HomeVexiBits 2021

Vexibits of the Month 2021

This page promotes the enjoyment of flags and the interesting stories behind them. Other flags will have no stories and will have to speak for themselves. Each month we feature an unusual flag or two, how they came to be, and their histories. Please enjoy these flags and the stories as we do...

Send Vexibits suggestions to the Website Editor—webeditor@nava.org

Vexibits for December 2021 - North Pole Flags

As Vexillologists we are often asked, especially around Christmas, if there is a flag for the North Pole? Nothing official exists, although many of the expeditions searching for it have had flags. But my two favorites are the North Pole Alaska Flag and DAR Peace Flag of 1891. The DAR Peace Flag was provided to the Peary Expedition by the Daughters of the American Revolution and was displayed for them at the pole and yes, there is a city of North Pole, Alaska, and it has an official city logo and flag.

Vexibits for November 2021 - Our Wounded Warriors

In the United States and Puerto Rico the 11th of November is widely celebrated as Veteran's Day. But it is also celebrated in Europe and Canada as either Remembrance Day or Veterans Day. It marks the signing of the armistice between the Allies and Germany at Compiègne, France, which ended hostilities on the Western Front of World War I. The Armistice came into force on the “eleventh hour (11:00) of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918. This is the official date marking the end of World War I, although fighting continued in the Russian Empire and in the Ottoman Empire after this time.

In the United States it was first called Armistice Day for 35 years until Congress decided to change its name to Veterans Day in 1954. It was enlarged in scope to include all veterans of all wars. While traditionally flags are flown to honor all the veterans for their service, in recent years we have seen an influx of flags that especially honor those veterans who become wounded or disabled during their service and there are now flags especially honoring these veterans. A few are shown here.

The Purple Heart is one of the military’s oldest medals and one in which those serving hope to never receive. It is awarded to U.S. service members who have been wounded or killed in war. General Douglas MacArthur first began presenting it in 1932. President Roosevelt, in 1942, signed an executive order authorizing its use as a posthumous award for all branches of the military.

Future executive orders allowed the "posthumous" awarding of the Purple Heart Medal to date back to America's entrance into World War I in 1917. In 1962, a civilian Purple Heart was authorized for those who were under military authority when wounded or killed. In this way, the Purple Heart has kept evolving over the years to keep up with changing circumstances. In 1984 death by acts of terror were recognized, as well as wounds or death of military personnel taking part in peacekeeping forces outside of the U.S. In 1993 “Friendly fire” wounds or deaths also became eligible for Purple Hearts and a national Purple Heart Day has now been declared on August 7th each year.

The Wounded Warrior Project is a non-profit charity and veterans service organization that offers a variety of programs, services and events for wounded veterans of military actions following September 11, 2001. The organization is partnered with several other charities, including the American Red Cross, Resounding Joy, and Operation Homefront. They offer another flag possibility.

The phase "All Gave Some, Some Gave All," later made popular in song lyrics, gave birth to a whole genre of flags, two of which are shown here. These also provide a way of recognizing those wounded or killed while serving in the defense of our nation. The phase was first attributed to a Korean War veteran named Howard Osterkamp who was a Purple Heart recipient from Dent, Ohio. He served in the Army in the Korean War from 1951 to 1953.

In the United States, in towns and cities and schools, veterans organizations and other patriotic organizations around the country take part in Veteran Day ceremonies. In just about every American city holiday parades that include speeches, bands and marching servicemen and veterans take place to honor those who served, and there are lots of flags displayed as part of the remembrances.

Vexibits for October 2021 - Cultural Celebrations and Clashes

The month of October brings some interesting and sometimes competing cultural celebrations all happening together at one time in the States. We have the Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month with its Columbus Day festivities, and for a counter-point Indigenous People's Day celebrated at the same time, both in the United States and Canada. It is also Polish-American Heritage Month including a salute to General Pulaski on his own Memorial Day. October also brings us LGBTQ+ History Month with its accompanying activities. For the vexillologist it provides a time to fly some interesting flags to honor the events.

Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month is in October. To escape poverty and violence in Southern Italy and the Sicily islands, over four million Italians immigrated to the United States between 1880 and 1924. During World War II, their mother country Italy joined the Axis powers and declared war on the U.S., but the Italian-American community in the U.S. showed unswerving loyalty to their adopted country. Fourteen Italian Americans received the Medal of Honor during World War II. While Italian Americans were subjected to widespread discrimination and racial profiling, they have had an immense positive impact on the society and culture of America.

To show appreciation towards Italian Americans for their remarkable achievements and contributions in arts, science, and sports, President Ronald Reagan and Congress proclaimed October to be celebrated as Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month.

Today we celebrate Polish American Heritage Month in October, but Congress first recognized Polish American Heritage in the month of August. Later, it was moved to October to commemorate the first Polish settlers as well as the deaths of General Kazimierz Pułaski and Tadeusz Kościuszko who were Polish military leaders who fought in the American Revolution. General Pulaski Memorial Day is also celebrated on October 11. By a presidential proclamation every year on October 11, this holiday is observed to commemorate General Pulaski’s death from wounds suffered at the siege of Savannah on October 9, 1779.

President George W. Bush issued a presidential proclamation on October 10, 2002, observing the day; President Barack Obama did the same on October 8, 2010; and on October 10, 2017, President Donald Trump also proclaimed the day.

For many Native Americans, Columbus Day reminded them of the violent past of the 500 years of colonial oppression by European explorers like Columbus and those who settled in America. Indigenous Peoples’ Day draws attention to the suffering and mistreatment their ancestors endured after his arrival. Year by year, the movement to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day has spread to more and more states, towns, and cities across the United States of America.

Today, 14 U.S. states celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day and not Columbus Day, as well as the District of Columbia. More than 130 cities including Arlington, Amherst, Cambridge, Brookline, Marblehead, Great Barrington, Northampton, Provincetown, Somerville, and Salem also celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day. It is also celebrated in Canada in June where this beautiful flag celebrates, recognizes, and honors the traditions and cultures of the Indigenous People, not just in America, but around the world. It honors how the indigenous folk created successful self-sufficient communities that sustained life for thousands of years.

This last is called The Flag for All of Us with its rainbow stripes representing racial diversity, gender diversity, and sexual orientation diversity for everyone.

According to the flags designers it is meant to be a visual representation of the words found in the American Pledge of Allegiance, those of "Liberty and Justice for all."

Vexibits for September 2021 - A Flag for the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks

On the evening of September 20, 2001, Richard Melito sat in his restaurant in Richmond, Virginia, and sketched a flag to be a symbol commemorating the events which occurred nine days earlier. His intention was to create a symbol for display on the wall in his restaurant that would always remind his patrons of the tragedy and triumph of September 11, 2001. Sixteen months later the Freedom Flag became a part of Virginia history when it was designated by Executive Order (by Governor Mark Warner) as the State of Virginia's official symbol of remembrance honoring the victims and heroes of 9/11. The Freedom Flag has become part of the traditional Patriot Day observation in schools throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia ever since.

It is 20 years since the 9/11 attacks, which means that today’s K-12 students were all born after 9/11 and effectively have no memories of the tragic events of that day.

With that in mind the Freedom Flag Foundation, a non-profit organization, was formed to establish the Freedom Flag as a national symbol of remembrance for September 11, 2001 and to support educational efforts of teaching future generations about what happened.

The flags design and its elements are designed to act as a reminder and way to explain to those who are have no memory of 9/11 what happen on that day.

Vexibits for August 2021 - The answers to the April Quiz

The April Vexibits talked about how Roman Mars' 2015 TED Talk, “Why city flags may be the worst designed thing you’ve never noticed”, had spurred flag-changes in hundreds of cities across the United States, as well as initiatives in several states. This flag is an example for Florida. Flag enthusiast and NAVA member Michael Green has proposed some designs to "improve" some of the state flags. We took some of his proposed designs from his website Flags for Good and put together a little flag quiz to see if they really worked.

Here they are, how did you do with Michael Green's designs?

Possible Indiana Flag

Possible Kansas Flag

Possible Louisiana Flag

Possible Massachusetts Flag

Possible Maine 1901 Flag

Possible Oklahoma Flag

Possible Minnesota "North Star" Flag

Possible Pennsylvania Flag

Possible Nevada Flag

Possible Rhode Island Flag

Possible Utah Flag

Possible Wisconsin Flag

Vexibits for July 2021 - Don't Sneeze or Cough On Me and the Pandemic

The May Vexibit Don't Tread On Memes generated some interesting responses. Apparently the idea of using the coiled snake of the Gladsen flag has found some new fertile ground because of the pandemic. We share these as the July Vexibits.

Who knew... re-purposed again...

It is interesting to note that during the crisis of the American Revolution the population divided approximately into thirds. One third supported the Revolution, one third was against it, and one third didn't want to be involved.

Today, during this horrible pandemic, approximately one third of the population is completely supporting the mask mandates and getting vaccinated, approximately one third is against those same mandates, and one third probably remains undecided. Some things change, and some things remain the same.

Vexibits for June 2021 - The 95th Anniversary of Flag Day

Flag Day is celebrated in America on June 14, and commemorates the day the Second Continental Congress passed the first flag resolution stating:

"Resolved, That the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."

The first national observance of a Flag Day was on June 14, 1877, 100 years after that flag resolution was adopted. On May 30, 1916, amid the Great War, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed it a local holiday. After that Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years, but it was not until August 3, 1949, that June 14 was designated by President Harry Truman as the National Flag Day to be celebrated each year across the whole nation. This year marks its 95th anniversary.

Many people mistakenly think Flag Day is the day the first official national flag came into being. They also are confused about who is responsible for that first flag design. It wasn't Betsy Ross as many believe, but seems rather to have been the brainchild of Francis Hopkinson. Although the Betsy Ross story is loved by all, it was simply a family tale promoted by her grandson almost 100 years later. However, she likely sewed one of the first flags, if not the first, as she was in the right place in the right profession with the right contacts at the right time—and she knew how to cut out a 5-pointed star with one snip of folded fabric.

Francis Hopkinson was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a congressman from New Jersey, a lawyer, a poet, an artist, and a true patriot. It is reported he wrote a letter to the Board of Admiralty in 1780 claiming that he had designed the first American flag. His reported design had thirteen 6-pointed stars arranged in a "staggered" pattern of 3-2-3-2-3. Although no original example or drawing survives, we do have the bill he gave Congress for its design. Congressman Hopkins jokingly asked Congress for a quarter-cask of public wine for his work. There is no record of Congress ever paying him.

The controversy regarding who designed the various national flags continues to this very day. A good example would be our current 50-star flag. It was actually designed by the Army Institute of Heraldry concurrently with the short-lived 49-star flag. The Quartermaster Corps took the designs and made the flags.

However, the Quartermaster Corps received hundreds of suggested designs from enthusiastic amateur vexillographers, and sent out multiple letters of thanks to them.

Some of these designs matched the official version used by the Quartermaster draftsmen, and several of these designers became convinced they were the actual designers of the flag. Thus the urban myths began.

The 50-star flag has become the longest-used Stars and Stripes flag in history, and thus flown on more Flag Days than any other version. Hopefully, like all Americans, you will continue to honor our flag on Flag Day, no-matter which variant you choose to fly, as long as it is not defaced or disrespected.

Vexibits for May 2021 - Don't Tread On Memes

The historic Gadsden Flag possibly has become the most re-purposed flag ever. In 1775, Colonel Christopher Gadsden was in Philadelphia representing his home colony of South Carolina at the Continental Congress and presented it as a new naval flag to the Congress. It became the first flag used by the sea-going soldiers who eventually would become the United States Marines. The flag first saw combat under Commodore Hopkins, who was the first Commander-in-Chief of the new Continental Navy, when Washington's Cruisers put to sea for the first time in February of 1776 to raid the Bahamas and capture stored British cannon and shot.

The snake, it turns out, was something of a Colonial-era meme, evidently originated by Benjamin Franklin. (A meme is an image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by internet users, often with slight variations.)

Although it is clear that the Gadsden Flag originated in the Revolutionary War in a non-racial context as a naval ensign and a political statement, by the 1970s it had been repurposed to become a symbol of ideological enthusiasm for minimal government and the rights of individuals, especially after the Tea Party movement emerged and members claimed it as their own in the early 2000s.

Today many have shied away from displaying this historical flag as it may inadvertently communicate a political sentiment that they don't want to be associated with. A shame, as it is a great flag design.

Humorous memes of the original flag abound on the market today, and here are several of our favorites. They display a modern twist to the originals. Why are they so popular? Simply because coiled snakes are cool symbols...

Vexibits for April 2021 - Improved State Flags Quiz?

The Roman Mars "TED Talk" in 2015, "Why city flags may be the worst designed thing you've never noticed", has inspired vexillographers and spurred flag-change in hundreds of cities across the United States and beyond, most using the basic flag design tips found in NAVA's booklet Good Flag, Bad Flag. In 2020 Roman was awarded the Vexillonnaire Award during NAVA 55 for his contribution to advancing flag design and use through his TED Talk, which has been viewed over 6 million times.

The challenge has continued with enthusiastic flag designers producing and entering flag designs—some good, some bad —in local competitions. The internet is now filled with vexi-dreams and hopes. The same year that Roman lit the fire, flag enthusiast and NAVA member Michael Green, started "Flags For Good" to raise awareness and provide flags to support worthy causes.

Since then, they have manufactured and sold their (sometimes controversial) flags and donated a portion of each sale to the causes they represent. After hearing Roman's TED Talk they started playing around redesigning state flags using good design practices, such as on the California and Wyoming flags shown here.

Because of this we decided to give you and their designs a little test. Below are 12 more of their efforts. How many can you guess which states they mean to represent? The Greens followed the principles found in Good Flag, Bad Flag in their designs.

If they have produced designs that truly represent the state's character, you should be able to recognize them. Give it a try, how many of the 12 can you identify?

[The answers appear above in the August Vexibits]

Vexibits for March 2021 - The Refugee Nation Flag

According to The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates, there are more than 70 million refugees and internationally displaced people in the world. The orange and black color of the life vests many wore in their search for a safer home inspired this Refugee Nation Flag. The designers of the orange and black flag intend it to become a symbol of hope and solidarity for the millions of refugees without a nation to call their own. Its purpose was to bring the world together to support these refugees.

The flag of the "Refugee Nation" was designed by the artist Yara Said, a Syrian refugee who found asylum in Amsterdam. Another refugee, Moutaz Arian, created a national anthem designed for at the 10-person Refugee Olympic Team that was allowed to participate at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, just in case they placed in an event.

Although the International Olympic Committee would not allow official use of the flag or national anthem of the Refugee Olympic Team in 2016, some of its supporters displayed the flag unofficially in the stands. At the men's hockey quarter-final match between the Belgium and India teams, the two teams lined up during the national anthem ceremony behind the Olympic Refugee flag to show their support. But at the opening and closing ceremonies the Refugee team was asked to carry only the Olympic flag.

The Refugee Flag has become a part of an international culture of support. It was carried on the opening float at the 2018 Rio Carnaval and is permanently displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Vexibits for February 2021 - US Flags of Black History, Coexistence, and Civil Rights

As a continuation of last month's Vexibits we celebrate this month as National Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history. Black History Month has been decreed in the United States every February by the Presidents of the United States since 1976. It was just renewed for 2021 by President Biden's "Proclamation on National Black History Month" signed this last month. Here are four interesting flags that tie together variants of the American Flag with issues of inclusion and systemic intolerance.

An excellent flag to celebrate this month would be Cecil Lee's "African American Flag of Inclusion." Created in 1999 as the "Flag of Inclusion" it represents a concept that has long been part of Black America's psyche - a reality that many Americans have consciously or unconsciously discriminated against and feared the Black American. The flag is intended to represent all African Americans, regardless of their individual beliefs or political affiliations, and their hope of acceptance.

The Flag of Inclusion attempted to address that which exploded 20 years later in the Black Lives Matter movement and the issue of systemic racism. The Black Lives Matter Flag shown here suggests that it is an American problem rather than encompassing the universal scope of the problem - that of unrecognized bigotry and intolerance within any society, and the fear it generates.

Religious intolerance is another area that some flags hope to address, and hopefully help make recognizable. When religious intolerance is embedded into the very institutions and organizations of society the effects are far-reaching and enduring. The first step to effect change in this is "understanding." The COEXIST Movement sprung up, especially on college campuses, across the country to address this issue.

On this United States Coexist Flag every letter in the word "COEXIST" contained a symbol representing a belief system or spiritual ideology: "C" for the crescent and star (representing Islam); "O" being dotted with the Karma Wheel (for Buddhism); "E" as energy in the relativity equation (for Science); "X" illustrating the star of David (for Judaism); the "I" doted with the peace symbol; "S" for the Tao symbol; and "T" for the cross for Christianity.

The stated goal of this flag is to encourage tolerance for all belief systems.

Another similar flag is called The Civil Rights U.S. Flag. Its designer claims it to be "a visual representation of the diversity of the American people" and "how our differences should not be hidden." The Civil Rights U.S. Flag was designed by Sabina Hills. Sabina was born in Germany, one generation after World War II. Since coming to the United States 15 years ago and becoming a dual citizen, Sabina says she wanted to share a warning that Americans were not immune to the kind of hatred that led to the Holocaust and its tragic loss of human life.

She says she hopes that her "Civil Rights U.S. Flag will encourage others to accept everyone, no matter their background", and stop the slide into extremism.

Vexibits for January 2021 - Black Lives Matter: An Evolving Flag Design

The growing activist movement named Black Lives Matter (BLM) started in 2013 and now has become international, but originated in the African-American community. It campaigns against violence and racism towards black people. BLM regularly holds protests speaking out against police killings of black people, and broader issues such as racial profiling, police brutality, and racial inequality in the United States criminal justice system. . It is also an identifying motif intended to represent all African Americans regardless of their individual beliefs or political affiliations.

It began as an online movement in response to the Trayvon Martin acquittal, and came to prominence as a rallying cry during the 2014 protests in Ferguson. The most widespread Black Lives Matter Movement Flag (2013) is black with the words arranged in three rows inscribed as shown with the text centered horizontally. Other less used BLM flags reverse the colors, some use the Garvey colors, or yellow, red, white and blue, and some align the three yellow horizontal lines below the white block letters in different patterns.

In response a Police Mourning/Support flag was used at a rally in Baltimore, Ohio, in support of the police in June of 2015. It is a variant of the police "Thin Blue Line" flag first used in the early 2000s. Those who flew this flag claimed it was being used as a show of respect for the thousands of well-meaning police officers in Baltimore. The design uses traditional three horizontal stripes (black-blue-black) where the center stripe represents the "thin blue line" of police protection, with the addition of "Police Lives" in white letters on the top black stripe and "matter" on the bottom black stripe.

In response to the Black Lives Matter flags there next appeared an "All Lives Matter" flag proclaiming a new message. The founders of the Black Lives Matter movement responded saying, Black Lives Matter doesn't mean all life isn't important – it means that Black lives are seen without value within much of white society and that changing "Black Lives Matter" to "All Lives Matter" is a demonstration of how white society doesn't actually understand the systemic racism that exists today.

In May of 2020 a video of a policeman kneeling on the neck of a black American causing his death would ignite worldwide protest demanding social change against police violence and the systematic racism existing in the United States and worldwide. The video of it went viral and an estimated 15 to 26 million people participated in the world wide protests against what was coined police violence towards black people.

The design of the "Black Lives Matter" flags began to take on a more militant look as this flag shows. It combines the Black Power fist symbol with the Black Lives theme in its design.

A counter to the more militant look of the Fist symbol can be shown in this "All Lives Matter" flag which mixes the "All Life Matters" message with the peace symbol of the 1960's peace demonstrations. Unfortunately, as millions of demonstrators took to the streets in what organizers hoped to be peaceful demonstrations, violent and destructive agitators soon appeared resulting in massive property damage and senseless acts of vandalism.

The police responded and the stage was set. It seemed as though the world had suddenly woken to systematic racism, but didn't understand how deeply rooted it was in society. New flags appeared as the demonstrations continued, although massively outnumbered by crude hand-drawn signs and placards. Included among them was this "White Lives Matter" flag obviously designed to escalate violence between demonstrators, citizens, and law enforcement.

The unrelated destruction of historical statues that followed and other acts all began to cloud the original message of the Black Lives Matter movement. Because these acts took place during the same time frame there are some people claiming the destruction of statues was part of the protest movement, although no connection has been determined.

The original message soon became merged with race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity issues including pro-life and women's rights issues. As more and more groups have become involved in the protests, a proliferation of messages - each with an accompanying flag - has appeared on the streets, each generating a whole genre of flags, only a few of which are used here as examples.

It has been said the flags are a shorthand of history and they mirror their times. The evolution of the "Black Lives Matter" flag into an "Unborn Lives Matter" flag certainly illustrates this.

Send Vexibits suggestions to the Website Editor—webeditor@nava.org