Interested in the history of the American flag in battle? Find out how the American flag is featured during battles and the first time it was raised up in one…
The United States of America has seen the battle field many times throughout the course of its history. The American flag has been raised victorious in the vast majority of these battles. Interestingly enough there is a very different way in which the American flag is represented during battles.
A normal front on view of the American flag has the box with the stars in it on the left with the horizontal stripes of red and white. However when the flag is placed on army uniforms as insignia it is placed the other way around. That is, the box with the stars comes on the right. There is however a logic behind this obverse placement.
American flag in battle placement
In fact there is a proper law known as the Army Regulation 670-1 “Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia.” Although this law has been in place for quite some time it was updated quite recently in the year 2003. The law deals with the explicit placement of the U.S flag on the army uniform.
According to the law, when it is authorized to wear a U.S flag patch on a military uniform it can be worn on the right or the left shoulder but the star field should face forward. In other words the star field should be to the right of the flag itself. The logic behind this placement is that when the army man wearing the patch moves forward the flag faces towards the right of the observer. This creates a visual effect of the flag flying through the air as the wearer proceeds forward. This is why the appropriate replica that is worn on the right shoulder in army uniforms is known as the reverse side flag.
American Flag in First Battle
It was in the year 1777 that the American flag flew in battle for the very first time. The event was the revolutionary war skirmish that took place at Cooch’s Bridge. The new flag was ordered to be raised with the British and Hessian troops as advance guards. Del. Gen. William Maxwell is credited for issuing the order of raising the first American flag in battle. The American army managed to defeat the rebel forces which were forced to retreat.
The American flag design had only been resolved three months prior to this attack. At this moment in time the flag consisted of thirteen alternate stripes of red and white. The union was composed of thirteen white stars on a blue field. This was meant to represent a new constellation.
Not ironically this new national flag was named as “Stars and Stripes”. It took its inspiration from the Grand Union Flag of the Continental Army of 1776. The white in the flag is meant to signify purity and innocence. Red on the other hand represents valor and hardiness where as the blue stands for justice, perseverance and vigilance.
