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A Symbol Of Independence On Independence Day
by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Tamara Dabney
103rd Airlift Wing, Public Affairs
- Bradley Air National Guard Base
July 3, 2018
On June 10, 2018 ... dozens of people gathered in Meriden,
Connecticut to watch the retirement of faded and worn American flags
during the American Legion, Post 45 Disposal of Unserviceable Flags
Ceremony. Many of these flags had been displayed in honor of
deceased service members several years ago, while some of these
flags had flown one last time in a C-130H “Hercules” aircraft on
Memorial Day throughout the state of Connecticut.
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The American Legion, Post 45, Meriden, Connecticut, conducts a Disposal of Un serviceable Flags Ceremony on June 10, 2018 in Meriden, Conn. The purpose of the ceremony is to encourage proper respect for the Flag of the United States and to provide for disposal of unserviceable flags in a dignified manner. (Image created by USA Patriotism! from Air National Guard photos by Tech. Sgt. Tamara R. Dabney)
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The crowd gazed silently as the flags, per tradition and proper
protocol, were placed in a container and ceremoniously burned. As
flames consumed the tattered flags, emotions ran high throughout the
crowd; some people saluted the burning flags and some shed tears.
During the summer, Americans begin their patriotic celebrations
with Flag Day in June. The widespread show of patriotism continues
into July with a red, white and blue, fireworks-filled finale on
July 4th, Independence Day.
From streets lined with American
flags, to swim suits and t-shirts covered in the stars and stripes,
the flag seems to be omnipresent around this time of year. It is the
most commonly displayed, and thus, the most enduring symbol of
American patriotism and national independence. Barbecue pits and
fireworks aside, June and July would not be the same without the
flag’s constant exhibition.
For millions of Americans, the
flag is more than a banner that marks the beginning of summer- time
festivities; based on the sentiments of people from across the US,
its symbolic significance can be summed up in one word: Sacrifice.
“It represents who we are as a nation, our freedom, liberty and
the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for this country
and mankind,” said Bob Williams, Jr., Commander of American Legion,
Post 45, Meriden, Conn.
For Senior Master Sgt. Aaron Hann,
recruiting and retention superintendent for the 103rd Airlift Wing,
it means something similar.
“It means the sacrifices that
generations before us made to build this country and also to protect
it and keep it safe,” he said.
Nina, Hann’s 9 year old
daughter, echoed his thoughts.
“It stands for the people that
died and risked their lives for us, to save our country,” she said.
The American Legion Resolution No. 440, passed by the 19th
National Convention of The American Legion in New York, Sept. 20-23,
1937 states the following:
“A Flag may be a flimsy bit of
printed gauze, or a beautiful banner of finest silk. Its intrinsic
value may be trifling or great; but its real value is beyond price,
for it is a precious symbol of all that we and our comrades have
worked for and lived for, and died for a free Nation of free men,
true to the faith of the past, devoted to the ideals and practice of
Justice, Freedom and Democracy.”
Nearly a year after the
declaration of independence was signed in 1776, the Continental
Congress passed an act establishing an official flag for the new
nation on June 14, 1777. Then, on July 4th of that same year
Philadelphia held the first annual commemoration of independence.
Whether gloriously flying from a pole, or printed on a t-shirt,
the ubiquitous display of the flag in June and July is a reminder
that today, after 242 years, reverence for the quintessential symbol
of American Independence is still alive.
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