Picture a fireman. You see a helmet and hose, right? But do you also see an American flag? Based on these stories from the past, you should. The examples come from 150, 100 and 70 years ago. 1865 William Hoover, a Philadelphia fireman, left his job in 1862 to sign up with the 99th Pennsylvania… continue
There are few symbols of patriotism and American government that are as widely-known as Uncle Sam. As legend goes, “Uncle Sam” is the nickname of Samuel Wilson, a meatpacker who lived in Troy, New York during the War of 1812. Wilson would supply barrels of beef to the army during the war that were marked… continue
In 1664, when it was a British colony, Rhode Island quickly came up with a one-word slogan: “Hope.” Then things slowed down. It just squeaked onto the list of the first states in the Union, and it took forever to design a state flag. Even then, R.I. couldn’t make up its mind. Rhode Island became… continue
Wars throughout the centuries – large or small, won or lost, justified or not – have two things in common: flags and veterans. The flags fly as veterans march away – and back home, many of them injured in mind or body. A common term for such men and women is “wounded warriors,” a phrase… continue
Over the four years of the Second World War, hundreds of thousands of U.S. servicemen were killed. Their bodies and coffins were covered with American flags, and Old Glory waved over cemeteries from New Guinea to France. But the first casualty, who was killed by a Nazi bomb, occurred nearly two years before Pearl Harbor… continue