By James Breig In three months, Americans will mark the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. A few months later, the sesquicentennial of the Gettysburg Address will be noted. Those two occasions have led to recent postings here about Abraham Lincoln and flags. Those stories focused on his 1861 rail… continue
By James Breig As America marches toward the 150th anniversaries of the Battle of Gettysburg (in July) and the Gettysburg Address (in November), this space has begun sharing some stories about Abraham Lincoln and the U.S. flag. Last week, some of his flag-related speeches from 1861, while he was on his way to his first… continue
By James Breig This year marks the midway point in recalling significant – and flag-related — anniversaries in American military history: the continuing bicentennial of the War of 1812, during which “The Star-Spangled Banner” was written, and the ongoing 70th anniversary of World War II, including the raising of the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima…. continue
Some people in Houston became upset when the headquarters of Citgo, located in the city, flew the U.S. flag at half-staff after the recent death of Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela. Citgo is a Venezuelan-owned business. The company also lowered the Texas state flag and the Venezuelan banner. A news article about the outrage engendered… continue
The expression “he wrapped himself in the flag” has a negative connotation that implies someone is using patriotism to disguise baser motives. In the 19th century, however, some people – most of them military figures — were literally wrapped in flags as part of their funeral ceremonies. In 1840, for instance, the last request of… continue