06/14/2023
Today is FLAG DAY = June 14, 2023
In the United States of America, "National Flag Week" is recognized in the month of June, during the week in which the 14th of June falls. June 14th itself being, "Flag Day", the date in 1777 when the Second Continental Congress adopted the official flag of the United States.
July 4th, Independence Day, is the date set for the celebration of the birthday of our country. June 14th, Flag Day, the date set to celebrate our national flag, which we so dearly love.
It was on June 14, 1861, in Hartford, Connecticut, during the first summer of the Civil War, that the United States Flag was first flown in a Flag Day celebration. Although the annual observance of this celebration did not become a tradition in Hartford, it was recorded in the Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, published in 1912 by the Standard Publishing Company of Chicago, IL, that one George Morris of Hartford, was the first person to suggest the day:
"To George Morris of Hartford, Conn., is popularly given the credit of suggesting "Flag Day," the occasion being in honor of the adoption of the American flag on June 14, 1777. The city of Hartford observed the day in 1861, carrying out a program of a patriotic order, praying for the success of the Federal arms and the preservation of the Union."
More widely known is one Bernard Cigrand, who is often cited for the initial suggestion of the observance of Flag Day, as he wrote the popular article printed in the Chicago Argus Newspaper in June of 1886, "The Fourteenth of June". As a grade school teacher at the Stony Hill School in Waubeka, Wisconsin, he had had his students formally observe the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of our flag as 'Flag Birthday' in 1885. And he continued to actively advocate for such an observance, calling it "Flag Birthday" or "Flag Day", believing it should be recognized annual as a national tradition. He spoke and wrote extensively as the President of the American Flag Day Association, and later the National Flag Day Society.
On June 14, 1891, the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia held its first Flag Day celebration. It is believed that Betsy Ross, an official flag maker for the Pennsylvania Navy, may have stitched the 13 white stars on a blue background, 13 red and white striped flag, used on June 14, 1777, when the Continental Congress authorized 'The Stars and Stripes'; Old Glory, The Star Spangled Banner, our nation's flag. Though the number of stars have changed over the years to reflect the number of united States (now being 50 in number), there remains 13 equal, horizontal, red (top and bottom) and white stripes (though for a short time there were 15), representing the original 13 colonies (which were the first States in the Union).
In 1894, it was directed by the governor of New York, Roswell P. Flower, that the United States flag be displayed on all public buildings on June 14. It is believed that Fairfield, Washington, has held the longest (oldest) continuous observance of a Flag Day parade, beginning as early as 1909 or 1910. And it was in 1916 that President Woodrow Wilson issued the proclamation calling for a nationwide observance to take place on June 14 of that year.
Pennsylvania was the first state to celebrate "Flag Day" as a state holiday (beginning in the town of Rennerdale, Pennsylvania), on June 14, 1937. And on August 3, 1949, President Harry Truman signed legislation that was to officially designate June 14 of each year as "Flag Day".
On June 14, 2004, the 108th Congress voted on H.R. 662, which officially declared that Flag Day originated in Ozaukee Country, Wisconsin.
Although not a federal holiday, "Flag Day" is a nationwide observance; and Title 36 of the United States Code, Subtitle I, Part A, CHAPTER 1 which outlines 'Patriotic and National Observances'; is specific to 'Flag Day' in § 110. In 1966, our Congress made request that each United States President would hence forth annually proclaim the week in which June 14th occurred, National Flag Week.
"Flag Day" is celebrated with flag raising events, patriotic programs, ceremonies, parades, essay contests, music tributes, and the like, which show our patriotism and pride in all that our nation stands for. The flag is to be treated with the utmost honor and respect, and handled with great dignity and care. The national flag is not a toy, but rather that which represents the life blood and blood shed for the establishment and preservation of our nation. It holds hope in a future of peace gained by the sacrifices of today. The twenty-one day time period following "Flag Day" is known as 'Honor America Days'. This period of time lasts from the celebration of "Flag Day" through the celebration of "Independence Day". This is the time to honor America and all that our nation stands for.
Each year, the President of the United States calls for the flag to be displayed on all government buildings and urges all US residents to observe the celebration of "Flag Day".
![Happy Birthday United States Army Corps of Engineers!!Established June 16, 1775.[Sorry, I was away yesterday.]](https://img3.medioq.com/553/606/567708875536067.jpg)
