Flag Day, U.S. Army celebrated in Carson City ceremony

Surrounded by red, white and blue, Carson City residents and service men and women celebrated Flag Day and the Army’s birthday at the Capital Veterans Memorial on Wednesday morning.

The annual event brought people together to honor the American flag, a symbol of freedom, honor and greatness to many.

Brigadier Gen. Zachary Doser spoke to the crowd, celebrating the U.S. Army on its 242nd birthday.

“The Army represents all that is great with our way of life and our country,” Doser said. “It is the most premiere war fighting organization on earth.”

He talked about the history and importance of the service and the greatness it brings for its soldiers, the nation and the world.

“God bless our servicemen, God bless the great state of Nevada and of course God bless America,” Doser said.

Former Navy officer Carson City Mayor Bob Crowell also spoke, commemorating the importance of the U.S. Flag to its citizens.

“Today, the 13 red and white stripes remind us of the events surrounding the formation of the greatest and freest nation on earth,” Crowell said. “The 50 stars remind us that we are a union of 50 states, all of which are part of this great nation and which embody the motto of the United States: ‘E pluribus unum,’ out of many, one.”

In honor of the celebration, the Nevada National Guard brought the 36-star Union Infantry Battle Flag from the Sparks Heritage Museum. The flag is a rare artifact from the American Civil War, though it wasn’t a U.S. military issued flag but most likely from a local militia group.

Nevada Airman Master Sgt. Kenneth Dupree also presented the Five Flag Ceremony, commemorating each version of the American flag through history. From the Queen Anne flag that first flew over the colonies to the Betsy Ross flag that symbolized unity and independence for the colonies to the present Old Glory flag, attendees learned about the history and meaning behind each flag. It’s part of a program called Operation Patriotism and is used for special events to commemorate all military personnel past and present.

And patriotism is what the audience got as the speakers shared sentiments of American history from battles won to the significance of the creation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

“For me, the Pledge of Allegiance reflects my pledge to our nation and my fellow citizens that I will protect and defend the United States and its way of life, a nation guided by the rule of law and made up of different states and peoples, all of whom have made the same pledge to remain united in common bond to make and keep our country the greatest nation on earth,” Crowell said.