Hill honor guard shares thoughts on Flag Day Published June 12, 2006 By Mitch Shaw 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- While July Fourth is traditionally celebrated as our nation’s birthday, June 14 is the day to celebrate one of America's most cherished and recognizable symbol: the American Flag. This year, America recognizes the 229th birthday of Old Glory with its own holiday. The Continental Congress adopted it as the official flag of the new republic on June 14, 1777. Flag Day was first celebrated in 1877 to mark the 100th anniversary of the national symbol. In 1885, a Wisconsin school teacher named B.J. Cigrand started a grassroots campaign that began with his students celebrating Flag Day and ended with Mr. Cigrand promoting his idea to national newspapers and making public addresses on the matter. A small number of people in the Midwest and Northeast began to celebrate Flag Day. After nearly 30 years of state and local celebrations, President Woodrow Wilson made Flag Day official in 1916. Describing the flag back on that June 14 day in 1777, Congress wrote, “White signifies purity and innocence; red, hardiness and valor; blue signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice.” The words Congress used to describe the flag 229 years ago still ring true today; many Americans look to the flag as a symbol of freedom and those who died to preserve that freedom. “The flag is a symbolic instrument of reflection,” said 1st Lt. Adam Loomis, a member of the Hill Honor Guard. “All our nation’s heroes are connected to the flag, from the first patriots to our mothers and fathers. The flag represents all their hopes and dreams that now rest upon our shoulders. At the core of those dreams are the common desires to improve our world and take care of our neighbors.” In celebration of the flag's powerful meaning to Americans and its place in our culture and history, Flag Day became a national observance by Act of Congress in 1949 and was signed into law by President Harry Truman. In 1966, the week of June 14 was designated as National Flag Week. Americans are encouraged to display their flags prominently throughout Flag Week. “We rally behind the flag in times of hardship, because it represents everything that is wholesome and good about this nation.” Lieutenant Loomis said. “The flag has stood the test of time as our nation has constantly evolved to overcome oppression and tyranny. It is important for everyone to display the flag with these things in mind this Flag Day, because we are the current bearers of the flag; our actions will write the next chapter.” At Hill, the flag is recognized every Wednesday with a retreat ceremony. Retreat is a ceremony in which the U.S. flag is honored when lowered in the evening. A Retreat Ceremony includes the playing of two songs -- “Retreat” and “To the Colors.” During the playing of “Retreat,” junior flag security detail members assume the position of attention and move to the base flagstaff to arrange the halyards for proper lowering of the flag. Once the halyards are arranged, the flag is lowered slowly and with dignity. “The Retreat is very important,” said Staff Sgt. Harry McClure, a fuels Journeyman with the 75th Logistics Readiness Squadron and an Honor Guard Member. “It protects the colors for the night and represents the nation that we must protect.”