Flag Day

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which is stands, one Nation under God, indivisiblee, with liberty and justice for all.

Today is Flag Day. I would like you all to know I was excused from having to make dinner to write this post. Today is truly a memorable day.

On June 14th 1777 the Continental Congress passed the Flag Act say, "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."

June 14th was proclaimed an "observance holiday" by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. Even though many people celebrated this day it did not receive it's official Congressional designation until 1949. The only state that celebrates Flag Day as an official state holiday is Pennsylvania. Every other state just observes the day as a significant part of US history. The whole week of June 14th has been dubbed "National Flag Week."

Some facts about our "Old Glory":

•The first American flag was sewn by Betsy Ross, she finished it May of 1776.
•The term "Old Glory" was started by a man by the name of William Driver, in 1831. William Driver was Captain of the brig CHARLES DOGGETT. When presented with a beautiful United States flag of twenty-four stars he exclaimed, "Old glory!"and the name stuck.
•On August 21st 1959 the final flag we now know as the US flag was made, with fifty white stars on a blue black ground, next to thirteen alternating red and white stripes.
•The proportions of the flag have changed several times since it was first sewn by Betsy Ross. At one point in the flag had 15 stripes but the stripes would get so busy with the addition of any new state that they decided to undo this new look and make it 13 stripes once again.

Care and respect for the US flag:

•Always display the flag with the blue union field up - never display the flag upside-down except as a distress signal.
•Always hold and display the flag carefully - never let it touch anything beneath it, most especially the ground.
•When holding the flag keep it upright and free - never hold it horizontally or let it drag.
•Do not display a dirty or torn flag (unless you have none other), never let it become torn or dirty.
•When a flag needs to be disposed of do it properly, usually by burning it.
•Always treat the flag with respect. Never use it for advertising purposes. Never embroider or draw the flag on household items or articles of clothing. Never use it as part of a costume or athletic uniform. How, it is proper to attach a flag part to the uniform of military personnel, fire fighters, police officers and members of other patriotic organizations - as long as the flag is properly affixed.

The United States flag should be displayed, proudly, every day of the year but the following days are those that it should must especially be displayed (the italic is the dates they should be displayed and that in bold is the days it should be displayed at half-staff):

New Year's Day January 1
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Third Monday in January
Inauguration Day January 20
Lincoln's Birthday February 12
Washington's Birthday third Monday in February
Easter variable
Mother's Day second Sunday in May
Peace Officer's Memorial Day May 15 half-staff all day
Armed Forces Day third Saturday in May
Memorial Day the last Monday in May half-staff until noon
Flag Day June 14th
Father's Day third Sunday in June
Independence Day July 4
Labor Day first Monday in September
Patriot Day September 11 half-staff all day
Constitution Day September 17
Gold Star Mother's Day last Saturday in September
Nation Firefighter's Day the Sunday before or on October 9th
Columbus Day second Monday in October
Navy Day October 27
Veteran's Day November 11
Thanksgiving Day fourth Thursday in November
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day December 7 half-staff all day
Christmas Day December 25
STATE BIRTHDAYS AND HOLIDAYS
ALL ELECTION DAYS

*For those flags that cannot be displayed at half-staff it is traditional to tie a black ribbon around the pole, near the flag.