Happy Flag Day

[Julie Justice]

Meeting in Philadelphia on June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution to create a new flag for the new American nation. It stated that the American flag be made of 13 alternating red and white stripes and that the Union be represented by white stars on a field of blue, representing "a new constellation." It stayed that way for two decades, until January 1806, when two new stars were added to reflect the admissions of Vermont and Kentucky to the Union. It was this version of the flag that inspired Frances Scott Keyes to write "The Star Spangled Banner" after seeing it over fly over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. When another design change was made, permanently fixing the number of stripes to 13 (in honor of the 13 original Colonies) and allowing new stars to be added every July 4, should a new state be admitted to the Union. But, this date also holds significance for the Army. Two years after the battles of Lexington and Concord kicked off the Revolution, Congress authorized the establishment of soldiers in the Continental Army. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed this day a holiday in 1919; but it was not officially made a holiday until 1949.
(Info: Wikipedia. Photo: common use. Flag: Facebook "frame."