The History and Meaning of the Flag of the United States Army

This is the first in a series of articles about flag history.

The U.S. Army has its roots in the Continental Army, formed on 14 June 1775 to fight against the British for independence during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). After the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress created the United States Army on 3 June 1784 to replace the disbanded Continental Army.

The flag of the United States Army displays a blue replica of the War Office Seal set on a white field. The seal of the War Office is described as follows: A cannon in front of a drum with two drumsticks; below the cannon three cannon balls. A mortar on a carriage, cuirass/breastplate. Above the breastplate rises a plain sword with the pommel and guard supporting a Phrygian cap between an esponton (pike) and an organizational color on one side and a musket with a fixed bayonet and the national color on the other side. Above is a rattlesnake holding in its mouth a scroll inscribed with “this we’ll defend.” The Phrygian cap is the traditional symbol of liberty. Beneath the seal is a broad scarlet scroll bearing the inscription in white letters, “United States Army.” Beneath the scroll, in blue Arabic numerals, is “1775,” the year in which the Continental Army was created with the appointment of General George Washington as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.

The flag was officially adopted by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on June 12, 1956, via Executive Order 10670 and was dedicated and unfurled to the general public on June 14, 1956, at Independence Hall, Philadelphia, on the 181st anniversary of the establishment of the U.S. Army by the Continental Congress. The original flag measured 4 feet, 4 inches (1.32 m) by 5 feet, 6 inches (1.68 m).

The Army’s mission is “to fight and win our Nation’s wars, by providing prompt, sustained land dominance, across the full range of military operations and the spectrum of conflict, in support of combatant commanders.”

Most of this information can be found online sources such as Wikipedia. To see what’s happening at the Mentone Legionnaire Park, go to the Mentone American Legion Facebook page. Our next month’s Groundhog will have the second military service organization’s flag — the U.S. Navy.