As we honor our nation’s heroes while dusting off our social skills this weekend, we’ve never been prouder or more grateful to be Made in the USA. No matter how much this past year has tested us, this is still America. Land of the free. Home of the brave. So let’s hang our flags up high this Memorial Day and salute our Red, White and Blue by indulging in some fascinating trivia.
Our flag’s been through a lot.
Believe it or not, we’ve had 27 different versions of the American Flag. Sure, you know there were 13 stripes for 13 American colonies in 1777. But we’ve added a star each time a state was added to the union. The design for the 50-star flag was actually created by a high school student named Robert G. Heft in 1958, as part of Heft’s history class assignment. He was the only student to mail a prototype suggesting that 50 stars be best displayed in alternating rows of six and five to the White House, where it was ultimately selected by President Eisenhower.
You can still use a flag if it touches the ground.
It’s a myth that flags are useless if they touch the ground. While you should refrain from letting a flag touch anything beneath it to protect it from becoming soiled or damaged, you are not required to destroy the flag if this happens—as long as it remains suitable for display. Simply wash and dry it, and continue to display your flag as a symbol of our great country.
But if you do need to, you can burn it.
Flags should be disposed of in a “dignified manner.” In other words, if your flag is too damaged beyond repair, you can burn it with dignity. In fact, many municipalities around the country conduct flag burnings on Memorial Day.
It’s big on the moon.
Five out of the six flags that have been planted on the moon are still standing. Which is the outlier? The first and most famous one: Neil Armstrong’s from the Apollo 11 mission.
Its colors run deep.
What’s behind the colors red, white and blue? Our founding fathers chose them for the following virtues: Red for hardiness and valor, white for purity and innocence and blue for vigilance, perseverance and justice.
Hear that? It’s the sound of liberty calling you this weekend...