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Freeper Canteen ~ Flag Day ~ June 14, 2004
Canteen Crew

Posted on 06/13/2004 8:06:37 PM PDT by StarCMC

 
 
For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday...
Thank the Veterans who served in
The United States Armed Forces.
 
 
Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom?
Support The United States Armed Forces Today!
 
 

 

 
   

 Flag Day

June 14, 2004

   

 

I am the flag of the United States of America

I was born on June 14, 1777, in Philadelphia.

There the Continental Congress adopted my stars and stripes as the national flag.

My thirteen stripes alternating red and white, with a union of thirteen white stars in a field of blue, represented a new constellation, a new nation dedicated to the personal and religious liberty of mankind.

Today fifty stars signal from my union, one for each of the fifty sovereign states in the greatest constitutional republic the world has ever known.

My colors symbolize the patriotic ideals and spiritual qualities of the citizens of my country.

My red stripes proclaim the fearless courage and integrity of American men and boys and the self-sacrifice and devotion of American mothers and daughters.

My white stripes stand for liberty and equality for all.

My blue is the blue of heaven, loyalty, and faith.

I represent these eternal principles: liberty, justice, and humanity.

I embody American freedom: freedom of speech, religion, assembly, the press, and the sanctity of the home.

I typify that indomitable spirit of determination brought to my land by Christopher Columbus and by all my forefathers - the Pilgrims, Puritans, settlers at James town and Plymouth.

I am as old as my nation.

I am a living symbol of my nation's law: the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.

I voice Abraham Lincoln's philosophy: "A government of the people, by the people,for the people."

I stand guard over my nation's schools, the seedbed of good citizenship and true patriotism.

I am displayed in every schoolroom throughout my nation; every schoolyard has a flag pole for my display.

Daily thousands upon thousands of boys and girls pledge their allegiance to me and my country.

I have my own law—Public Law 829, "The Flag Code" - which definitely states my correct use and display for all occasions and situations.

I have my special day, Flag Day. June 14 is set aside to honor my birth.

Americans, I am the sacred emblem of your country. I symbolize your birthright, your heritage of liberty purchased with blood and sorrow.

I am your title deed of freedom, which is yours to enjoy and hold in trust for posterity.

If you fail to keep this sacred trust inviolate, if I am nullified and destroyed, you and your children will become slaves to dictators and despots.

Eternal vigilance is your price of freedom.

As you see me silhouetted against the peaceful skies of my country, remind yourself that I am the flag of your country, that I stand for what you are - no more, no less.

Guard me well, lest your freedom perish from the earth.

Dedicate your lives to those principles for which I stand: "One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

I was created in freedom. I made my first appearance in a battle for human liberty.

God grant that I may spend eternity in my "land of the free and the home of the brave" and that I shall ever be known as "Old Glory," the flag of the United States of America.

Click the pics for music - mouse over for titles!

               

 

 

History of Flag Day

The Fourth of July was traditionally celebrated as America's birthday, but the idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the Flag is believed to have first originated in 1885. BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for the pupils in the Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School, District 6, to observe June 14 (the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes) as 'Flag Birthday'. In numerous magazines and newspaper articles and public addresses over the following years, Cigrand continued to enthusiastically advocate the observance of June 14 as 'Flag Birthday', or 'Flag Day'.

On June 14, 1889, George Balch, a kindergarten teacher in New York City, planned appropriate ceremonies for the children of his school, and his idea of observing Flag Day was later adopted by the State Board of Education of New York. On June 14, 1891, the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia held a Flag Day celebration, and on June 14 of the following year, the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution, celebrated Flag Day.

Following the suggestion of Colonel J Granville Leach (at the time historian of the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the Revolution), the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames of America on April 25, 1893 adopted a resolution requesting the mayor of Philadelphia and all others in authority and all private citizens to display the Flag on June 14th. Leach went on to recommend that thereafter the day be known as 'Flag Day', and on that day, school children be assembled for appropriate exercises, with each child being given a small Flag.

Two weeks later on May 8th, the Board of Managers of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution unanimously endorsed the action of the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames. As a result of the resolution, Dr. Edward Brooks, then Superintendent of Public Schools of Philadelphia, directed that Flag Day exercises be held on June 14, 1893 in Independence Square. School children were assembled, each carrying a small Flag, and patriotic songs were sung and addresses delivered.

In 1894, the governor of New York directed that on June 14 the Flag be displayed on all public buildings. With BJ Cigrand and Leroy Van Horn as the moving spirits, the Illinois organization, known as the American Flag Day Association, was organized for the purpose of promoting the holding of Flag Day exercises. On June 14th, 1894, under the auspices of this association, the first general public school children's celebration of Flag Day in Chicago was held in Douglas, Garfield, Humboldt, Lincoln, and Washington Parks, with more than 300,000 children participating.

Adults, too, participated in patriotic programs. Franklin K. Lane, Secretary if 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."

Inspired by these three decades of state and local celebrations, Flag Day - the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 - was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Wilson's proclamation, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.

To learn about Flag Etiquette, click the Flag.

Click for Flag Etiquette

 

 

Flag Folding

 

As an Army and Navy custom, the flag is lowered daily at the last note of retreat. Special care should be taken that no part of the flag touches the ground. The Flag is then carefully folded into the shape of a tri-cornered hat, emblematic of the hats worn by colonial soldiers during the war for Independence. In the folding, the red and white stripes are finally wrapped into the blue, as the light of day vanishes into the darkness of night.

This custom of special folding is reserved for the United States Flag alone.

 

How to fold the Flag

Step 1

To properly fold the Flag, begin by holding it waist-high with another person so that its surface is parallel to the ground.

 


Step 2

Fold the lower half of the stripe section lengthwise over the field of stars, holding the bottom and top edges securely.

 


Step 3

Fold the flag again lengthwise with the blue field on the outside.

 


Step 4

Make a triangular fold by bringing the striped corner of the folded edge to meet the open (top) edge of the flag.


Step 5

Turn the outer (end) point inward, parallel to the open edge, to form a second triangle.

 


Step 6

The triangular folding is continued until the entire length of the flag is folded in this manner.

 


Step 7

When the flag is completely folded, only a triangular blue field of stars should be visible.

 

 

 

Flag Trivia

Q. Who cut the American flag into pieces and was honored for doing it?
A. Robert Peary, who left pieces of the flag scattered at the North Pole.

Q. Is it ever appropriate to fly the flag upside down?
A. Yes, but only in an emergency. It means "Help Me, I am in Trouble!"

Q. What is done with worn or outdated flags?
A. Flags are used until they are worn out and then they are destroyed, preferably by burning.

Q. Francis Scott Key wrote the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner" on the back on an envelope. What is the source of the music for it?
A. The music is from an old English drinking song called "To Anacreon in Heaven."

Q. The American flag first flew over a foreign fort in what country?
A. Libya -- over Fort Derne, on the shores of Tripoli.

Q. A vexillologist is an expert in what?
A. The history of flags.

Q. "Shipwreck" Kelly (1885-1952) was famous for sitting for long periods of time. What did he have to do with flags?
A. He set many flagpole-sitting records. He sat for 49 days on one flagpole. He once estimated that he spent a total of over 20,000 hours sitting on flagpoles. Flagpole sitting was a craze started in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1929.

 

 

 

Click the pics for music - mouse over for titles!

Stars And Stripes Forever        Where The Stars And Stripes And The Eagle Fly        Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (Angry American)

 

 

 

 

 
 
 


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; History; Humor; Military/Veterans; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: airforce; army; canteen; coastguard; marines; military; nationalguard; navy; supportthetroops
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To: tomkow6
Have you noticed that marriage changes passion - Suddenly you're in bed with a relative.

Dennis Miller say's that's okay.   He said, "Gay unions are now legal in Vermont, but they are not having much luck in the South, where strict rules forbid getting married unless you are heterosexual, 14, or 'kin'."

341 posted on 06/14/2004 11:37:23 AM PDT by Lady Jag (Used to be sciencediet but found the solution)
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To: Valin

More useless facts for you.............

In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was
> >either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him
> >standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed
> >both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how
> >many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted.
> >Arms and legs are "limbs," therefore painting them would cost the buyer
> >more. Hence the expression, "Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg."
> >
> >
> >



> >
> > As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a
> >year! (May and October) Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved
> >their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could
> >afford good wigs made from wool. The wigs couldn't be washed, so to clean
> >them they could carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and
> >bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence
> >the term "big wig." Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig"
> >because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.
> >
> >

> >
> > In the late 1700s, many houses consisted of a large room with only
> >one chair. Commonly, a long wide board was folded down from the wall and
> >used or dining. The "head of the household" always sat in the chair while
> >everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Once in a while, a guest (who was
> >almost always a man) would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal.
> >To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. Sitting in the
> >chair, one was called the "chair man." Today in business we use the
> >expression or title "Chairman" or "Chairman of the Board."
> >
> >
> >

> >
> > Needless to say, personal hygiene left much room for improvement.
> >As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The
> >women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their
> >complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to
> >stare at another woman's face she was told "mind your own bee's wax."
> >Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term "crack a
> >smile." Also, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt and
> >therefore the expression "losing face."
> >
> >
> >

> >
> > Ladies wore corsets which would lace up in the front. A tightly tied
> >lace was worn by a proper and dignified lady as in "straight laced."
> >
> >

> >
> > Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a
> >tax levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the "Ace of
> >Spades." To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead.
> >Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be
> >stupid or dumb because they weren't "playing with a full deck."
> >
> >
> >

> >
> > Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine
> >what was considered important to the people. Since there were no
> >telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local
> >taverns, pubs, and bars who were told to "go sip some ale" and listen to
> >people's conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were
> >dispatched at different times "You go sip here" and "You go sip there."
> >The two words "go sip" were eventually combined when referring to the local
> >opinion and, thus we have the term "gossip."
> >
> >
> >

> >
> > At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and
> >quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the
> >customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and
> >remember who was drinking in "pints" and who was drinking in "quarts,"
> >hence the term "minding your "P's and Q's."
> >


342 posted on 06/14/2004 11:42:42 AM PDT by kjfine (Home, and loving it!!!)
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To: tomkow6; darkwing104

tomkow6!!! #200!!!
darkwing104!!! #250!!!
tomkow6!!! #300!!!

343 posted on 06/14/2004 11:47:03 AM PDT by Fawnn (Canteen wOOhOO Consultant and CookingWithPam.com person)
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To: Fawnn; tomkow6
I finally beat the Burka man at something


344 posted on 06/14/2004 11:53:35 AM PDT by darkwing104 (Let's get dangerous)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

That's great Tonk. Thank God for our veterans!! (Including you!)


345 posted on 06/14/2004 11:56:03 AM PDT by StarCMC (Please pray for the 2/7 Marines and Josh.)
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To: darkwing104

I'm thinking you probably had a more recent BATH!! That counts for something!! :o)


346 posted on 06/14/2004 11:58:59 AM PDT by StarCMC (Please pray for the 2/7 Marines and Josh.)
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To: StarCMC

ME??


347 posted on 06/14/2004 11:59:14 AM PDT by StarCMC (Please pray for the 2/7 Marines and Josh.)
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To: StarCMC

Huh?


348 posted on 06/14/2004 11:59:25 AM PDT by StarCMC (Please pray for the 2/7 Marines and Josh.)
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To: StarCMC

me


349 posted on 06/14/2004 11:59:26 AM PDT by tomkow6 (...Canteen CooCoo Consultant, and CookingWithLARD.com person)
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To: StarCMC

Huh?


350 posted on 06/14/2004 11:59:26 AM PDT by StarCMC (Please pray for the 2/7 Marines and Josh.)
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To: StarCMC

me


351 posted on 06/14/2004 11:59:26 AM PDT by tomkow6 (...Canteen CooCoo Consultant, and CookingWithLARD.com person)
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To: StarCMC

Man - this DSL is so fast I couldn't get it to post more than once!!! LOL!!


352 posted on 06/14/2004 12:00:14 PM PDT by StarCMC (Please pray for the 2/7 Marines and Josh.)
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To: StarCMC
WooHoo for Star!!!!


353 posted on 06/14/2004 12:01:39 PM PDT by darkwing104 (Let's get dangerous)
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To: darkwing104

Thank you Darkwing!! How are things down your way??


354 posted on 06/14/2004 12:05:21 PM PDT by StarCMC (Please pray for the 2/7 Marines and Josh.)
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To: StarCMC
Thank you Darkwing!! How are things down your way??

Been busy working. Its been raining on and off today, good thing its Monday. How is every going with you?


355 posted on 06/14/2004 12:10:14 PM PDT by darkwing104 (Let's get dangerous)
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To: All

WELL EVERYONE!!! I need to apologize -- it seems my music links in the thread mostly tanked!! I'm sorry -- hope no one was too disappointed!! SORRY!!!!!!!


356 posted on 06/14/2004 12:13:49 PM PDT by StarCMC (Please pray for the 2/7 Marines and Josh.)
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To: darkwing104

Good here!! Rainy days and Mondays sort of seem to go together! We're supposed to get storms this afternoon. Right now it is hot and STICKY!!!


357 posted on 06/14/2004 12:14:36 PM PDT by StarCMC (Please pray for the 2/7 Marines and Josh.)
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To: StarCMC

StarCMC!!! #350!!!

358 posted on 06/14/2004 12:14:46 PM PDT by Fawnn (Canteen wOOhOO Consultant and CookingWithPam.com person)
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To: Fawnn

Thank you Auntie Fawnn! **smooch!**


359 posted on 06/14/2004 12:15:49 PM PDT by StarCMC (Please pray for the 2/7 Marines and Josh.)
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To: StarCMC

The Story of Old Glory



February 2, 2003, Manama, Bahrain - Having started her journey June 13, 1999 at Valley Forge National Park,as part of Century Link America's world tour, Old Glory Travels America's Freedom Road, the well traveled American Flag, Old Glory, was raised this morning aboard USS VALLEY FORGE (CG 50) while in Manama, Bahrain for a well-deserved port call. The Ticonderoga-class cruiser is part of the CONSTELLATION Battle Group, currently on station in the Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Southern Watch.

VALLEY FORGE departed San Diego on November 2, 2002 for a scheduled 6-month deployment. While in the Arabian Gulf, the ship has conducted numerous missions from Maritime Interdiction Operations, carrier escort duties, air surveillance and flagship platform, to name a few. Her crew of 380 trained for months before November and is prepared for any tasking that they may receive.


“Having Old Glory aboard is symbolic of our daily fight against terrorism” said LCDR Mike Feyedelem, the ship’s Executive Officer from Norwalk, Ohio. “For those that momentarily forget, it usually takes just a glimpse at the American flag flying from the mast to remember why we leave our families for months at a time. We have a chance to defend our freedom every time we set sail.”

This morning’s flag raising was extra symbolic as Old Glory was raised smartly to the top of the staff and gently lowered to half mast in honor of the 7 astronauts lost aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia the day before. In July 1999, Old Glory had honored the astronauts of Columbia upon their return from mission STS-93. With 3 of the 5 American astronauts lost in Saturday’s tragedy being Navy, it was only appropriate for Old Glory to fly aboard a Navy warship.

One member of the flag detail, Signalman Tavis Golden of Elmore, AL, when asked what he thought of the ceremony this morning stated simply “Old Glory, First in Peace” referring to VALLEY FORGE’s motto “First in War. First in Peace.”


360 posted on 06/14/2004 12:29:38 PM PDT by StarCMC (Please pray for the 2/7 Marines and Josh.)
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