Happy 250th Birthday to the US Army

Although the US Army dates its founding to June 14, 1775, the flag of the US Army was only adopted in 1956. According to the US Army Quartermaster Museum, the emblem is the original seal of the War Office, approved by the Continental Congress in May of 1779.

Two parts of this seal stand out symbolically for me. First, the banner reading "This We'll Defend" is held in the mouth of a rattlesnake. The rattlesnake was distinctive for three reasons and appeared on several Revolutionary War flags used by the military. One, it is an animal native to North America and so was a good representative of the colonies. Two, it only attacks to defend itself. Three, it has a rattle; it issues a warning before it attacks. (Now, like most such symbols, we can quibble with this. Surely, to a mouse, a rattlesnake is a fearsome aggressor. But we are not mice. In any case, as Grim likes to point out, all analogies fail if you push them far enough. That's no reason to throw out the intended symbolism.)

Second, the Phrygian cap resting on the sword tip first began to symbolize liberty in the American Revolution and was picked up by others, such as French revolutionaries, after. It's placement on the sword reminds me of Civil War movies where infantry officers leading their units into combat would put their hats on their swords and raise them up. I always assumed that was for visibility, but really have no idea.

Altogether, the symbols imply the Army's role is to defend liberty and the United States.

It is also Flag Day, commemorating the adoption of the national flag on June 14, 1777.