Army Marks 230th Birthday and U.S. Flag's 228th at Events Across the Country
FT. MONROE, Va., June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 14, the U.S. Army
celebrates its 230th birthday and the American flag's 228th. Major League
Baseball, NASCAR, AFL, PBR and NHRA fans will be at the center of the
celebration along with heroes from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation
Enduring Freedom, beginning June 9th and concluding on the actual observance
day of June 14.
"Sports are a part of the American tradition, and there is no better way
to celebrate the accomplishments of our soldiers, past, present and future,
than with these events," said Lt. General Robert Van Antwerp, commanding
general, U.S. Army Accessions Command. "We pay tribute to these men and women
for their selfless sacrifices to preserve the freedom of our country."
This year, the Army's birthday honors more than two centuries of service,
tradition and history by employing the anniversary theme: "Call to duty."
Soldiers will distribute miniature American flags to thousands of fans at
various sports venues as they enter each event. Army bands and singers also
will perform the national anthem and other musical selections. Operation Iraqi
Freedom soldiers who have recently returned from duty, will also be throwing
out the first pitch in each city, to further salute the effort of U.S.
soldiers and solidify the relationship between baseball and the Army.
Local recruits will be honored at several games during pre-game ceremonies
as they take their oath on the field. In addition, they will have a chance to
meet with the OIF soldiers. The veterans will be at the baseball games to take
part in pre-game ceremonies to cheer on their home teams.
U.S. Army and MLB
There has been a long standing connection between the U.S. Army and Major
League Baseball. A number of great baseball players have done great things in
service for America as well. Last year the Army recognized a handful of those
players by naming its All-Army Baseball Team. The squad included guys like
Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Greenberg, Christy Mathewson and Warren
Spahn just to name a few. Spahn, a Hall of Fame pitcher, was called into
service shortly after he joined the majors and was awarded a Bronze Star for
his efforts in WWII. Greenberg, the All-Army team first baseman, was a captain
with the 20th Bomber Command in World War II and was awarded four battle stars
and the Presidential Unit Citation.
In addition to the great athletes and men of honor that MLB and the Army
have shared in the past, more recently the relationship has been solidified
with events such as the joint birthday celebration of the U.S. flag and the
Army. The events of 2005 will mark the 4th year that Major League Baseball has
come together with the Army to commemorate the occasion.
A Watershed Date - Years Apart
It's a little known fact that flying the American Flag on June 14 also
signifies respect for the U.S. Army. Though their emblematic shared birthdays
may seem intentional, the date of their foundings is coincidental and years
apart. The birth of the Army on June 14, 1775, came two full years before the
Continental Congress adopted the first official flag of the republic on
June 14, 1777.
It would still be more than 150 years before President Harry S. Truman,
coincidentally an avid Washington Senators baseball fan, signed into law a
national observance for our flag on June 14th, a day we know today as Flag
Day. As the Secretary of the Army and the Army Chief of Staff remind soldiers
and citizens alike every year, the work of the U.S. Army ensures that
freedom's light shines as a beacon throughout the world.
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