Per Wikipedia’s first paragraph as it defines the Flag Day holiday in the United States:
In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress.[1] The United States Army also celebrates the U.S. Army Birthdays on this date; Congress adopted “the American continental army” after reaching a consensus position in the Committee of the Whole on June 14, 1775.
What does the U.S. flag mean to you? It seems the definition of the flag also waves high and wide to many folks all over the country. From a sacred piece of cloth which covers the coffins of those who make the ultimate sacrifice, to those who wear the flag as shirt or bathing suit, there really is no limit to how we define the U.S. Flag.
For my WW2 warrior grandfather Irvin Schaffer, it was a near holy object, which he hand fashioned for his platoon while serving under General Patton in Europe. As he told me, “…it wasn’t like in the movies. There wasn’t a flag to be found in our units, and I wanted us to have a U.S. flag for revelry in the morning. So, I made one.”
The competitive nature over how best to display one’s patriotism as it relates to our country’s flag always seems to raise the ire of Veterans and civilians alike. There is no easy answer as to how to respect our flag. However, one thing is entirely important – we must respect each other and increase our understanding of freedom and liberty, before we raise our voices to shout who can respect (or disrespect) the United States flag.
Thanks for visiting VetRings!
