Flag Day Patriotism
On this day back in 1777, the Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopted the Stars and Stripes as the national flag.
Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior, delivered a 1914 Flag Day address in which he repeated words he said the flag had spoken to him that morning
“I am what you make me; nothing more. I swing before your eyes as a bright gleam of color, a symbol of yourself.”
It was not until 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.
So today, we members of The Sons of the American Legion met at 0600 this morning, and posted 34 sets of flags along 4th street, downtown Loveland.
We then retired the flags at 1800.
This is something we have done for the last nine years. We just don’t do this on Flag Day, but on Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Veterans Day. Four times a year we take to the downtown street and post Old Glory to the left, and the Colorado State flag to the right. Some people stop to ask “why?” most folks give us a warm “thank you”.
I hope you enjoyed Flag Day this year,
and if you did, thank a veteran.
Ride safe.
The colors flew at my home….good posting!
Comment by charlie6 — June 15, 2009 @ 3:43 pm
Thank you charlie6, and I thank you for your service.
Comment by JG Mashino — June 15, 2009 @ 8:00 pm
Dear Electra Glide In Blue:
Years ago, I lived in Lake Placid, New York. One of the first trhings I did was mount a flag on the porch of my cabin. A neighbor, an immigrant from France, asked me, “What is it with Americans and their flags? Why do you put a flag on everything?”
This was actually a very sweet person, for whom I had a great deal of respect. She wasn’t meaning to sound like a foreign, self-pronounced intellectual, liberal smartass… But she didn’t get it.
My response was, “It never hurts to advertise, when you’re the most unique game in town.” And the truth is there are millions of Americans who don’t get it either. May I recommend you read “Paul Revere’s Ride, by David Hackeet Fischer? It is one of the best books ever written about the American Revolution.
Thank you for posting this.
Fondest regards,
Jack “r”
Twisted Roads
Comment by Jack Riepe — June 16, 2009 @ 7:05 am
Jack,
Just picked up the book, “Paul Revere’s Ride” on your recommendation, looks like a good revolution read. Speaking of books I need to get a copy of yours and a good cigar.
Comment by Electra Glide In Blue — July 13, 2009 @ 7:08 am