Flag Day

What is flag day and why do we observe it?  Did you know what else is celebrated on June 14 each year?

 Flag day was first recommended in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson and again in 1927 by President Calvin Coolidge.  They issued proclamations for June 14 to be observed as National Flag Day.  It wasn’t until August 3, 1949 that Congress approved the national observance and President Harry S Truman signed it into existence.  The Resolution for the the original Flag of the 13 colonies was adopted by the Continental Congress on…you guessed it June 14, but in 1777.  It was first carried into battle on September 11, 1777 and first saluted on February 14, 1778.  One of the first celebrations of flag day was in Hartford Connecticut in the summer of 1861 where schools held Flag Day programs to contribute to the Americanization of immigrant children and soon thereafter began to hold celebrations of Flag Day. So it took 100 years to be celebrated, almost 140 years to be recommended by proclamation and 30 years short of 200 years to be signed into law.  So my first question of what else is celebrated on June 14?  It’s the birthday of the United States Army, in 2023 the Army celebrates 248 years since June 14, 1775. So happy birthday to the army and the flag and happy flag day.