“Happy Birthday to the Flag and the Army!” — MRFF Board Member John Compere gives us some interesting facts about these two auspicious June 14ths in American history

The birthdays of the American Flag and the United States Army are June 14th. The day is observed annually as National Flag Day and is one of our most patriotic days.

The American Flag was adopted by a resolution of the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1777 which stated “That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

Our flag celebrates its 247th birthday this year. 28th President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation in 1916 officially establishing June 14 as Flag Day. National Flag Day on June 14 was established by an Act of Congress in 1949 although it is not an official federal holiday. The US Flag Code (4 United States Code 1) provides recommended guidelines on the use of the flag but they are not lawfully enforceable.  

It is historically significant that the original American Flag, representing the 13 colonies with 13 white stars in a field of blue and 13 red and white horizontal stripes, has not changed except it now includes 50 stars for our 50 states. Our secular flag has remained the same for 2 1/2 centuries with no other symbols or phrases added.

The United States Army was founded as the Continental Army by resolution of the First Continental Congress on June 14, 1775. It celebrates its 249th birthday this year. The Army is the oldest of our nation’s armed forces and one of the most trusted institutions in this country. The Army’s familiar official song,“The Army Goes Rolling Along”,was adopted in 1956.

Every US Army member (and every American armed service member), upon entering the military service, takes the sworn loyalty oath to support, defend and bear true faith and allegiance to the secular United States Constitution. It is the affirmation that we are one nation under our Constitution and it is the Constitution in which we trust. 

It is historically noteworthy that more than half of our US Presidents (i.e. 24) were also Army veterans, almost 70% of all Medals of Honor have been awarded to Army soldiers, and Army helicopters are traditionally named after Native American tribes (e.g. Apache, Blackhawk, Chickasaw, Cheyenne, Chinook, Choctaw, Comanche, Iroquois, Kiowa, Lakota, Shawnee and Sioux) in respectful recognition after tribe approval.

John Compere
Brigadier General, US Army (Retired)
Disabled American Veteran (Vietnam Era)
Board Member, Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Texas rancher