U.S. Flag

The United States Flag

There are some important traditions and ways of doing things.

A great respect is due those traditions.

Facts & History

The flag of the United States features

thirteen equal horizontal stripes

7 of red (top and bottom) alternating with 6 white;

there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner

bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars

arranged in nine offset horizontal rows

of six stars (top and bottom)

alternating with rows of five stars;

the 50 stars represent the 50 states,

the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies.

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The flag is known as 'Old Glory',

and no one can agree for certain, on who designed it.

As believed for many years, a few still think that Betsy Ross,

a Philadelphia seamstress,

made the first flag.

Many historians believe that U.S. Congressman,

Francis Hopkinson was the original designer.

THE STORY BEHIND “OLD GLORY”

The name “Old Glory” was first applied to the U.S. flag by a young sea captain

who lived in Salem, MA. On his twenty-first birthday, March 17, 1824,

Captain William Driver was presented a beautiful flag

by his mother and a group of Salem girls.

Driver was delighted with the gift.

He exclaimed, “I name her “Old Glory.”

Then Old Glory accompanied the captain on his many voyages.

Captain Driver quit the sea in 1837. He settled in Nashville, TN.

On patriotic days he displayed Old Glory proudly from a rope

extending from his house to a tree across the street.

After Tennessee seceded from the Union in 1861,

Captain Driver hid Old Glory. He sewed the flag inside a comforter.

When the Union soldiers entered Nashville on February 25, 1862,

Driver removed Old Glory from its hiding place.

He carried the flag to the state capitol building and raised it.

Shortly before his death, the old sea captain placed a small bundle

into the arms of his daughter. He said to her, “Mary Jane,

this is my old ship flag, Old Glory. It has been my constant companion.

I love it as a mother loves her child. Cherish it as I have cherished it.”

The flag remained as a precious heirloom in the Driver family until 1922.

Then it was sent to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington

where it is carefully preserved under glass today.

(Source Department of Veterans Affairs)

Whether it be nylon, polyester or plain cotton

the American flag is more than fabric and thread.

It represents each of us, our past, present and future.

Great sacrifices and national pride

are stitched into its stars and stripes,

and it stands as a symbol

of hope, opportunity and freedom.

The flag is not an inanimate object.

It flies freely with a life force

powerful enough to unite an entire nation.

Since every person has the right to own

and display the American flag,

it's important to treat it with respect.

Representatives of 68 national organizations

including the Army and Navy

came together to create the United States Flag Code,

which became public law

about a year after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

This code formalizes and unifies a set of instructions

on handling, displaying and caring for the American Flag.

It also indicates inappropriate use

and disrespectful behavior.

By following these rules,

you are showing the flag and our nation

your reverence and pride.

If you have any questions or comments

please let us know.

Thank You For Visiting!