Mary Alice and I have just decorated our home with patriotic buntings for Memorial Day. Although we do fly our flag on special occasions, we decided to also put it out on every non- rainy day until the America’s 250th birthday.

“You’re a grand old flag,

“You’re a high-flying flag

“And forever in peace may you wave.”

All too often I see people showing disrespect to our flag. When the Color Guard goes by in a parade, it is easy to recognize those who have or had someone in the military. These are the people that stand up straight, with hands over their hearts. Also, those presently or previously in the military will stand at attention.

I have noticed when either attending or watching games on television there will be many men that do not take their hats off.

Many years ago when Mary Alice and I attended a Penn State football game two young men sat in front of us. They had been drinking and several times I mentioned to them about their filthy language. The Penn State Blue Band began playing the national anthem, and neither stood up.

I told the young man closest to me to stand up, and he said what for? I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up and said because I said so. Fortunately, for all the people sitting in the area, the young men left at half time and never returned.

After the game was over, many people came up to me and thanked me, saying they were glad that I stood up to the two young men. Several men mentioned that if they had given me any trouble they would have backed me up.

“You’re a grand old flag,

“You’re a high-flying flag

“And forever in peace may you wave.”

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed the first flag act, stating that the official flag of the United States would have 13 stars in a blue field. The stars on the American flag represent each state. Of course, there are now 50 stars, with 13 stripes indicating the first 13 colonies that founded the United States of America.

While tradition tells us that while it was Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress and a flag maker for the Navy, who sewed our first flag, it was thought that Francis Hopkinson, a Congressman, was most likely the person who designed the first American flag. This new flag, which was flown mainly by ships for identification, was seldom used on land.

From 1776 until 1912, every flag maker was, in effect, a flag designer because there were many versions of the Stars and Stripes.

“You’re the emblem of

“The land I love

“The home of the free and the brave.

“Ev’ry heart beats true”

The colors of the new flag were red, white and blue. In 1782, Congress proclaimed that the red stood for hardiness and courage, the white for purity and innocence and the blue for justice, vigilance and perseverance.

“Neath the red, white and blue

“Where ther’s never a boast or brag

“Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

“Keep your eye on the grand old flag.”

However, America’s first national song “Yankee Doodle” remains a symbol of our determination to be free.

This song that we all know and love has caused much debate among historians as to where the tune originated. Some say that it was first sung in England as a nursery rhyme (Lucy Locket lost her pocket), while others claim it originated in Spain, Hungary, Holland or Germany. Still others believe it has links to Italian church music.

“Yankee Doodle went to town riding on a pony,

“He stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni.”

What we do know is that the tune of Yankee Doodle came to this country in 1755 when the British were at war against the French and the Native Americans. We also know that the words were first used to poke fun at the Colony’s troops.

Some of the American Colony’s troops had long hair while some wore wigs and still others had their hair cut very short. Many wore coonskin caps. Long coats and short coats were worn, and there were those who wore no coats at all. The men looked ragged and tattered and lacked skills in marching.

Thomas Fitch, the reported leader of the Connecticut soldiers, had a wife, by the name of Elizabeth who, after seeing the shabby shape of her husband’s men, dashed to a chicken yard to pluck feathers for their hats.

“Yankee Doodle keep it up,

“Yankee Doodle dandy

“Mind the music and the step

“And with the girls be handy.”

This sight made the well-dressed, well-trained British soldiers laugh. A British Army doctor Richard Shuckburg, who was also a poet and musician, wrote a song about the bumpkin-like appearance of the American troops that came to help. It was an instant hit with the British troops.

The years went by and when the British Regiment marched through the streets of Boston, they marched to the tune of Yankee Doodle as an insult to the Americans. Every day the tune was played, even outside the church doors while services were going on.

“Father and I went down to camp,

“Along with Captain Goodin

“And there we saw the men and boys

“As thick as hasty puddin”.

However, after the battle of Bunker Hill, the Americans took the tune to heart and snapped up the tune as their own. The Americans even had the audacity to have the tune played at the surrender of Saratoga. After Lord Cornwallis surrendered to General Washington at Yorktown, the Continental Band struck up the tune that had become their battle song.

By then, it had become a victory march for the Americans and had come to represent and celebrate the brash, cocky Americans.

The word yankee is believed to have come from the way the Native Americans pronounced the word English as “yenglees,” which later became yankees.

The word doodle comes from an English term, meaning do-little or silly. It could also mean to tootle on the flute, which was regarded by some as a rather foolish occupation. In any case, doodle was an insulting word when first applied to the Americans.

The word macaroni dated back to a London fad of the early 1700s. At that time the in-crowd which dined on Italian macaroni every night, found it stylish to tie their hair in enormous topknots christened macaronis and also to wear tight clothing. Macaroni clubs were formed, macaroni schools of music flourished and to be in was to be macaroni. The reference to mind the music and the step comes from the melody’s popularity as a dance tune.

Of course the feathers, which the Connecticut troops wore in their hats when they marched into Albany, in 1755 to help the British reminded the British Army doctor of the macaroni craze.

No one knows who Captain Gooding was but the riding on a pony comes from Oliver Cromwell’s ride into Oxford upon a Kentish pony.

“It suits for feasts, it suits for fun,

“And just as well for fighting.”

I hope you have a nice Memorial Day and when you see our flag flowing in the breeze, take time to pause and remember its history.

Bill Bower is a retired Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Officer. Read his blog and listen to his podcasts on the outdoors at www.onemaningreen.com.