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Sandwiched between Memorial Day and Independence Day is another patriotic occasion that celebrates the American national identity.
Though not a federal holiday marked by governmental closings, Flag Day marks the establishment of the Stars and Stripes as the flag of the then-newly independent United States of America.
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the flag that would become a banner setting the U.S. apart from other countries.
That first standard flag for the U.S. was, as the story goes, the work of Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress who crafted it at the urging of Gen. George Washington.
The flag had 13 stripes — seven red and six white — with a field of blue in the upper left.
Inside the blue rectangle was a circle of 13 stars, each signifying one of the 13 original Colonies that became independent states.
The basic design has not changed, except for the addition of a new star each time a new state was annexed into the Union.
Members of American Legion Post 255 and supporters gathered June 14 at Deltona’s Veterans Memorial Park to observe Flag Day. The program included the retirement of worn-out flags, which are burned in a special ceremony.
