Friday, June 14, 2013

Flag Day and the Flag Retreat Ceremony at Disney Parks

On August 3rd, 1949, President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States in 1777.


At Disney, every evening around 5:00pm, they hold a ceremony called the Flag Retreat Ceremony. It starts off with the Main Street Philharmonic Band and the Dapper Dans performing patriotic songs along Main Street around the flag, and military veterans are invited to participate. The flag is lowered while the band plays the Star Spangled Banner and everyone sings along.

The veteran that was specially picked that day and their family is presented with the flag, while the history of their military service is recited aloud to the attentive audience. There's never a dry eye in the crowd.

So if you'd like to participate in the event, please go to the City Hall as soon as you can! It is amazing, and you should be acknowledged for your service; and Disney and the visitors there know how to do it right.

4 comments:

  1. We have attended many Flag Retreats, always a very moving experience.

    Do you remember back when they would release the doves at the end of the ceremony? Want to know why they no longer release them?

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    Replies
    1. Never saw them, Ken. Why don't they release them anymore?

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  2. The local hawks learned when it was dinner time at the Magic Kingdom. Wasn't real magical for little Suzy to see a hawk rip a dove apart in mid air.

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