the first Flag Day observance was held on the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes. As instructed by Congress, the U.S. flag was flown from all public buildings across the country. In the years after the first Flag Day, several states continued to observe the anniversary, and in 1949 Congress officially designated June 14 as Flag Day, a national day of observance.1
Today on Flag Day, we commemorate our hard won freedoms and recognize the U.S. flag as a symbol of that freedom.
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[1] http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/congress-adopts-the-stars-and-stripes
[Note] Here are great websites that provide some amazing facts about the U.S. flag:
History of Flag Day: http://usflag.org/history/flagday.html
Guidelines for Display of the Flag: http://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/flagdisplay.pdf
Patriotic Writings about the Flag: http://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/flagdisplay.pdf
National Flag Day Foundation: http://www.nationalflagday.com/default.asp
Rules for Saluting the Flag: http://www.military.com/flag-day/rules-for-saluting-us-flag.html?comp=7000023108772&rank=3