The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of allegiance to the flag of the United States and the republic of the United States of America. It was originally composed by Captain George Thatcher Balch, a Union Army Officer during the Civil War and later a teacher of patriotism in New York City schools. The form of the pledge used today was largely devised by Francis Bellamy in 1892, and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge in 1942. The official name of The Pledge of Allegiance was adopted in 1945. The most recent alteration of its wording came on Flag Day in 1954, when the words "under God" were added.
USS Texas (SSN-775) is a Virginia-class submarine, and the fourth warship of the United States Navy to be named after the U.S. state of Texas.
The flag of Texas is the official flag of the U.S. state of Texas. It is well known for its prominent single white star which gives the flag its commonly-used name: "Lone Star Flag." This lone star, in turn, gives rise to the state's nickname: "The Lone Star State." The flag, flown at homes and businesses statewide, is highly popular among Texans and is treated with a great degree of reverence and esteem within Texas. Along with the flag of Hawaii, it is one of two state flags to have previously served as a national flag.
The flag of South Korea, also known as the Taegukgi, has three parts: a white rectangular background, a red and blue Taegeuk in its center, and four black trigrams one toward each corner. The first pattern of Taegukgi was made by Kojong. Flags similar to the current Taegeukgi were used as the national flags of Korea by the Joseon dynasty, the Korean Empire, and by the Korean exile government during Japanese rule. It has continued to be used as a national flag even after the establishment of the South Korean state on August 15, 1948.
The flags of the U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia exhibit a variety of regional influences and local histories, as well as different styles and design principles. Nonetheless, the majority of the states' flags share the same design pattern consisting of the state seal superimposed on a monochrome background, commonly a shade of blue.
The flag of the Commonwealth of Kentucky was adopted on March 26, 1918.
The flag of Louisiana consists of a "pelican in her piety," the heraldic charge representing a mother pelican "in her nest feeding her young with her blood[,]" on an azure field with state motto reworded to "Union Justice Confidence." First adopted in 1912, it was last modified in 2010.
The flag of Mississippi, often referred to as the Mississippi flag, is the state flag of the U.S. state of Mississippi. It consists of three equal horizontal tribands of blue, white, and red, similar to the flag of Yugoslavia, with a red square in the canton bearing a blue cross, bordered with white and emblazoned with thirteen small, white, five-pointed stars. The 13 stars on the flag correspond to the original number of the states of the Union. The current design was adopted in 1894.
The flag of the state of South Dakota the sun represents the common weather in South Dakota. Represents the U.S. state of South Dakota with a field of sky blue charged with a version of the state seal in the center, surrounded by gold triangles representing the sun's rays, surrounded in turn by inscriptions in gold sans-serif capitals of "south dakota" on top and "the mount rushmore state" on the bottom. The inscription on the bottom was "the sunshine state" before it was changed in 1992.
The First Navy Jack was the naval jack of the United States from 1975 to 1976 and again from 2002 to 2019. It was authorized by the U.S. Navy and was flown from the jackstaff of commissioned vessels of the U.S. Navy while moored pierside or at anchor. It is now only used as a naval jack by the oldest active warship in the U.S. Navy. The design is traditionally regarded as that of the first U.S. naval jack flown in the earliest years of the United States' existence, though this is disputed by the historical record.
The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag with a yellow field depicting a timber rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike. Positioned below the rattlesnake are the words "DONT TREAD ON ME" The flag is named after American general and politician Christopher Gadsden (1724–1805), who designed it in 1775 during the American Revolution. It was used by the Continental Marines as an early motto flag, along with the Moultrie flag.
USS New Mexico (SSN-779), a nuclear powered Virginia-class attack submarine, is the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the 47th state. She is the second of the Virginia Block II submarines to enter service. From March–April 2014, she participated in the ICEX 1-14, becoming the second Virginia-class submarine to surface at the North Pole. The homeport of New Mexico is Groton, Connecticut at Naval Submarine Base New London.
This article describes the evolution of the flag of the United States, as well as other flags used within the U.S., such as the flags of governmental agencies. There are also separate flags for embassies and boats.
Hispanics in the United States Navy can trace their tradition of naval military service to men such as Lieutenant Jordi Farragut Mesquida, who served in the American Revolution. Hispanics, such as Seaman Philip Bazaar and Seaman John Ortega, have distinguished themselves in combat and have been awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration of the United States. Hispanics have also reached the top ranks of the navy, serving their country in sensitive leadership positions on domestic and foreign shores. Among those who have reached the highest ranks in the navy are Commodore Uriah Phillips Levy, of Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jewish descent, who participated in the War of 1812 as an assistant Sailing master; Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, for whom the rank of admiral in the U.S. Navy was created during the American Civil War; and Admiral Horacio Rivero, who led the navy during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
James A. Symonds is an American retired rear admiral of the United States Navy who last served as Commander, Navy Region Northwest, based in Silverdale, Washington. He was the former Commanding Officer of the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76). He had a prominent, symbolic role in the state funeral of former United States President Ronald Reagan in 2004.
