A flag what's a county to do?

Celebrating July 4th our Independence day is filled with symbols of what this country means to us. The flag is one of my very favorite of symbols. My heart pounds and I feel gratitude when ever I see it. Did you know the flag as we know it, one flag for all events, didn't come into being until after WWII.

That's right, it was a flag free for all. Right from the first declaration in 1776 people have designed different flags hoping to make it a symbol of our county

The process of our countries flag was helped by only three Flag acts. Freedom in flag designs abounded.

FLAG ACT I "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." 1777

FLAG ACT II provided for 15 stripes and 15 stars after May 1795. 1794

FLAG ACT III provided for 13 stripes and one star for each state, to be added to the flag on the 4th of July following the admission of each new state, signed by President Monroe. 1818

So those are the rules go for it! And these new U.S citizens did. So many flags for so many reasons. We loved and honored each for their intended use. No county has had more flags under one government. We use our flag, it follows us into battle, hangs in our public places, honors our dead, and brings us pause.

In 1892 the first pledge to our flag was started. This has taken many forms and was taught in schools to a fledgling generation of children. The pledge as I learned it in school, standing and saying it daily, wasn't in use until 1954. Before that point a similar pledge was used but it didn't have 'One nation under God' in it and it wasn't recognized by the Congress until 1942

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The Pledge of Allegiance 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.

After the "One nation under God" was added

Then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower said "In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and war."

As a great leader of WWII he clearly knew the reason we needed to add the phrase.

Bleach Boy proposed to me on flag day, June 14th, 1972. We love to remember this day and hang our flag to celebrate the two great reasons for the day. This day for the flag began in 1885. Flag Day - the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 - was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916.

August 3rd, 1949, President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.

The flag which belongs to the people has progressed in interesting ways and I hope you will check this web site. http://www.usflag.org/index.html It is one of my favorites on the flag. PBS stations all over are also showing a history of the flag where I got most of this information for this blog. Watch it, it's very good.

Be sure and stand tall with respect when your Flag passes by today. It is a symbol of freedom,a symbol of E PLURIBUS UNUM, Out of many into one. One great nation from 13 colonies, one great nation out of many immigrants.

Happy 4th of July American's all over, from all over!