Sunday, August 06, 2006

Flag Day?

I was in the kitchen making dinner when I turned around to see Kiera wearing this delightful ensemble. (daddy's dress shoes and a US flag)
I couldn't figure out what type of American flag that was so I looked it up: The U.S. Yacht Ensign flag has long been a favorite of sailboat and powerboat owners alike. The design is similar to the Betsy Ross flag except that an anchor with a length of coiling rope appears in the center of the circle of thirteen stars and like the Betsy Ross flag, the U.S. Yacht Ensign has it’s roots deep in American history. The U.S. Yacht Ensign was first used in 1848 and was technically not an ensign, but a signal flag. With the growing numbers of vessels in U.S. waters, the flag was to be used by private yachts so they could avoid a visit to the customs house when sailing into a port. But it didn’t take long for boat owners to begin to use the flag as an ensign and the government granted support for the practice.

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