Apart from the national flag, often called the stars and stripes or the old glory, there are U.S. State flags. All the fifty States of the United States have State flags pronouncing their individual identities. The State flags are second only to the flag of the United States of America, which is the national flag. The State flags tell the story of the evolution, glory, power and prestige of the States. The stars of the national flag represented the number of States. From 1777 to 1795, there were only thirteen stars, as there were only thirteen States. As more States came into being, more stars were added. The number of stars increased corresponding to the number of States added. All the States formed their own flags as these were formed. The District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.the capital of the U.S.has a separate flag, which consists of three stars and two stripes, all red, in a white background and set in a rectangle. Puerto Rico, a Commonwealth associated with the U.S., has another flag. Apart from all these, we have U.S. Air Force Flag, U.S. Army Flag, U.S. Marine Corps Flag and the U.S. Service Flag. The Department of Defense has authorized the Service Flag as an official banner that can be used for display by families who have members serving in the Armed Forces during a war or while the U.S. is engaged in hostilities; it can be displayed during the duration of such hostilities. The State flags stand for the richness and variety, all held together by the cohesion and unity proclaimed by the national flag. |
