We fly the Fifty Star and Thirteen Stripe of Flag of the United States of America from our starboard halyard and stern pole with pride and admiration. When we raise the flag for each charter, we recognize the shared human story of our nation’s journey of freedom and democracy, and the price many have paid in its preservation.
We will honor how our flag has grown with our nation by flying the different flags of American history. When we sail past the shores of the South River where George Washington and Thomas Jefferson once crossed from the William Brown House to Ferry point and onwards to Annapolis, Philadelphia and New York, we remember that first official flag of the United States of 1777 with its circle of thirteen stars. We recognize in today’s fifty stars the expansion of American democracy and statehood, each one added as our nation grew while maintaining those same ideals of liberty that Washington championed.
As we guide our vessels past Thomas Point Lighthouse, we appreciate how this beacon to mariners has witnessed the flag’s evolution through generations. We’re inspired knowing that Francis Scott Key watched the bombardment of Fort McHenry just up the Bay in Baltimore, and saw in our Fifteen Stripe and Fifteen Star flag the same promise of freedom that still inspires us today. We recognize in its endurance our nation’s own resilience.
When we sail past the Naval Academy, we see in today’s midshipmen the same spirit of service that has defended our flag through every generation. We’re grateful to the millions of Americans who have protected what these stars and stripes represent – from the battles of the Revolution to the liberation of Europe at the Normandy’s beaches, and beyond. We recognize in their sacrifice as the price of the freedom we enjoy on these waters today.
As we navigate the same harbors and waters where our forefathers first glimpsed these stars and stripes, we appreciate how our flag has welcomed people seeking freedom from around the world. We recognize that the Native Americans who inhabited this land for thousands of years are part of this nation. We recognize in its thirteen stripes and fifty stars not just a national symbol, but a beacon of hope that continues to shine brightly.
Join us for a sail on the historic Chesapeake Bay, where we can appreciate together what it means to journey beneath our nation’s flag. Here on these waters, we recognize that each of us plays a part in the continuing story of American freedom – a story as enduring as the Stars and Stripes themselves.