Captain and Brevet Lieutenant Colonel George T. Balch
http://www.goordnance.army.mil/hof/2000/2001/balch.html
Toward the end of his life, while auditor of the New York City Board of Education, he devoted much effort to promoting patriotism in the children of the nation’s public schools. A motto he drafted in this connection, “We give our heads and hearts to God and our country; one country, one language, one flag!” was adopted by a number of schools in many states. It was Captain Balch who proposed that flagpoles be erected on or in front of all the public schools in the nation, and he became nationally known for his work on this project.
Thanks for the history lesson. I’m saving it for future use.