Nevada National Guard
CARSON CITY — The Nevada National Guard hosted its 23rd annual Flag Day ceremony and the celebration Monday for the 246th Birthday of the U.S. Army. Service members, civilians, and veterans alike were able to participate at the Veteran’s Memorial on the Capitol grounds.
The ceremony included keynote speaker Col. Troy Armstrong, the land component commander of the Nevada Army National Guard, State Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Spaulding gave the Army’s birthday address and a presentation of historical American flags by the Nevada Air Guard NCO Academy Graduates Association. Reno television station KTVN Ryan Canaday served as the master of ceremonies.
Many flags were recognized at the celebration.
One special flag was the rare and historic 36-star flag flown in Nevada following statehood in 1864. The flag resides in “The Vault” at the Nevada State Library and Archives and was displayed for public viewing during the ceremony.
“It’s truly a Nevada treasure,” said Armstrong during his speech.
The presentation of historical American flags by the NCO Academy Graduates Association members allowed the audience to witness the evolution of the country’s flag.
Presented were the Queen Ann flag, the first flag that flew over the 13 colonies during British rule; the Grand Union flag when the colonies revolted in 1775; the Betsy Ross flag that was created to represent unity and independence after the American Revolution; the Star Spangled Banner that had 15 stars and stripes; and Old Glory, the current flag design featuring 13 stripes and 50 stars.
Celebrations continued as June 14 is not only Flag Day but also the founding date of the U.S. Army.
The U.S. Army is two years older than the U.S. Flag. A resolution of the Continental Congress authorized 10 companies of riflemen on June 14, 1775, to establish the U.S. Army. Two years later, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act and adopted the stars-and-stripes design as our nation’s flag.
“Today’s Army is the best trained, best led, and most capable in our history. We continue to take on the many challenges that we face today with extraordinary skill and devotion,” said Armstrong during his keynote speech. “We celebrate today 246 years of excellence.”
“The flag has graced the halls of every government building on American soil. It has flown in front yards across America,” Armstrong said. “The flag has withstood the bombs, bursting in air and the battles in which tyranny and oppression have tried to tear it down. Yet here we are, 243 years after the resolution making the stars and stripe the United States symbol, with a flag that has not been erased from history. So, let us today appreciate the strength, the meaning, and the symbol of the United States. Let us always bask in the glory of our nation’s waving banner, ‘Old Glory,’ the American flag.”
