OLD GLORY SALUTES *U*S*A* INDEPENDENCE BIRTHDAY OF `1776`!
IN HONOR OF PRESIDENTS DAY OF AMERICA!
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ACCORDING TO MY 'DISABLED AMERICAN VETERAN'S CALENDER
, THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY HAS QUITE A FEW HISTORICAL DATES
TO REMEMBER, PRAISE AND HONOR ALL MEMBERS OF US MILITARY
FORCES OF THE USA!
ESP TO GIVE ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT TO
THE NOBLE MEN AND WOMEN WHO BECAME DISABLED WHILE
UPHOLDING WORLD PEACE AND THE FREEDOM
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
I PROUDLY RE`POST THIS HISTORICAL POEM
IN HONOR OF THE FOLLOWING DATES:
FEB-1...NATIONAL FREEDOM DAY
FEB-12...PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY
FEB-15...SINKING OF THE USS MAINE.
FEB-18...PRESIDENT WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY
FEB-23...FLAG RAISED ON IWO JIMA
FEB-27...BATTLE OF JAVA SEA
!GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
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Variously known as the Fourth of July and Independence Day,
July 4Th has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941,
but the tradition of Independence Day Celebrations goes back
to the 18Th century and the American Revolution (1775-83).
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In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting
in the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution
that would declare their independence from Great Britain.
On July 2ND, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence,
and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence,
a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson.
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From 1776 until the present day, July 4Th has been celebrated
as the birth of American independence,
with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts
to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.
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"OLD GLORY!"
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This famous name was coined by Captain William Driver,
a shipmaster of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1831.
As he was leaving on one of his many voyages
aboard the brig CHARLES DOGGETT -
and this one would climax with the rescue of
the mutineers of the BOUNTY -
some friends presented him with a beautiful flag
of twenty four stars.
As the banner opened to the ocean breeze for the first time,
he exclaimed "Old Glory!"
He retired to Nashville in 1837, taking his treasured flag
from his sea days with him. By the time the Civil War erupted,
most everyone in and around Nashville recognized
Captain Driver's "Old Glory."
When Tennesee seceded from the Union, Rebels were determined
to destroy his flag, but repeated searches revealed
no trace of the hated banner.
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Then on February 25Th, 1862, Union forces captured Nashville
and raised the American flag over the capital.
It was a rather small ensign and immediately folks
began asking Captain Driver if "Old Glory" still existed.
Happy to have soldiers with him this time,
Captain Driver went home and began ripping at the seams
of his bedcover. As the stitches holding the quilt-top
to the batting unraveled, the onlookers peered inside
and saw the 24-starred original "Old Glory"!
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Captain Driver gently gathered up the flag
and returned with the soldiers to the capitol.
Though he was sixty years old,
the Captain climbed up to the tower to replace
the smaller banner with his beloved flag.
The Sixth Ohio Regiment cheered and saluted -
and later adopted the nickname "Old Glory" as their own,
telling and re-telling the story of Captain Driver's
devotion to the flag we honor yet today.
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Captain Driver's grave is located in the old Nashville City Cemetery,
and is one of three (3) places authorized by act of Congress
where the Flag of the United States may be flown 24 hours a day.
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"Happy Independence Day To All Of You"
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With A Special
*** `T*H*A*N*K*~*Y*O*U` ***
To All Armed Forces and Service Personnel
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
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