06/14/2026
Thank you Post 62 for conducting this event today in Riverbank Park.
On June 14, 1777, in the midst of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution establishing a flag for the new nation. Since then, generations of Americans have looked to the Stars and Stripes as a symbol of freedom, unity, and hope. More than a century later, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed June 14 as Flag Day, and in 1949 Congress officially designated it as a day of national observance.
But Flag Day is about much more than history. It is an opportunity to reflect on what our flag represents and on the generations of Americans who have given meaning to those colors and those stars.
Our flag has flown over moments of triumph and moments of trial. It has been carried into battle and raised in victory. It has accompanied Americans who fought for independence, preserved the Union, liberated Europe, defended freedom in Asia and the Middle East, and answered the call whenever duty demanded.
For many, the flag is not simply a piece of cloth. It is a reminder of ideals. The belief that liberty is precious, that democracy is worth preserving, and that we are united not by ancestry or background, but by our shared commitment to the principles upon which this country was founded.
Here in Westbrook, those ideals have always found expression in the lives of ordinary citizens who answered an extraordinary call.
Generation after generation, men and women from our community have served the nation in times of war and peace. Some returned home to build families, businesses, and neighborhoods. Some carried with them memories and burdens that few could fully understand. And some never came home at all.
Today, we remember them with gratitude and humility.
We remember those who left behind familiar streets and neighborhoods here in Westbrook to serve in places far from home. We remember those who stood watch on ships, flew missions in distant skies, patrolled dangerous roads, and cared for wounded comrades. We remember those who sacrificed not for glory or recognition, but because they believed that service to something larger than themselves was both a duty and an honor.
Their examples remind us that the freedoms represented by our flag have never been free.
And perhaps that is one of the enduring lessons of Flag Day. Patriotism is not measured merely by words or ceremonies. It is measured by our willingness to serve our communities, to respect one another, and to preserve the institutions and ideals entrusted to us by those who came before.
The flag belongs to all Americans. It has flown over times when our nation was deeply divided and times when we stood together. Through it all, it has remained a symbol not of perfection, but of aspiration. A reminder that each generation is called upon to continue the work of building a more perfect Union.
As Mayor of Westbrook, I am proud of our community’s long tradition of service. I am proud of the veterans among us and grateful to the families who have shared in their sacrifices. And I am proud that the spirit of citizenship and devotion to country continues to live on here in our city.
So on this Flag Day, let us renew our appreciation for the blessings of liberty, remember those who defended them, and recommit ourselves to the ideals that our flag represents.
May we always be worthy of the sacrifices made beneath its colors.
