RICHMOND – Governor Bob McDonnell issued the following statement today in recognition of June 14 as Flag Day, and as the 236th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army. The governor has also issued a proclamation for the U.S. Army anniversary, which can be found at http://governor.virginia.gov/OurCommonwealth/Proclamations/2011/236thBirthday.cfm. “When the Second Continental Congress adopted the stars and stripes banner designed by Betsy Ross as our young nation’s flag in 1777, it provided an enduring symbol representing the ideals upon which our nation was born. While our founding fathers dreamed of a country built on liberty, personal freedom, and opportunity for all of its citizens, surely even they could not envision the world leader and bastion of hope that the United States flag has evolved to represent today.
“President Woodrow Wilson first formally established a day to recognize the adoption of our nation’s flag in 1916 when soldiers from around the globe were battling tyranny in a conflict that would become known as World War I. Today, our flag flies above soldiers in Afghanistan, Iraq, and throughout the world who are fighting to protect those same freedoms from agents of tyranny, oppression and evil.
“June 14 is also the 236th anniversary of when Congress adopted ‘the American continental army,’ America’s first standing military organization. As our soldiers celebrate the Army’s birthday on bases at home and abroad and as Americans fly their U.S. flags around the globe in recognition of their patriotism, let us pause and reflect on the ideals our flag represents, and thank those past and present who have sacrificed to protect the freedoms for which it stands.”