June 14 is Flag Day in the United States. It's a time to honor Old Glory, and remember that we are one country, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
The Second Continental Congress adopted the first U.S. flag on June 14, 1777. That flag had the same 13 alternating red and white stripes we see on our flag today. The stripes symbolize the 13 original colonies.
The stars, many fewer back in those days, were arranged into a circle against the familiar field of blue. As the nation grew, additional stars, one for each state, were added to the flag, giving us the 50 we count today.
The current design of the Star Spangled Banner has been unchanged since the inclusion of the two most recent U.S. states, Alaska and Hawaii, in 1959.
Bakersfield native and Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy released a statement in observance of Flag Day that reads, in part:
Throughout its history, the American flag has been a beacon of hope to the world, representing our nation's enduring commitment to freedom and democracy. May we fight to ensure our flag never ceases to fly, and may God bless the United States of America.
Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh has officially declared June 14, 2023 as Flag Day in the City of Bakersfield at a morning flag retirement ceremony at Greenlawn Southwest.
This year, Greenlawn says they collected more than 9,000 American flags for retirement. An American flag is properly retired when it is no longer suitable for display, such as being tattered, threadbare, stained, or torn.
Putting a United States flag on the ground or in the trash, or attempting to repurpose it once it is no longer suitable for display, is considered disrespectful.
United States Flag Code says once a flag is no longer in good enough condition to be flown, it should be taken down and destroyed. Flag code recommends burning as the most dignified manner of destruction, and this manner of retirement is the one preferred by the U.S. Armed Forces.
