Tag Archives: Flag Day

06.19
2013

Bel Air Celebrates Flag Day

Over 100 community members came out to a local park as the city of Bel Air celebrates Flag Day a little early. Early last weekend, over 100 Bel Air community members came out to Shamrock Park to help celebrate Flag Day. Although Flag Day is officially June 14th, the city has an annual tradition of celebrating the holiday a few weeks early. Councilman Jim McMahan served as the master of ceremonies for the event and thanked everyone for coming out the honor and respect the nation’s colors. Bel Air likes to host the ceremony in early June before school lets out to allow students to perform. The Flag Day festivities included patriotic performances from the high school band and choir. McMahan served in the Army and also the Maryland Defense Force, a state-run military unit. During the ceremony he said, “I certainly appreciate the students that have come today to sing for us, and to play.” He also oversaw the official raising of the colors that was carried out by members of the American Legion and Disabled American Veterans chapter. Most spectators watched the Flag Day ceremony from under the large trees in the park, shading themselves from the hot …

Flag News

Tagged: American Flags, Flag Day, Military

06.18
2013

Elks Chapter Celebrates the 236th Birthday of Old Glory

A local Order of the Elks chapter recently held a ceremony honoring the 236th birthday of Old Glory just in time for Flag Day. Last Sunday, over 120 community members attended a special pre-flag day ceremony at the Order of the Elks No. 2399 building. The ceremony honored the 236th birthday of the American flag. Although Flag Day is officially June 14th, the Elks chapter held the event on the first day of National Flag Week. To kick off the patriotic event, a group sang The Star-Spangled Banner as a Color Guard from the local Marine Corps League posted the colors. After that, a pair of Elks officers that included Ace Johnson told the crowd the story of Old Glory over the years. The historic story began with how the first American flag was commissioned in May or June of 1776, based on a rendering done by Betsy Ross. More historic story telling was done by a young Marine Jacob Glover. When he took the podium, he told the story “I am the Flag.” According this his speech, the first official US Flag came to be on June 14th, 1777. The Marine then proceeded to describe what the colors represented, …

Flag News

Tagged: American Flag, Flag Day, Old Glory, Veterans

06.13
2013

Flag Day Contest: Win a Free US Flag

Flag Day Contest: Vote for your favorite historical flag now and win a free American flag! Over the years, the American flag has been redesigned many times and other historical flags have popped up along the way. Which historical American flag is your favorite? We want to know! Vote for your favorite flag below and you’re entered to win a free 3 x 5 US flag. A winner will be picked at random from everyone that votes. Read more about the history of these flags. If you have a different favorite flag of all time, comment and let us know! Dying to know more about the history of the Flag Day holiday? CVS Flags has all your answers! All flags pictured are available for purchase at CVSFlags.com.

Flag Fun

Tagged: Betsy Ross, Flag Day, free flag contest, Historical Flags

06.13
2013

Happy Flag Day | American Flag Day History

Flag Day celebrates the birth of the US flag and much more. How will you honor the stars and stripes this Flag Day? Everyone should have a birthday celebration, even the US flag! This year Friday June 14, 2013 marks the 97th anniversary of President Woodrow Wilson’s 1916 Proclamation that called for the national observance of Flag Day. It was not until President Harry Truman signed an Act of Congress that June 14th became the official date to celebrate Flag Day. The original idea for the holiday was initially thought up by a teacher Bernard J. Cigrand when he assigned his class an essay about the flag. Learn more about his story and why he thought the nation needed a special day to honor the flag! The American flag actually gets a whole week of honor. This year June 9th, 2013 is the official start of National Flag Week. Although, citizens should honor the stars and stripes every day of the year, at 236 years old, the flag definitely deserves a special weeklong celebration. The US flag has gone through many redesigns in its day. The current 50-star flag is almost 53 years old, which is the longest term for …

Flag History

Tagged: American Flags, Flag Day, Flag History, U.S. Flag

06.13
2013

Great American Picnic on Flag Day

The Longaberger Homestead is set to celebrate Flag Day with a Great American Picnic and unveil a massive version of Old Glory. In Frazeysburg, Ohio, the Longaberger Homestead plans on breaking a world record this Flag Day. Along with holding a festive community picnic, they will unveil the world’s largest American flag that measures 255 feet by 505 feet. That’s bigger than a football field! Frazeysburg and a nearby town Zanesville, both plan on honoring Old Glory all Flag Day weekend long. They are giving their visitors a chance to not only witness this massive American flag, but also help carry it. The Great American Picnic is set to run Friday June 14 through June 15, with many patriotic activities the whole family will enjoy. So where did this small Ohio town get such a glorious US flag? From California, the record-breaking flag requires 500-600 people to hold it up. Special priority will be given to the first 200 people to walk through the gates on Flag Day. Picnic coordinators also plan on holding a raffle to give away another 50 spots holding up the giant flag. Many patriotic groups from around the community plan on attending the Great American …

Flag News

Tagged: American Flag, Flag Day, Great American Picnic

05.29
2013

Veteran Offers His Flag Etiquette Help

Just in time for the upcoming summer patriotic holidays, a US veteran offers his tips on American flag etiquette. Flying a flag with proper etiquette is important every day of the year, especially on patriotic holidays like Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, and Independence Day. Roger Layton, first vice commander of the American Legion Post 22, holds the flag particularly close to his heart and wants to make sure everyone knows how to fly it right. Keeping all the rules straight can get a little complex, but they’re designed to make sure Old Glory is shown the honor and respect she deserves. For example, a light should always be shown on the flag when it’s displayed outdoors overnight. Flags must always be in good condition too. They are allowed to be repaired for minor fixes, but large tears and wholes require flag retirement (link to past blog). Layton said, “Flags should be in serviceable condition. There’s a point at which it gets ratty and people still display them when they should not. You can give unserviceable flags to any veterans’ organization like the American Legion or VFW, and they will properly destroy it.” If you would like to …

Flag Etiquette

Tagged: American Flag, Flag Day, Flag Etiquette, Memorial Day, Veterans

06.29
2012

Groups Host Proper Flag Retiring Ceremony

Organizers collect 150 flags from community for ceremony before properly disposing of it. In honor of Flag Day on June 14, Boy Scout Troop 555 and cadets from the Nellis Air Force Base Civil Air Patrol did their due diligence in honoring the flag. The team organized and collected about 150 American Flags that had been worn, torn, faded and badly soiled to retire properly. The flags were flown at buildings all throughout the community, from government buildings to cemeteries to local businesses. As the U.S. Flag Code states, “The Flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” Each Boy Scouts of America troop has their own way of properly retiring a flag. Some troops prefer to shred or cut the flag up before burning; others choose to leave the flag in one piece before properly dispose of it. The Boy Scouts of Troop 555 prefer to leave the flag intact before disposing of it. The Palm Northwest Mortuary held the ceremony, the establishment’s first time hosting a commemoration and flag-retirement service. Kelly Browder, general manager at the Palm Northwest Mortuary, …

Flag News

Tagged: American Flag, American Flags, Boy scouts, Flag Day, flag retiring ceremony, US Flag Code

06.20
2012

George Washington Bridge- World’s Largest Free-Flying US Flag Displayed on Flag Day

On George Washington Bridge the World’s Largest Free-Flying US Flag was Displayed for Flag. The people crossing the Hudson River on George Washington Bridge in New York last Thursday, Flag Day, were the audience of a unique national treasure. The world’s largest free-flying US flag was suspended from the upper reaches of the bridges New Jersey tower. Port Authority workers unfurled the 60-by-90 foot and 450-pound nylon American flag before 7 a.m. Setting up Old Glory was no easy task for the bridge employees. “To hang that flag takes hours but it reflects the pride of the people who work on the bridge. On Flag Day, on July 4, people are going to put flags out in their front yards. The Port Authority is going to do the same in our front yard, on the bridge that is most identified with New York and New Jersey,” said Bill Baroni, deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. The tradition of hanging up the flag over the George Washington Bridge dates back 65 years. Stats and facts about the world’s largest free flying American flag: — The Port Authority cycles through flags once every few years, …

Flag History, Flag News

Tagged: American Flag, Betsy Ross, Flag Day, Flag History, Flag News, George Washington Bridge, Historical Flags, Old Glory, Patriotic, U.S. Flag

06.19
2012

Watch | Skydiving with the American Flag

New World Record Set by Skydiving with 10 American Flags in a Day! Army Veteran, Dan Aukstukalnus, celebrated this past Flag Day by skydiving with the American Flag ten times with flags ranging in size from 15 square feet to 7,800 square feet. According to Dan, Flag Day was a beautiful day to fly the American flag at 13,000 feet. When asked why he did it, he said, “Just to bring some awareness to the American flag and to give it some justice. By turning the canopy and the parachute you can get that angle and it just…. especially when you look at the 7,800 square foot flag, its truly beautiful.” His team, Team Fastrax, have made jumps to commemorate 9/11 carrying all ten flags at once. The army Vet says this deadly maneuver is something that takes a lot of practice. “What we try to do is maneuver them where we’re all pretty much together and its very dangerous because of course every one of these has weights on them and of course if you get tangled up in a parachute you know it could…cause some (serious) problems. Honestly it is a lot of hard work in training. It’s all …

Flag News

Tagged: American Flags, Flag Day, Old Glory, Skydiving

06.14
2012