On June 14, America will be celebrating Flag Day. As I sat to write the history of Flag Day, I thought of my son-in-law, Michael (Mickey) Fenstermacher, of Topton. He was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War, who received three Purple Hearts and two Silver Stars. He died at a young age, in a home fire, leaving a wife, Mande, and a one year old, Jessica.
I knew Mickey loved his flag, but I’ll let Mande tell you the story: “The first thing Mickey did, upon moving into our home, was place a strong metal rod in the yard, on which he hung the U.S. flag. This was near the wood pile, where his local fellow veteran friends gathered to tell their stories and eat the meal we cooked over the fire. This flag was in icon for our home and immediate surroundings. Little did I know that the flag would come tumbling down with the fire that raged our home. It wasn’t but a few days after my husband’s death that someone came and hung a new flag on this same spot, knowing the significance this American flag had for my husband, and now me, as a widow, with a baby daughter to raise.”
And now, I dedicate this history of “leading up to Flag Day” in memory of my late son-in-law, Mickey Fenstermacher.
Over the years, our American flag has gone through various stages of development. At the beginning of the Revolution, in 1775, our country had not yet declared independence from Great Britain. It was Colonel George Washington who, on Jan. 1, 1776, volunteered to take command of the troops, near Boston, which was under the control of the British Army.
It is known George Washington left Philadelphia with two flags in tow, one being the Grand Union or Continental flag, which was the first flag under which Continental soldiers fought. This flag was similar to the Son’s of Liberty’s flag (the “Tea Party” men who threw the chests of tea overboard into the Boston Harbour). The background of this flag had 13 red and white stripes to represent the American colonies. The flag also had the “King’s Colors,” known as “Union Jack” because they were still under British rule.
The second flag Washington took was called the Washington Headquarters Flag, and today, a replica still hangs at Washington’s headquarters at Valley Forge. This flag had an entire field of blue with one, three and five pointed stars in rows alternating three stars, two stars pattern.
It was July 4, 1776 that Congress declared independence from Great Britain, but there was still no design for a flag until June 14, 1777. The Act stated, “The flag of the U.S. shall consist of 13 alternating stripes of red on white with white stars on a blue field forming a new Constellation.” Yet, Congress didn’t give any specifics on how the stripes or stars were to be arranged. Over the years (1777-1794-1818-1912-1959-1960) Congress passed several acts that changed the shape and design, plus the admission of more states.
According to the U.S. Department of State, the flags official colors are glory red, white and old glory blue. Today, there is still a lot of controversy between historians as to who designed the U.S. flag.
In 1776, flags were made either by a ship’s chandlery, who contracted sail makers, or by an upholsterer, who happened to be the famous Betsy Ross. Betsy’s husband had died earlier and she was in charge of their tailoring business in Philadelphia, on Arch Street. Legend has it that George Washington visited her shop, in 1776, and they discussed flag designs. Yet, there was no evidence found on this claim. She wasn’t even credited with designing the U.S. flag until 1870. A grandson, some 94 years later, told the Philadelphia Historical Society that, when he was a young boy, his grandmother, Betsy Ross, told him she designed the flag. Regardless, the flag is still referred to as “The Betsy Ross flag.”
Still, there is another contender for designing the U.S. flag, a Francis Hopkinson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Some historians say journals from the Continental Congress, at this time, name Hopkinson as the designer of the flag. Yet, there is no sketch or description of this design. So we still don’t know.
We have common nicknames for our American flag: “The Stars and Stripes,” “The Red, White and Blue,” “The Betsy Ross Flag,” “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Old Glory.”
We have to thank Francis Scott Key for the song “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It was in 1814 that Key, a prominent Washington, D.C. lawyer and amateur poet, was sent by President Madison to Baltimore to negotiate the release of a Dr. Beanes, captured earlier by the British. Key and a fellow lawyer did secure the prisoner’s release under the condition they not go ashore until after the attack on Baltimore. The poem Key wrote was originally printed under the title “Defense of Fort M’Henry.” Later, a Baltimore music store printed it with sheet music and called it “The Star-Spangled Banner.” President Wilson, in 1916, designated it as the National Anthem of the U.S. In 1931, it was signed into law.
The name “Old Glory” was coined by Captain William Driver, a ship master of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1831. When leaving on one of his voyages, his friends presented him with a flag of 24 stars. When he saw the banner hoisted, blowing in the wind for the first time, he exclaimed, “Old Glory.” Upon retirement, in 1837,the flag went with him to his hometown of Nashville. When the Civil War erupted, in order to protect his “Old Glory,” he stitched it to the seams of his bed quilt. After Union forces captured Nashville, “Old Glory” was placed on top of the capitol building. Later, the flag was donated to the Smithsonian.
As time went by, the U.S. flag became an icon in the hearts of Americans, especially for a minister, Francis Belamy (1855-1931). He wrote the Pledge of Allegiance, which was first published in the juvenile section of The Youth’s Companion, in 1892. It started, “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands; one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” In 1924, the words, “the flag of the U.S. government of America” were substituted for “my Flag.” Again, in 1942, President Eisenhower urged Congress to have the pledge read, “One nation under God.” And they did.
Over the years, a day to celebrate the U.S. Flag, and not just the Fourth of July birthday, was celebrated in various towns and states. It is believed the first celebration of the “Flag Birthday” originated in 1885, by BJ Cigrand, a teacher in the Fredonia Wisconsin Public School.
It was President Woodrow Wilson who established a National Flag Day on May 30, 1916, to commemorate the adoption of the flag by the Second Continental Congress in 1777. Yet, it wasn’t until 1949 that President Harry Truman officially established June 14 as National Flag Day by an Act of Congress.
It was Pennsylvania that had the honor of being the first state to celebrate Flag Day as a state holiday, starting in the town of Rennerdale, Collier Township. William T. Kerr was a resident of Rennerdale, who started the group, Flag Day Association of Western Pennsylvania, in 1888, and worked as its president for 50 years. He was by President Truman’s side when the president signed the official document for a National Flag Day.
A very happy Flag Day to all!Carole Christman Koch grew up in Berks County and has been published in numerous publications. She has a passion for writing and has many stories from growing up on a farm to everyday stories.
