Flag Day

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June 14th is Flag Day in the United States!

In 1999, June 14th marks the 222nd birthday of the U.S. Flag. In 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes pattern for the national flag. This occurred almost one year after the Declaration of Independence and more than a decade before the U.S. Constitution was finalized. Flag Day was first celebrated in 1877, the centennial of the U.S. flag's existence. After that, many citizens and organizations advocated the adoption of a national day of commemoration for the U.S. Flag. It was not until 1949, that President Harry Truman signed legislation making Flag Day a day of national observance.

The United States Flag has thirteen alternating red and white stripes, each stripe represents one of the 13 original colonies of England. The United States Flag has 50 stars, one for each state of the Union. The last star was added for the State of Hawaii in 1960.

For information on proper display of the flag, contact your local veterans organizations such as the American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars.

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Francis Bellamy, 1892