By Earl Keaton
It all started On January 1, 1776, when the Continental Army was reorganized in accordance with a Congressional resolution, which placed American forces under George Washington's control. On that New Year's Day the Continental Army was laying siege to Boston, which had been taken over by the British Army. Washington ordered the Grand Union flag hoisted above his base at Prospect Hill. It had 13 alternate red and white stripes and the British Union Jack in the upper left-hand corner. Then In May of 1776, Betsy Ross reported that she sewed the first American flag we know that American flag today after many additional stars.
On June 14, 1777, in order to establish an official flag for the new nation, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act: "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."
Color military uniforms quickly followed. Differences had to be established between Americans and the British who made such wonderful targets with their red coats. By 1777 most of the Colonial companies were uniformed in blue faced with red. Some incorporated white in some manner with gold being used signifying rank. Blue and gold in military insignia remain a predominant color to this day. This also was the beginning the proliferation of colored insignia on American military uniforms as well as on law enforcement and most uniforms emblems worn by other American enterprises.
Today one will find colored insignia on uniforms that may include military rank, various unit identification. e.g. shoulder sleeve emblems called patches usually embroidered, military crest, made of medal with inlaid unit colors that may match the corresponding uniform patches colors, military medals earned with military ribbons to match, special training military badges e.g. military wings, technical specialties, and time served being a few of the many ways to decorate a U.S. Military uniform. Surprisingly the topics on American uniform insignia are many and are of varying interest to people all over the world.
Almost every color in the spectrum is found in the American military uniform insignia starting with the Purple Heart Medal first authorization requested by George Washington for the Continental solders wounded in winning our freedom from the British. Two of my ancestors who qualified for this medal were the Macamus brothers who volunteered to join the militia to fight the British at the battle of Kings Mountain. This battle was considered by many historians to be a turning point in the outcome of the revolution.
The kaleidoscope of color that exists in military insignia attracts many people. Some are active, some have served in various Military units, military insignia collectors, with a love for the military and the beauty of the uniforms and different insignia they represent. Veterans and Veterans families and American unit enactors, in many different countries, just to name a few. Don't forget the movies, everyone's favorite. U.S. Army insignia is alive and well in the movies. They need insignia also to represent the correct time period of the film or story involved.
Earl Keaton Bachelor of science degree, California Polytechnic University USN reserve four years USAF Technical advisor Korean War General Manager, Saunders Military Insignia SaundersInsignia.com
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