Flag Day in The Woodlands

THE WOODLANDS, TX – June 14 was designated in 1916 as the official annual observance of Flag Day by President Woodrow Wilson. Though not an official federal holiday, its observance is traditionally proclaimed each year by the sitting President of the United States. Each June 14 – the anniversary of the official adoption of the “Stars and Stripes” – people in The Woodlands and across the nation show special respect for the flag this day.

The first flag of the United States was adopted on June 14, 1777, less than a year after the initial signing of the Declaration of Independence, while the Revolutionary War was still underway. Until that time, battles were fought under myriads of other banners that history buffs and some pickup drivers might recognize by their slogans of “Liberty or Death” or “Don’t Tread on Me.”

The Second Continental Congress set the tone – literally – with the Flag Resolution of 1777: “The flag of the United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white, with a union of thirteen stars of white on a blue field …” This original design lasted until 1818, when the then-current Congress decided to add new stars to reflect each new state that entered the union.

Though it’s probably apocryphal that Betsy Ross created that first flag of the United States, we do know that the flag in its current 50-star form was designed in 1958 by an Ohio high school student named Bob Heft. That’s right; the current 50-star flag was accidentally designed when there were sill only 48 states (earning Heft a lowered grade from his teacher), but the design was adopted shortly thereafter when Hawaii and Alaska joined the nation.

In The Woodlands area, not only will Township buildings, governmental offices, and countless businesses and homes be hoisting Old Glory, but there will also be a special event. The Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Commission is hosting a Retire & Respect Ceremony at 5L30 p.m. to respectfully (and legally) retire old, worn, and tattered flags. Attendees can partake in the ceremony at the Memorial County Veterans Park just off I-45 headed into Conroe from The Woodlands.