Do you know your flag’s history?

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Consuella Pocket
  • 60th Medical Operations Squadron commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  You see them on houses, on cars, in front of government buildings, even on T-shirts. It seems it has once again become chic to "show the colors." 

Flags have existed for more than 4,000 years. The first type of flag, a metal or wooden pole with carvings on top, was called a vexilloid. About 2,000 years ago, flags evolved into pieces of colored fabric or material used as symbols or for sending signals. 

As the Global War on Terrorism continues with no end in sight, and our Airmen continue to put their lives on the line every day, it seems appropriate to provide a brief review of the history of that well-known symbol of our great nation, "Old Glory." 

The first "American flag became official on June 14, 1777 as a result of a resolution of the Continental Congress. Each of the 13 founding colonies was represented by one star and one stripe. Congressman Francis Hopkinson, a New Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress and a signatory of the Declaration of Independence, has been credited with designing this first flag. And, as we all know, Betsy Ross claims to have sewn our first flag. 

The Continental Congress left no record to show why it chose red, white and blue as the colors for the first American flag. In 1782, the Congress of the Confederation chose these same colors for the Great Seal of the United States. The meaning of the three colors was listed as: white to mean purity and innocence, red for valor and hardiness and blue for vigilance, perseverance and justice. According to legend, George 
Washington interpreted the elements of the flag as follows: the stars were taken from the sky, red from the British colors and the white stripes signified secession from the home country. 

There is, however, no official designation or meaning for the colors of the American Flag. The Star Spangled Banner became the Official United States Flag on May 1, 1795. One interesting fact is that this 15-star, 15-stripe flag immortalized by Francis Scott Key was the only U.S. flag to have more than 13 stripes. Congress soon realized that the addition of a new star and a new stripe for each new state was impractical and passed the Flag 
Act of 1818. This act returned the flag design to 13 stripes with the addition of one star for each new state admitted to the Union. There have been 25 different versions of the American flag. 

Do you know why the American flag is called "Old Glory?" Capt. Stephen Driver, a shipmaster from Salem, Mass., coined this famous name in 1831. Driver's friends presented him with a beautiful flag with 24 stars as he departed on one of his many voyages. Driver is said to have exclaimed, "Old Glory," as the banner opened to the ocean breeze for the first time. "Old Glory" has since become the nickname for all American flags. 

The idea of an annual day specifically honoring the flag is believed to have originated in 1855. Flag Day, the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777, was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson, on May 30, 1916. it has been designated as a day for all Americans to show respect for our flag, it's designers and makers. On Aug. 3, 1949, President Truman signed and Act of Congress designating June 14 of each year as National Flag Day. 

What does our flag symbolize to you? Most people think of liberty, freedom, pride and Betsy Ross when they see the American flag. In recent years, visions of our flag being raised by the New York City firefighters in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center or of our flag being hung from the roof of the Pentagon are etched in our minds. I had the opportunity to see the flag that had hung from the roof of the Pentagon proudly displayed at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. It certainly made me stop and reflect on it's symbolism as I believe it did for everyone in the huge crowd that was gathered around the display. 

Our flag has a proud and glorious history and represents our independence and our unity as a nation...one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. As the 5-year anniversary of September 11th approaches, please take a few moments to reflect on the history and symbolism of our flag and to pay your respects to "Old Glory."