December 3, 1775

Hoist and Let Fly: Or Oh Say Does That Banner Yet Wave?

The Grand Union Flag, the first flag to be flown above an American Naval vessel.

In one of our earliest posts, the editors at Lies Agreed Upon let slip some of their favorite topics to cover (you may know a certain Corsican who gets a little press here). Besides their obvious man-crush on the Little Dictator, they've also been known to fawn over the trusty old United States Marine Corps. Their leatherneck-loving is so plain, however, that at times they often forget to give credit where credit is due. We've covered the Corps here several times, and not once have we mentioned its larger (and cleaner) cousin: the United States Navy.

In 1775, the Second Continental Congress decided the other colonies would back Massachusetts after tensions finally erupted at Lexington and Concord in April. After the battle of Bunker Hill, with the British garrison in Boston under siege, the merchant ship Black Prince made port in Philadelphia with news that the British were floating a pair of unarmed supply ships into the harbor. Congress, in attempt to secure those supplies for newly minted General Washington, immediately commandeered the merchantman.

Rechristened the USS Alfred, the ship was fitted out as a man-of-war and logged into the Continental Navy, established just two months before. On the windy morning of December 3, 1775, before she departed for Boston, a peculiar piece of cloth was hoisted above her decks and unfurled into the breeze. Onlookers that day may have been confused, as the flag looked a lot like that of the old British East India Company. But what they were seeing was the Grand Union Flag, one of the nation's earliest banners, and the very first flag of the United States Navy.

This tiny drop in the ocean of naval history gives us a chance to cover a topic most of us civilians never even think twice about. There are two things navy men know cold. They know their coffee, and they know their flags. Military ships often do not fly their country's traditional flag, but instead sail under special naval banners. Some of these flags, (ensigns or jacks, now that this blog has gone to sea) are commonly known, even if we don't always realize it. For fun today, instead of a typical post lets look at some ensigns you may or may not recognize.

United States:
For over 200 years after independence, through big wars and small, the U.S. Navy sailed into battle under this ensign, identical to the canton (or corner) of the national flag.

Following the attacks of 9/11, the Navy switched to this awesome flag, harkening back to one flown during the Revolution, after the Grand Union Flag. It seems the Navy is good for something other than giving Marines a lift.

While some may recognize this as the national flag of the Confederate States of America, this flag never stood for the Confederacy as a whole. It became synonymous with the South after its generals copied this design for their battle flags. It was originally the the Confederate Navy jack.

United Kingdom:
Sure, everyone knows the Union Jack, a form of which has flown over British possessions since the 15th Century. Yet British shipping, the lifeline of her empire, flies this flag...

...and the Royal Navy, whose ships ruled the waves for hundreds of years and intimidated the world, sails under this ensign.

Japan:
War movies will tell you that this flag was the symbol of the Japanese empire during World War II. Yet the Japanese national flag has not changed in almost 140 years. The Rising Sun flag was not the country's flag, but you guessed it, the naval jack. It is still in use today.

Spain:
The national flag of Spain is less than 30 years old. On the other hand, their ships, which for generations surpassed even those of the British, have sailed under a jack similar to this since the Spanish Armada. Armada Espanola, after all, translates into Spanish Navy in English.

We thought we'd mix it up a little today and try something new, and it gave us a chance to kill two birds with one stone. We gave the Navy some coverage for once, and we got to look at a little living history. Nations are represented around the world by their ships, and the flags they fly are often the first thing another ship would look for in international waters. As it happens, the naval rank of ensign was originally given to the officer charged with, not surprisingly, holding the flags. So we finally gave the navy some credit and we suppose they deserve it. After all, as any sailor worth his salt knows, all "Marines" really stands for is My Ass Rides In Navy Equipment, Sir!