The History Behind our Nation’s Military Service Flags

But have you ever wondered why the military service flags are in a particular order? Why is the US Army placed first? Why is the US Coast Guard flag placed last? Who determined the design of each flag, and what is the meaning of the symbolism depicted on each one?

For this Veterans Day, we’ll explore our nation’s military service flags and the storied histories behind them, and share with you some interesting history behind each one.

Military service flags are displayed in a specific order to indicate the seniority of each branch and to follow the Department of Defense's (DOD) Order of Precedence. The order is based on a number of factors, including the founding date of each branch and the branch's relationship to other branches, the one caveat being the US Coast Guard (more on that later). But in most cases, the founding date of each military branch generally determines the precedence when placed with other flags.

United States Army
For the US Army, which was founded in 1775, their flag is always placed first. The US Army finds its roots in the Continental Army, which was formed on June 14, 1775 to fight against the British for independence during the American Revolutionary War. Following the war, the Congress of the Confederation created the United States Army on June 3, 1784 to replace the disbanded Continental Army. The United States Army considers itself a continuation of the Continental Army, and thus considers its institutional inception to be the origin of that armed force in 1775.

The US Army flag displays a blue replica of the War Office Seal set on a white field. Beneath the seal is a broad scarlet scroll bearing the inscription in white letters, "United States Army". Beneath the scroll, in blue Arabic numerals, is "1775", the year in which the Continental Army was created with the appointment of General George Washington as General of the Army. All of this is on a white background.

The flag was officially adopted by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on June 12, 1956, via Executive Order 10670. Prior to this date, the Army was the only armed service without a flag, official or otherwise, to represent the entire service. In 1955, prompted by the need for a flag to represent the U.S. Army in joint service ceremonies, Secretary of the Army Wilber M. Brucker requested the creation of a flag.

The U.S. Army flag was dedicated and unfurled to the general public on June 14, 1956, at Independence Hall, Philadelphia, on the 181st anniversary of the establishment of the U.S. Army by the Continental Congress. The original flag measured 4 feet 4 inches by 5 feet 6 inches. This original flag was made of white silk with a blue embroidered central design of the original War Office seal. "United States Army" is inscribed in white letters on a scarlet scroll, with the year "1775" in blue numerals below.

United States Marine Corps
In the case of the US Marine Corps, even though the US Navy was founded before the US Marines, they have historically referenced their founding date of 1775, shortly after that of the US Army. On November 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia passed a resolution stating that "two Battalions of Marines be raised" for service as landing forces with the fleet. This resolution established the Continental Marines and marked the birth date of the United States Marine Corps.

The US Marine Corps flag went through several changes over the years. Some evidence suggests the flag the Marines carried ashore at New Providence in 1776 was the Grand Union Flag, also known as the Continental flag. It consisted of 13 stripes and the Grand Union flag in the top inner corner. Thought to be the first American flag, it influenced the 13-star Betsy Ross edition but was never formally recognized.

During the 1830s and into the 1840s, the US Marines used a white flag with gold fringe. The flag consisted of a picture with an eagle and an anchor with the words “To the Shores of Tripoli.” Later, when the Mexican-American War ended, they expanded the slogan to say, “From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli.” During the Civil War and the Mexican-American Wars, Marines in the field carried a flag that alternated white and red stripes. The United States seal emblazoned in the canton included a half wreath and 29 stars. Marines carried a version comparable to today’s American flag, with the words “U.S. Marine Corps” embroidered in yellow thread with a red strip in the center by 1876.

In 1914, the US Marines carried “Old Blue”—a blue flag with the Marine Corps emblem that held a globe, eagle, and anchor. Above the emblem was a scarlet ribbon with the title “U.S. Marine Corps.” Beneath the emblem, a scarlet ribbon was depicted with the Marine Corps motto “Semper Fidelis” (Always Ready).

Officially adopted in 1918, the colors gold and scarlet represented the Marine Corps, although a flag with those colors was not designated until around 1939. This flag, mostly designed the same as the current Marine flag, included a gold fringe and a scarlet field. The Marine Corps emblem is in the center with a banner in the eagle's mouth that said “Semper Fidelis.” Below the emblem, a large banner reads “United States Marine Corps.”

Today, the official flag of the US Marine Corps is scarlet with the Corps emblem in gray and gold. It was adopted on January 18, 1939, although Marine Corps Order 4 had established scarlet and gold as the official colors of the Corps as early as 1925. The indoor/parade version is bordered by a gold fringe while the outdoor version is plain. It measures 52 inches on the hoist and 62 inches on the fly. In addition to the multi-colored battle streamers (measuring 3 feet by 2+3⁄4 inches wide) affixed to the top of the staff, the staff itself is covered with sterling silver bands engraved with the names of conflicts in which the Corps has been engaged.

United States Navy
While the US Navy claims October 13, 1775 as the date of its official establishment, when the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution creating the Continental Navy, it was disbanded following the conclusion of the Revolutionary War. Under the Presidency of George Washington, merchant shipping came under increasing threat by Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean by Barbary pirates. This led to the Naval Act of 1794, which created a permanent standing U.S. Navy.

Early in U.S. history, naval ships wore a variety of flags, including the striped Grand Union, and those bearing a pine tree or rattlesnake. However, these various banners are generally considered an evolution toward a final flag design rather than forebearers of a specific US Navy flag.

Toward the end of the nineteenth century the Infantry Battalion flag was introduced for use by naval landing forces. This was a blue flag with a white diamond shaped device in the center and a blue foul anchor superimposed on the diamond. For more than sixty years, the Infantry Battalion flag served as the unofficial Navy flag in drill formations and parades and at other ceremonies. An official Navy flag, which represented the Navy's operating forces at sea, was authorized by an executive order by President Eisenhower on April 24, 1959.

The flag for the United States Navy is 4 feet 4 inches on the hoist, by 5 feet 6 inches on the fly, and consists of dark blue material, with yellow fringe, 2-1/2 inches wide. In the center of the flag is a device 3 feet 1 inch overall consisting of the inner pictorial position of the seal of the Department of the Navy, in within a circular yellow rope edging, all 2 feet 6 inches in diameter above a yellow scroll inscribed "United States Navy," in dark blue letters.

United States Air Force
While originally formed in 1907 as part of the US Army Signal Corps, this division was originally focused on dirigibles and balloons. In 1909, the Signal Corps purchased the Wright Brothers' first heavier-than-air flying machine, and in 1926, the US Army formed the US Army Air Corps, which later changed its designation to the US Army Air Forces in 1941, following the outbreak of WWII. The US Air Force would become its own service branch on September 18, 1947 with the enactment of the National Security Act.

The flag of the United States Air Force was introduced in 1951 and consists of the U.S. Air Force's crest and shield, which itself comprises 13 white stars and the Department of the Air Force's coat of arms on a field of blue. The 13 stars represent the 13 original British American colonies, the grouping of three stars at the top portray the three Departments of the Army, Navy and Air Force. The crest includes the North American bald eagle, the cloud formation depicts the creation of a new firmament, and the wreath, which is composed of six alternate folds of silver and blue, incorporates the colors of the basic shield design.

The flag was officially adopted by President Harry S. Truman on March 26, 1951. Elements of the flag's design are used on the Department of the Air Force seal as well as the U.S. Air Force's service mark. In 1950, a government artist named Dorothy G. Gatchell was tasked with the design of a flag for the U.S. Air Force, whereas the crest and shield that are featured on it were done by Arthur E. Dubois, Chief of the Heraldic Branch of the Army, who submitted the design to W. Stuart Symington, the first secretary of the Air Force. The flag's design has remained unchanged since its introduction in 1951.

United States Space Force
The U.S. Space Force was established Dec. 20, 2019, when the National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law, creating the first new branch of the armed services in 73 years. The establishment of the USSF resulted from widespread recognition that Space was a national security imperative. When combined with the growing threat posed by near-peer competitors in space, it became clear there was a need for a military service focused solely on pursuing superiority in the space domain.

The flag was unveiled on May 15, 2020 in an Oval Office ceremony by the Chief of Space Operations General John W. Raymond and the Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger A. Towberman.

The Space Force flag is a black field, with the official flag fringed in platinum. The flag is derived from the central and supporting elements of the Space Force seal, including the delta wing, globe, elliptical orbit, Polaris star, and star clusters. Beneath the central imagery "UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE" and the year 2019 in Roman numerals in white lettering, indicating the name and birth year of the service. The white Polaris symbolizes the guiding light of security and alludes to a constant presence and vigilance in space now and in the future. Two clusters of small stars represent the space assets developed, maintained, and operated by the U.S. Space Force.

United States Coast Guard
While the US Coast Guard flag is typically placed last in the lineup, it cites January 28, 1915 as its founding date when it was formed by a merger of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service and the U.S. Life-Saving Service, under the Department of the Treasury. However, the US Coast Guard traces its roots to August 4, 1790, which is now celebrated as the official birthday of the US Coast Guard, when Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton lobbied Congress to fund the construction of ten cutters to enforce tariffs, which was an important source of revenue for the new nation. It should be noted that until the re-establishment of the Navy in 1794, these "revenue cutters" were the only naval force of the early United States.

It should also be noted that the Coast Guard flag is displayed in a different position depending on whether the United States is at war or peace. During wartime, the Coast Guard operates under the Department of Defense and is displayed between the US Navy and US Marine Corps flags. During peacetime, the Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security and is displayed last.

The US Coast Guard is also the only military service branch that is tasked as an authority of law enforcement. Title 14 USC, section 2 grants law enforcement powers to all Coast Guard commissioned officers, warrant officers, and petty officers, and allows them to carry a firearm both off and on base, though this is not typical. US Coast Guard personnel can execute and serve orders, warrants or subpoenas, and are allowed to make arrests without a warrant for any offense against the United States committed in the officer's presence or for a felony, cognizable under the laws of the United States.

The origins of a US Coast Guard flag are obscure. An early Coast Guard flag was first flown in 1799 by the Revenue Cutter Service to distinguish its ships from merchant ships. The ensign's design was specified by Secretary of the Treasury Oliver Wolcott and included 16 alternating red and white stripes, and the United States' arms in dark blue on a white field. The stripes represented the 16 states in the country at the time. The ensign is flown from ships as a symbol of law enforcement authority. This is further supported by an 1840 painting which shows the Revenue Cutter Alexander Hamilton flying a flag very similar to that of today's Coast Guard. This flag, like the union jack, appears to be the canton or upper corner of the Revenue cutter ensign.

A later illustration in 1917 shows the Coast Guard standard as a white flag with a blue eagle and 13 stars in a semicircle surrounding it. Later, the words, "United States Coast Guard-- Semper Paratus" were added. After 1950, the semicircle of stars was changed to the circle containing 13 stars. The Coast Guard standard is used during parades and ceremonies and is adorned by the Coast Guard's 34 battle streamers. The Coast Guard is also unique to the other services for it has two official flags, the Coast Guard standard and the Coast Guard ensign, which is flown from the top of the main mast on its ships.

The current flag of the United States Coast Guard, officially adopted on January 28, 1964, is white with a dark blue Great Seal of the United States; the shield on the eagle's breast has a blue chief over vertical red and white stripes. Inscribed in an arc above the eagle is "UNITED STATES COAST GUARD"; below the eagle is the Coast Guard motto, "SEMPER PARATUS" ("Always Ready") and beneath that in Arabic numerals is "1790" (the year in which the service's ancestor, the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service, was founded). All inscriptions on the flag are in dark blue typeface.

To see images of these individual flags, visit the following links below.

US Army flag: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_States_Army
USMC flag: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_States_Marine_Corps#:~:text=The%20official%20flag%20is%20scarlet,the%20outdoor%20version%20is%20plain
Historical USMC flag: https://www.americanflags.com/blog/post/fascinating-history-marines-flag?srsltid=AfmBOoqMxyKotu5NMpTInpDulVAOmS8X1Fg1S9_spOojux09_c3DckR2
Historical USN flag: https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/heritage/origins-of-the-navy/birth-of-the-us-navy.html
Official USN flag: https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/heritage/banners/origins-of-the-u-s-navy-flag.html
USAF flag: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_States_Air_Force#:~:text=The%20flag%20of%20the%20United,on%20a%20field%20of%20blue
USSF flag: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_States_Space_Force#:~:text=of%20the%20service.-,History,Towberman
USCG flag: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Coast_Guard#:~:text=The%20modern%20U.S.%20Coast%20Guard,the%20Department%20of%20the%20Treasury
USCG Ensign flag: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_States_Coast_Guard#:~:text=An%20illustration%20in%201917%20shows,the%20circle%20containing%2013%20starsz