Flag Day

Who can tell me what day falls on June 14th? That's right it's Flag Day. Another question, why do we celebrate Flag Day on June 14th.

Because it was on that day in 1777 we got our first official US Flag. The Continental Congress which made the laws in those days, specified that the flag would have 13 stripes, alternating red and white, and 13 white stars on a blue field.

But that was all the description they gave. If you remember your flag history, the result was that a lot of different flags appeared during the Revolutionary War. You can see pictures of some of them in your handbook. It wasn't until 1912, 135 years later, that the flag became standardized.

It's not very important that you know a lot about our flags history. What is important though, is that you are aware that our flag was born very soon after we became an independent nation, and that millions of men have fought for the flag as our symbol of freedom.

That's why I hope that if your family owns a US Flag, you will fly it proudly on Flag Day this year. In that way, we can show our pride as Americans and our determination to live as free men.