Within the next couple of weeks, I will have the unique privilege of attending the dedication of a new American flagpole with its flag. While most of us have seen American flags dotting the landscape, only a few of us have actually seen a flagpole and flag dedicated together.
What is said at a flagpole and flag dedication event? I did some checking and there isn’t just one official dedication. However, something like the following is appropriate:
“We are privileged and blessed to be able to dedicate this new American flagpole and flag.
Our national flag is always with us as a reminder of an America forged in the fires of adversity, hardship and misfortune. Our flag, supported by its flagpole, represents a unifying symbol of our unique national identity.
As we dedicate these symbols of America, we honor the men and women who have upheld our American values. The flagpole stands resolutely and the flag flies freely because their sacrifices in the cause of American freedom.
Thus, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
These words will never be said again for that particular flagpole in that particular location. From that moment on, what will be said is:
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”