Ottawa celebrates Flag Day in Washington Square

The roughly 50 people at Washington Square in Ottawa for the Elks Club’s annual Flag Day celebration learned a pine tree flag once flew over the United States before Old Glory.

The World War II, Korea and Vietnam War Memorial on the far north end of the downtown Ottawa park was home to the Elks Club annual Flag Day celebration.

Lynne Schlink, from the Elk’s Club, said it’s a requirement of all Elk lodges since July of 1908, when the Grand Lodge ordered a formal honoring of the flag every June 14. However, the stars and stripes of today aren’t the only flag ever flown over the United States.

Retired Times reporter Charles Stanley, and local historian, presented a timeline of the flags shown over the United States, starting with the flag of England before showing the Pine Tree flag.

“The pine tree flag was a symbol of defiance to England,” Stanley said. “England had lain claim to all American pine trees at least 24 inches or more in diameter because they needed it for ship building. So when this flag was authorized, it became the flag that was on the first fleet of American Navy ships as a thumb in the eyes of the British.”

The Gadsden Flag followed the Pine Tree flag, Stanley said, with clear symbolism of a snake and the outright message that read “don’t tread on me.”

Stanley said Ben Franklin believed the flag to be the emblem of vigilance.

It’s after the Declaration of Independence that Congress authorized the creation of the Betsy Ross flag, the first iteration of the stars and stripes that only had 13 white stars to represent the 13 colonies and a new constellation. In 1795, it was updated to add stars for Vermont and Kentucky, becoming the flag that flew during the War of 1812 that inspired the words for the poem that eventually became the “Star Spangled Banner.”

The flag was again updated in 1818 to change to 13 red-and-white stripes and add stars now the nation consisted of 20 states, lasting only a year until another state was added. Stars would then be added as states became part of the U.S. until a 48-starred flag was ratified in 1912 and a 50-starred flag was ratified in 1959.

“Over the years, different meanings for the flag’s red, white and blue colors have been offered,” Stanley said. “In 1986, President Ronald Reagan offered this interpretation: The colors of our flag signify the qualities of the human spirit we Americans cherish. Red for courage or readiness to sacrifice, white for pure intentions and high ideals and blue for vigilance and justice.”

Lloyd Chapman sang the “Star Spangled Banner” to start the event, and Boy Scout Tucker Ditchfield aided Stanley in showing off the flags while he spoke.