Why Should Americans Celebrate June 14th?

June 14 is the anniversary of the birthday of several important elements of American history. The most recent event was the birth of Donald John Trump, who was born on June 14, 1946. Is it any wonder that he loves America and the American flag so much? He always shows love and respect to the American flag, and his theme song is “God Bless the USA,” which is played at each of his rallies.

The second event that is honored on June 14^th is Flag Day. According to this history site, there was no unifying flag for the soldiers to rally around when war broke out in the colonies in 1775. In June 1775, the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia to create the Continental Army. They wanted a united fighting force that would be more organized against the armies of Great Britain. The creation of the Army led to the creation of the first flag for America, “the Continental Colors.” 

The first flag looked much like the British flag with its “13 red and white alternating stripes and a Union Jack in the corner.” General George Washington worried that such a flag would not serve as a “confidence builder for the revolutionary effort” and looked for “a new symbol of freedom” for America. The article continued as follows:

On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress took a break from writing the Articles of Confederation and passed a resolution stating that “the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white,” and that “the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

Over 100 years later, in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson marked the anniversary of that decree by officially establishing June 14 as Flag Day.

The third event has already been mentioned – the creation of the American Army. Thomas W. Spoehr is a retired Army lieutenant general, and he now serves as director of the Center for National Defense at The Heritage Foundation. He wrote the following about the birth of the U.S. Army that has stood between us and the enemies of our nation for nearly 250 years. 

On Wednesday, the U.S. Army turns 248 years old. It was born by congressional resolution even before America was a nation.

The words “This we will defend,” emblazoned on the Army flag, encapsulate the ideals of the Army. They reflect the requirement that the primary mission of the Army is to defend America and its interests.

Also on the flag are 190 battle streamers denoting the campaigns fought by the Army, ranging from the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775, to the most recent streamer for Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq.

The streamers – long, colored ribbons – are physical testament to the sacrifices made by the Army in defense of the nation.

Those battles and campaigns are the core of why America has an Army, but they do not represent the sole contribution.

Indeed, the history of the Army is, in no small part, the history of the country. The Army has trained and prepared leaders for further service to America. You need look no further than George Washington, Dwight Eisenhower, George Marshall, and Colin Powell, leaders who started in the Army, but who went onto hold high office in American government.

I encourage all Americans to fly the Stars and Stripes tomorrow to celebrate the birth of the American flag and the U.S. Army. In addition, all Americans who can see that Trump is being persecuted should fly their U.S. flags in support of him.