Old Glory

     As Mr. Rogers would have sung: "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood ..."  At least it was in our neighborhood.  And against beautiful blue sky and along our downtown streets our nation's flag was proudly displayed on this Flag Day.  I went to the doctor's today and he asked me why the flags were out in full force.  I told him - National Flag Day.  Not an official national legal holiday, in many places the tradition of honoring this great symbol of our nation still holds.  Why this date?  On June 14th, 1777, this symbol was adopted as the flag of our new nation.  In 1949 President Harry Truman declared this day a national holiday.  In between, many observances were held for a variety of reasons, with Pennsylvania becoming the first and only State to celebrate Flag Day as a State holiday on this date in 1937.

     The flag is a symbol, a reminder to us of the grand experiment of a democratic republic that was established over two hundred years ago.  Founded upon a Constitution and Bill of Rights and set forth by a Declaration of Independence, this Republic, while not always living up to expectations, has served us well.  It has guaranteed us freedoms and protected our rights.  It has given us a form of government that would be hard to top in the world community.  And the flag is a symbol of that Republic and honoring it is a expression of our pride.

     One of the most cherished memories for me was the presentation of the Flag to Mom and the family at Dad's funeral, the flag that honored my Dad for his service to this nation, that nation and flag that he served in World War II.  That flag is a cherished possession of mine.

     I would like to end this post with the Pledge of Allegiance:

I pledge allegiance

to the Flag

of the United States of America,

and to the Republic

for which it stands,

one nation,

under God,

with liberty and justice

for all.