Milford chronicle., 1931-06-12
OUR FLAG IS
154 YEARS OLD

1CE 1EAIAD OLL
June IA, Flag Day, will this yea
direct the thoughts of every goot
American to the future as we'll as Il
the past. The patriotic citizen viii
be reminded that June IA, 1881
marks the 154th anniversary of thG
day when the Continental Congress
passed the resolution officially es,
tablishing, as the emblem of the
United States, flag "of thirteeI
stripes alternate red and white, anC
that the union be IL stars white il
blue field representing a new con-
stellatiOn."'. "A,
But every patriot will also lObH
forward to next year, when Flag
Day will take ON a still deeper mean
ing as one of the key days in the
ten mouths nationwide celebration
of the Two Hundredth Anniversary
of the birth of George washington.
According to the. plans of the United
States George Washington Bicen-
tennial Commission, every American,
in every state and city of the cOun-
try, will then be encouraged to
honor the flag with appropriate cere-
monies and with new devotion,
linked as it is with the life and la
bOrs of George Washington.
Historians may regard as unsup-
ported by fact the story of Betsy
Ross stitching the first American
Flag, but no one disputes the fact
that the legend has become part and
parcel of American folklore. In
any case it is known that Washing
ton had an intense personal interest
in the creation of a national flag,
and may have had a part in its de-
sign. And no one disputes the fact
that he accomplished more than any
other American in giving that flag
meaning and in unfurling it over
a strong and united nation. In 1892
it will be the country's privilege to
render new honors to George Wash
ingtOn's memory, and new loyalty
to this immortal symbol of his great
ness.
Meanwhile, this year, it is well to
recall some of the great dates in the
flags history. Its first display by
the Continental Army was on Aug.
3, 1777, at Fort Stanwix, the present
city of Rome, N. Y, during an at
tack by the British. 1t was first car
ried into battle by George Washing
toms troops at Brandywine on Sep
tember II, 1777. 1t was first salnted
by the British at the surrender of
at Saratoga on October
II, 1777.
For the Navy, John Paul Jones
took the first salute to the Stars and
Stripes on February IA, 1873, when
he sailed his ship Ranger" into the
harbor of Quiberon, France. In the
same ship he forced the first strik-
ing of colors to our Flag by the
British ship Drake" on April "a,
1878. The ship Bedford" of Mas
sachusetts carried the first Ameri-
can Flag into British port on Feb
ruary 8, 1888. 1t was first carried
round the world by the ship "Coluni-
bia," sailing from Boston in Septem-
ber, 1887. Captain John Greene, in
The Empress of China" had previ-
0usly taken it to China in 1884
1t was first own in battle in the
Pacific by the U. S. Frigate Essex"
in, 1913. The next year Francis
Scott Key wrote the "Star-Spangled
Banner" In 1918 Congress decreed
hat henceforth new star should |
De added OH the admission of each |
lew State to the Union; but, before
hat, on January IS, 1884, after Ver-
mont and Kentucky had been admit
ed to the Union, the Stars and
Stripes were increased to fifteen.
rhe 1918 Act reduced the stripes to
thirteen and decreed a new star for
ZACH new State, which made jump |
It once to twenty stars.
On April 6, 1909, Admiral Peary
planted the first American flag at
he North Pole. Within the last de-
ade, Admiral Byd has carried it to
10Th the Poles.
Wherever it has gone it has meant
and new honOrs to our
lation. But next year Old Glory
will float over the achievements of
he greatest American of all, the
nan who made both the flag and the
ation that flies it-GeOrge Wash
ngtOn.