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Show FLAG DAY By Lt. Col L. S. Lcatham ISAR One hundred seventy and five years ago June 14, 1777 the "Stars ant Stripes" was adopted as the official flag of this country, then known as the American Colonies. Down through the vista of time since that memorable day, this flag of ours has become be-come a symbol of national unity and human liberty to the peoples of the United States; a banner of hope and opportunity to the oppressed and down trodden of other nations. "The Flag of the United States of America" is its official offi-cial name. The armed forces call it the "National Flag" or the "Color". The red and white stripes, representing tha 13 original colonies, have remained fixed in number since the resolution passed by Congress on April 4, 1818. For a time prior to this, there were 15 stripes, the 14th and 15th representing Vermont and Kentucky. It was that 15-stripe flag which flew over Fort McHenery in Baltimore Balti-more Harbor the historical night of September 13, 1814, which is so aptly described in the words of our National An them. Under the same resolution of congress, the 48 stars commencing com-mencing at the upper left hand corner of the blue field, representing a new constella tion, and reading to the right represent the original 13 states -in the order of their ratifica- tion of the Constitution and the remaining 35 states in the order of their admission to the Union, viz: 1787, Delaware; Dela-ware; Pennsylvania, New Jersey; Jer-sey; 1788, Georgia, Connecticut, Connecti-cut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Hamp-shire, Virginia, New York; 1789, North Carolina; 1790, Rhode Island; 1791, Vermont; 1792, Kentucky; 1796, Tennessee; Ten-nessee; 1803, Ohio; 1812, Louisiana; Lou-isiana; 1816, Indiana; 1817, Mississippi; 1818, Illinois; 1819, Alabama; 1820, Maine; 1821, Missouri; 1836, Arkansas; Arkan-sas; 1837, Michigan; 1845, Florida, . Texas; 1846, Iowa; 1848, Wisconsin; 1850, California; Cali-fornia; 1858, Minnesota; 1859, Oregon; 1861, Kansas; 1863, West Virginia; 1864, Nevada; 1867, Nebraska; 1876, Colorado; Colo-rado; 1889, North Dakota," South Dakota, Montana, Washington; 1890, Idaho, Wyoming; Wy-oming; UTAH became the 45th state and star in 1896; 1907, Oklahoma; 1912, New Mexico, Arizona. In these days of uncertainty when the hearts of men are being tried by fire and anti-American anti-American propaganda is ram pant all over the world; and dictators are striding to apparent ap-parent success over the mangled man-gled bodies of the weak and innocent, our efforts should be doubled in making this historical event more of a festival by displaying the flag at every home and office building. build-ing. On June 14th, the birthday of our flag, let us all fly Old Glory to remind us of our rich heritage; remind us of our boys who gave their lives from, the Revolutionary War, the Bulge, Iwo Jima, to Korea to preserve its integrity and all it stands for our freedom, our liberty and our happiness. |