Page 12 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE – Friday, June 14, 2019 FLAG DAY | FROM PAGE 2 ing those phones possible was largely developed in the land of the free. Another rallying anthem for many in the military during the Global War on Terrorism was the Toby Keith song “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue.” Interestingly enough, the Continental Congress left no record as to why it chose the colors that it did for our flag. The Congress of Confederation in 1782 chose the same colors for the Great Seal of the United States and reasoned that the white meant purity and innocence; the red meant valor and hardiness and the blue was for vigilance, perseverance and justice. George Washington reportedly explained that the stars on the Flag were taken from the sky, the red from the British colors and the white stripes signified the secession from the home country. And how did the Flag earn the nickname “Old Glory”? It reportedly dates back to 1831 when Captain William Driver, a shipmaster from Salem, Massachusetts, left on one of his many world voyages. Friends presented him with a flag of 24 stars. As the banner opened to a steady breeze, he exclaimed, “Old Glory!” He kept his flag for many years, protecting it during the Civil War until it was flown over the Tennessee capital. Today, we are honoring not just our Flag, but also what it symbolizes. We are honoring freedom. We are honoring the freedom to worship as we please, to speak as we please and to vote as we please. We are honoring the hardworking men and women who have made this the greatest and most successful country that the world has ever known. Flag Day is America’s Day. It represents the more than 46 million men and women who have served in this nation’s wars from the Revolution to the War on Terrorism. It represents liberation from tyranny, slavery, fascism, terrorism and communism. FLAG DAY | SEE PAGE 13
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