Today on, “Days to Remember,” we celebrate how on May 29th 1916, the official flag of the president of the United States was adopted.
Until today I had no idea the president of the United States had their own flag, did you?
The flag of the President of the United States consists of the presidential coat of arms on a dark blue background. While having the same design as the presidential seal since 1945, the flag has a separate history, and the designs on the flag and seal have at different times influenced each other.
The flag is often displayed by the President in official photos, flown next to the coffin of the President in official funeral processions, and flown on the President’s motorcade.
Who designed this infamous flag?
Samuel Chester Reid, who proposed this design, made a drawing of it years later which showed the eagle and Liberty in switched positions, and had the stars arranged in a larger star.
Who was Samuel Chester Reid?
He was an officer in the United States Navy who commanded a privateer during the War of 1812. He is also noted for having helped design the 1818 version of the flag of the United States, which first established the rule of keeping thirteen stripes and adding one star for each U.S. state.
As the President is Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, each service developed its own tradition of honoring the President, which eventually led each to design their own presidential flag.
This did not happen until the late 19th century however, and the Navy at first used existing flags for their ceremonies.
On May 29, 1916, President Wilson issued Executive Order 2390, which officially changed to the new design.
Written & Designed by JD Mitchell
jdmitchelldesigns@gmail.com
Days to Remember 