Forever May It Wave!

Marion Smith / June 14, 2010

Today is Flag Day. On this day in 1777, amidst a desperate war for American independence, the delegates to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopted the “Stars and Stripes” as the official flag of the newly emerging American nation. According to the adopted resolution: “White signifies Purity and Innocence; Red, Hardiness and Valor; and Blue, Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice.” These colors would be organized into 13 alternating red and white stripes and 13 white stars in a field of blue, symbolizing the unity of the thirteen colonies and the American people’s struggle for their inalienable rights.

Since Betsy Ross legendarily stitched the first banner, the American flag continues to inspire each generation. Throughout the War for Independence, American patriots fought and died under that flag in order to secure their rights and the blessings of liberty that had been so boldly proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence. It was the sight of that “star-spangled banner” during the War of 1812 that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the American National Anthem. Today, our service men and women continue to fight and die under “Old Glory” in defense of Americans’ right to self-government. (more…)