Today, June 14, is Flag Day here in the United States.
Now, how many of you fellow Americans out there knew we commemorate Flag Day every year, but that was all you knew about it?
Yeah, me too. 😳😳
So, here’s a little refresher course for us:
According to our good friend, Wikipedia, “It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777, by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. The Flag Resolution, passed on June 14, 1777, stated: “Resolved, That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”
“In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day; on August 3, 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress.”
Though Flag Day is observed nationwide, it’s not a federal holiday. However, you lucky folks in Pennsylvania get to have the day off, as that’s the only state to observe today as a holiday.
All over the country, there are Flag Day parades today. Maybe near where you live. Some of them have a long history; Fairfield, Washington’s parade dates all the way back to 1909 or 1910.
If you wish to display the Stars and Stripes today (or any day), you may want to consult https://www.usa.gov/flag for info on the proper way to do so.
So, Happy Flag Day, friends! Go to a parade if you have the chance, fly Old Glory proudly if you have it, and let’s all take a moment to respect the national symbol of our freedom.
Oh, and incidentally:
June 14 is also the birthday of the United States Army! Congress adopted “the American continental army” on this day in 1775. So, Happy Birthday to you!
just drive, will you? 
Happy Flag Day to you too, my friend. Sadly, my spirit for such things as the flag and national anthem has waned a bit in the past couple of years, as it is used so often to convey things it was never meant to, but I still honour the hard work that went into making this a once-respectable and once-respected nation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your diminished spirit is certainly understandable, Jill. Just remember, the misuse you speak of grabs the headlines, but there are far more of us whose sincere reverence for our flag and all it represents goes unnoticed. Take heart in that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Larry! I do take heart in that, and in the ‘good people’ I write about and read about every day. But then I think of how Colin Kaepernick was so vilified for taking a knee to protest racial injustice, or all the white supremacist groups who use the flag to cover their vile acts. And those who used the flags on poles to beat Capitol Police officers on January 6th. To me these days, the flag is a piece of cloth and the national anthem is a song, nothing more. They once stood for something, but not so much these days. Sorry … I’m not trying to be a downer, honestly … I just don’t feel the same level of respect I once did for such symbols.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hear you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Happy Flag Day! — just drive, will you? – battleoftheatlantic19391945