What Does It Mean to You?

June 14th was Flag Day, but it also kicked off the start of National Flag Week, as directed by the President in this June 12, 2026 Proclamation. During this week we are asked to display the American flag and honor its significance. Below is a brief history of Flag Day and some thoughts on what the flag represents to some Americans.

History

The first official Flag Day was celebrated on June 14, 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson issued a Presidential Proclamation to that effect. However, some states and many municipalities had been honoring the flag on that date for almost three decades. According to Britannica, a school teacher in Wisconsin, Bernard Cigrand, asked students to celebrate the flag’s birthday on June 14th. He later wrote an essay for a Chicago newspaper that urged Americans to commemorate the flag each year on that date. Within a few years others across the country were organizing celebrations on that date. Congress permanently marked June 14 as National Flag Day in 1949.

What Does the Flag Mean to You?

The American flag is a symbol representing many things to people across the globe. Some link it to opportunity and freedom, while others link it to injustice and exclusion. Our own history and that of our ancestors often helps shape perspective. Fascinated by that idea, Keystone Fair Business Partners conducted interviews with three Americans:  a recently naturalized citizen, a 1st generation American, and an 8th generation American. The question was simple:  What does the American flag mean to you?

Naturalized Citizen

Diana, from the Philippines, became a naturalized citizen in 2025. She is married with a young child. When asked what the flag means to her, she said “it symbolizes an opportunity for me to be successful and help my family in a way that I never could have in my home country.” 

She knows that some do not show the flag the respect it deserves, such as spitting or burning the flag. Diana questioned, “Don’t they love their country?” She shared that those born in the United States “are very lucky…they have beautiful nature and parks here, health care to take care of you and retirement care for you.” In the Philippines they have almost nothing, “if you go to the ER in my country you have to have a down payment or they won’t even care for you…nothing.”

Diana is grateful to be happily married and able to raise her American-born child in such a prosperous country.

1st Generation American

Vincenzo Abbinanti, is a first generation American whose parents immigrated to the United States in the early 1970’s. He and his brothers were raised with a hard-work ethic. All are now successful business owners. When asked what the flag means to him, he spoke from the heart as he shared that he had never put his feelings into words.

“To me the flag represents the country, the sacrifices made, and everything that’s good about it. The flag is the symbol of this country, its history, and it’s hope for the American dream. When I picture the United States, I see the flag, not the Statue of Liberty,” said Mr. Abbinanti. His love of the flag was instilled as a child. Vincenzo shared that when he was young, around the 4th of July one year, he had a toothpick topped with an American flag. As he was ready to throw it away, his father, who at the time held his green card, corrected him. His father told Vincenzo that we must always respect the flag, and it should never be discarded like trash.

Mr. Abbinanti continued, “I love how the flag has changed as the country changed to be inclusive of everyone and every new state. It doesn’t need to show every nationality, but it represents one union of all states. And the colors chosen for our flag also represent our heritage…from England, whose people first settled here, and from France, who helped the colonists win freedom from England in the Revolutionary War. All of our countries share the red, white, and blue.”

When asked how he feels when someone dishonors the flag or burns it, Mr. Abbinanti said, “I take it personally when someone burns the flag. It’s like spitting on someone. The flag is personal to me and represents me. I am the epitome of the American dream.”

Multigenerational American

The family of retired Chester County Sheriff, Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh, dates back at least eight generations in America to the 1700’s. Patriotism, military service, and the love of God and country run deep in her bloodline. Therefore, it was not surprising to hear Sheriff Welsh’s thoughts on what the American flag means to her.

“It is the symbol of our nation, the symbol of freedom that has stood for the past 250 years to represent America and our military. To everyone who served under the flag, that’s been the symbol of a free America,” stated Sheriff Welsh.

When asked her thoughts on those who burn and stomp on the flag or believe the American flag is a symbol of division, she said she felt sorry for them. She explained, “We are blessed by God to live in the greatest country on the face of the earth. The flag is a symbol of liberty, of hope, and of sacrifice. They don’t understand this country or its history. If someone does not respect our country and our precious flag, they should go live somewhere else.”

Finally, Sheriff Welsh shared how proud she is to be part of the Flag Sojourn 250, which was organized by the National Flag Foundation in coordination with the National Sheriff’s Association among others. The sojourn is a year-long journey of one American flag to every overseas U.S. military cemetery, every U.S. territory, and every state. As Sheriff Welsh describes it, “this is a solemn, sacred journey of our flag. Each stop on the journey had the flag for three days to honor it in whatever ceremony they choose. Each place honors the flag in a unique way representing their local customs. Sometimes songs are sung or bands play. Other stops may have Boy Scouts or simple, solemn salutes. Everything is done with dignity and honor.” On July 4, 2026 more than 200 American Legion motorcyclists will accompany this internment flag from Pittsburgh, PA to Washington, D.C. in the last leg of the sojourn.

Bottom line…

This National Flag Week, take a moment to consider what the American flag means to you. As citizens of this great country, we often take God’s blessings and the sacrifices of others for granted. As we approach the 250th birthday of the United States of America, let us reflect on the stars and stripes and all that they represent.