Firemen at Ground Zero

On October 25th 2001, George W. Bush signed into law a proposition unanimously passed by congress that would make September 11th a national holiday. This holiday, called “Patriot Day”, is a day of remembrance for the victims of the horrible terrorist attacks which took place on September 11th, 2001. On this day we show defiance and global unity against terrorism around the world.

Patriot Day is a day to remember the victims of the September 11th tragedy.  Not a a single American was left untouched by the tragedy in some way, nearly 10 years later our country and the world is still effected by it. Some positive things were brought about after 9-11. Tighter security measures have been put into place to protect us everyday. American’s had a different outlook on the value of lives, family, friends, neighbors, volunteers and fellow citizens.

American Flag at Half Staff

On September 11th we should all display our American flags and fly them at half staff to honor and remember the 2993 people that lost their lives in the terrorist attacks that occurred on that day. This is also a day to remember the heroes that risk and lost their lives in order to save others. They are the true Americans that put their life on the line for someone else. Carrot-Top Industries honors heroes everyday, submit yours to our Virtual Wall of Honor. We also offer a variety of products to memorialize our heroes, products like civil service flags, grave markers, cemetery marking flags, September 11th flags and of course American flags. We would like to see your flag at half staff or any products you used to commemorate Patriot Day. Submit your photos to: wall@carrot-top.com

Remember that on September 11th the President requests that we observe a one minute of silence at 8:46am, the exact time that the first hijacked plane crashed into the World Trade Center. Other countries, our allies against terrorism around the world are also welcome to join with us on this day and fly their flags at half staff.

Puerto Rico Flag

The flag of Puerto Rico is one of 5 U.S. territory flags. The first Flag of Puerto Rico originated in 1892, but was not flown until March of 1897 during the Puerto Rican Independence movement. The revolt was against the rules that the Spanish had set in place for Puerto Rico. It was called the attempted coup of Yauco, where the Puerto Ricans attacked the barracks of the Spanish Civil Guard. In 1898 Puerto Rico was able to claim it’s independence from Spanish Rule when it joined the United States.

The original Puerto Rican flag had with 3 red stripes and 2 white stripes. The triangle had a light blue tone to it and a 5 point star in white.  The red stripes represented the blood from the warriors during the revolt. The white stripe represented victory and peace. The white star represented the Island of Puerto Rico. The blue triangle represented the sky and the coastal waters.

Puerto Rico on Independence Day

The only flags that were allowed to fly in Puerto Rico were the Spanish flag from 1492 until 1898 and the United States flag from 1898 to 1952. On June 10th 1948, a bill was signed to make displaying the Puerto Rican flag illegal. To display the Puerto Rican flag in public was considered a felony. The bill was known as La Ley de la Mordaza (The Gag law). The only flag that could be flown on the island was the United States flag.

In 1952, the Governor of Puerto Rico adopted the Puerto Rican flag and proclaimed it as the official flag. The triangle was changed to a dark blue. A variation of the Cuban flag, it represents the people of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The flag of Puerto Rico symbolizes Protest, Defiance and Pride among the people of this Island. Puerto Ricans are very proud of their flag, this design is currently used today.

Joseph M Acaba was the first astronaut of Puerto Rican descent to carry several flags into outer space as a symbol of his heritage aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on March 15 2009.

From Shannon Abbott-Henige…

Your request for military stories gave me a bitter sweet feeling when first reading it. I am the proud daughter of a WWII veteran of the United States Army. The bitter part is that my father passed away 2 ½ years ago after losing his battle with primary liver cancer. I’d like to share his story because my father is one of those classic examples as to why we call them the “Greatest Generation.” Some years back, I read Tom Brokaw’s book titled this and my father’s story would have fit in well with the others honored in the memoir.

Edward Abbott

Edward Joseph Abbott (1918-2007) was the second born into a family of 10 children. After the years of stories that were told, I’ve come to the conclusion that he was one of the leaders of the neighborhood mayhem that occurred on a regular basis as he grew up in Saginaw, Michigan. He was the oldest of the boys which were all blessed to be athletic. This gave them the ability to outrun their victims on a regular basis, whether it was a neighbor they had stolen apples from or other kids who had fallen victim to a prank. Their athleticism led to 3 of them playing baseball on a team together in Freeland, MI in the Tri-Valley League. My dad was the pitcher and was good enough to begin playing AAA ball in Findlay, OH in the late 1930’s. Headlines in the Republican Courier during the 1939-1941 seasons included “Abbott Chalks No. 5” or “Abbott’s Hurling.”

Edward Abbott

After gaining experience at this level of play my dad had become a phenomenal pitcher and was about to be moved to the majors. He would have been playing for the Detroit Tigers if God hadn’t had another plan for him. In May of 1941 my dad was drafted into the United States Army to serve his country during WWII. Just as most people remember where they were during important historical events, my dad would always tell the story of being on KP duty when Pearl Harbor was bombed. This event led to his being overseas for 3 full years of his 4+ years of service. When he was honorably discharged in August of 1945 he returned home to his family who had grown by 3 more siblings who he’d never met. Those siblings, who he once knew well, did not remember him. It was rare to see my dad emotional when telling any war stories but when recalling the moments of returning home, one thing always choked him up; the memory of his mother standing at the kitchen sink peeling potatoes for potato pancakes and her screams of elation when he threw that knapsack onto the middle of the kitchen floor to get her attention. He had returned home safely and could now get back to his life, so you would think. Now 28 years old and over 4 years away from the game my father’s pitching career in major league baseball was no more. And that was that. I think the older I get the more it bothers me to think about the “what ifs” and the sacrifice that he had been forced to make. But that is the amazing thing about my dad. He was so proud to have served his country along side of the other greats of his generation. He never once complained about his lost opportunity to be another famous player of his time.

We buried my father in December of 2007 with full military honors. Sitting in a safe in our home is one flag and 21 shells passed down to me from my mother.

Artists depiction of Betsy Ross Sewing the First American Flag

At a very young age Betsy Ross, along with her husband John opened their first upholstery business in Philadelphia. Times were tough on the Rosses with the start of the American Revolutionary war, their sewing supplies grew scarce. John Ross, Betsy’s husband was killed in 1776 after joining the Pennsylvania militia. Following his death Betsy joined a group supporting the war effort.

In May of the same year George Washington approached Betsy Ross asking her to sew the first American Flag. They knew each other previously, as they attended the same church. It has even been said that Betsy Ross embroidered some of Washington’s shirts. George Washington had a rough design of how he wanted the first American Flag to look. The stars on his design had 6 points because he felt it would be easier to reproduce. Betsy impressed him by taking a piece of fabric, folding it several times and making a SINGLE cut, producing a perfectly symmetrical 5 point star. She was obviously the woman for the job.

Artists depiction of George Washington at The Ross Home

From then on Betsy’s upholstery business did extremely well, she produced many American flags for the United States. To honor her contributions George Washington named that first flag of the United States the Betsy Ross. Even in her time Betsy Ross was an role model for women every where. She died in 1836 at the age of 84, her daughters continued to run her upholstery business.

The American flag has changed many times throughout the history of the United States. A new star is added every time a state joins the Union. The last time the flag was changed was on July 4th, 1960 when Hawaii was added and an American State. This year marked the 50th Anniversary of our current 50 star flag design.

Learn more about other Historical flags.

Betsy Ross’s Instructions for Making a 5 Point Star

Betsy Ross's Star Instructions

Step 1: Start with a 8.5”x10” piece of fabric or paper. (Cut 1” off a 8.5″x11″ piece of paper)

Step 2: Fold the 8.5”x10” piece of in half

Step 3: Fold and unfold in half both ways to form creased center lines.

Step 4. Bring the left corner to the right side to meet the center line.
Be sure to fold from the vertical crease line.

Step 5: Bring that point back to the left till edges coincide, then make the fold.

Step 6: Bring remaining right corner to the left and fold.

Step 7: Then bring remaining left point to the right until edges coincide and fold.

Step 8: Cut on a angle (as shown).  The more of an angle you cut the sharper the points of the star will be.

Step 9: Unfold the small piece to find your perfect star.

North Carolina Mountains

I spent my entire life in Oklahoma up until a year ago. I recently honored my home state by examining the details of the Oklahoma Flag and explaining its meaning to both myself and the state. By doing this I learned quite a bit about Oklahoma history and state pride. Since I have been in North Carolina I have spent many a weekend exploring the enchanting nature trails and driving through the winding roads. I realized very quickly that North Carolina was a place I could call home, but it was not until October that I fell in love with this unique state.  As many of you know, in the fall North Carolina’s trees undergo a magnificent transformation; the lush green leaves change to a sea of fiery colors ranging from bright yellow to deep red. Now that I have been here for nearly a year it is easier to call North Carolina my home. Since I did an examination of my old home’s flag I would like to take a look at the State Flag of North Carolina, my new home.

North Carolina State Flag

The North Carolina state flag actually looks nothing like the originally proposed design which was a blue field with a white “V” and encircling stars in the center with the words, “Sirgit astrum, May 20, 1775.”  This design was given to artist William Jarl Browne who created the design that very nearly resembles the current state flag design. A red, vertical bar or “field” on the left with a star in the center and the dates May 20, 1775 (which will be discussed below) and May 20, 1861 (the day North Carolina seceded from the union) encircling it. Then to the right, there are two horizontal stripes making up the “fly” of the flag, the top stripe blue and the bottom stripe white.   The current design has a blue field on the left with a white star in the center surrounded by “N” on the left and “C” on the right. Above the star there is a scroll with the date “May 20th 1775″ and below there is another scroll with the date “April 12th 1776″.  May 20, 1775 was the date of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence; this document closely resembles Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence and was said to be adopted by the county of Mecklenburg as a means of claiming independence from Britain. April 12, 1776 was the date of the Halifax Resolves in which North Carolina approved a vote for independence in the Continental Congress. This was the first official action taken by a state toward independence as a nation.

North Carolina Beaches

It is important to note that, following the Civil War, North Carolina changed their flag to emphasize unity as a nation rather than unity as a state. Both of the dates currently on the North Carolina flag represent declarations of independence from Britain rather than independence from the Union as was demonstrated on the pre-Civil war North Carolina flag The current flag design also stresses the bold actions taken by North Carolina toward independence from Britain, showing both the state’s courage and commitment to unity.

Oklahoma State

When one thinks of Oklahoma, state pride is not usually the first thing that comes to mind. This is not surprising considering the state catchphrase is “We’re OK!” Not to mention the state is just north of one of the country’s proudest states, Texas. It is difficult to compete with Texas’s overwhelming enthusiasm with a motto like “We’re OK!” So it is not strange that, although I was born and raised in Oklahoma, I did not burst at the seams with state pride during my time there. But then something happened, I graduated from college and my husband was accepted to Duke in Durham, North Carolina. So with our two dogs, two chinchillas, four vehicles full of personal belongings and help from our family, we made the 22 hour trek to our new home on the east coast. It was at this time that I realized how much was unique to Oklahoma, and it was also at this time that I started to feel proud for my state. As I got settled into our new place here among the towering trees and hills, I found myself reminiscing about open plains, rolling thunderheads and lazy sunsets. I even found myself missing strange things like huddling in the centermost room of a house for tornado drills and running outside during severe weather warnings to watch the storm blow in from miles away.  So today, I would like to express my state pride for my former homeland; as homage to this often undervalued state, let us take a look at the state’s most obvious representation, the Oklahoma Flag.

Oklahoma State Flag

The current Oklahoma Flag is the result of a contest in 1925 to create a flag that showed the rich cultural diversity within Oklahoma. The winning design was created by Mrs. George Fluke, Jr.   Her Oklahoma Flag design celebrates numerous Native American tribes and seeks to express unity between the significant Native American population and the European settlers.  The background of the flag is a sky blue field, the same background used by Choctaw soldiers in the Civil War. The symbol in the center of the flag is an Osage warrior shield decorated with crosses, the Native American symbol for stars which represents high ideals. A peace pipe and an olive branch cross over the face of the shield; this combination of peaceful representations from the two cultures acts as a symbol of both harmony and distinctiveness.   The Oklahoma state Flag is a remarkable way for Oklahomans to embrace the short yet striking history of their state. It exudes pride in the state’s diversity and represents peace between two formerly clashing cultures. As I make my home in a new and strange place, it is comforting to remember my roots in Oklahoma, and it makes me proud to say, “We’re OK!”

Mexico Flag

If you know anything about me, you know that I LOVE tropical vacations!  The hot weather, beach, ocean and palm trees all come together to equate to the perfect time away.  Just a few months ago, I was lucky enough to spend some time in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.  Spending the week in Mexico of course exposed me to some culture that I was not used to.  I discovered that the Mexican people are very much in-tune with the history of where they came from.  Many of their city names have have been handed down from the times of their independence of Spain, as well as from the days of the ancient civilizations of the Mayans, Aztecs and other ancient Mexican civilizations.

This all brings me around to the current Flag of Mexico.  Just like how the United States Flag has evolved over time with the history of the US, the national Flag of Mexico draws its symbolism from it’s history.  First, I broke down the flag into the parts that it is composed of, the colors (Green, Red and White) and also the emblem in the center (an eagle holding a snake).  Upon investigation, I discovered that the Mexican flag really has gone through a lot of changes over the years, and I could go on for pages breaking it all down.  For now, I’m going to dissect the flag as it is now, and not go into it’s evolution.

Mexico Flag Flying on the Beach

First the three main colors of the Mexican Flag are clearly Green, Red and White.  These three colors have been derived originally from the Flag that was used by the Army of the Three Guarantees.  The Army of the Three Guarantees was composed of soldiers and cavalry of the Mexican people in 1821.  This was a time of revolution for Mexico, as it sought it’s independence from Spain.  The three colors represented these three Guarantees which were religion, independence, and unity.  The religion it defended was Catholicism.  The Independence it defended was from Spain.  The Unity was against it’s enemies.

The second part of the Mexican flag is composed of an eagle holding a snake.  This symbol dates way back to the period of Aztec rule in the 1300′s through the 1500′s AD.  The legend of the Aztec people states that the early Aztec group would one day settle and create it’s city in a swampy land and this land would be recognized by spotting an eagle, eating a serpent atop a cactus.  Apparently, religious leaders of the early Aztecs came across this sighting in the area that is now known as Mexico City.  Mexico City was built in a swampy area as it was originally an island in a lake.  The Aztecs settled here and quickly became an extremely powerful and feared empire in a short period of time of about 200 years.

When looking at the Mexican Flag, and much of the symbolism throughout Mexico, it can be quickly noted that current Mexican culture is truly defined by over 500 years of history.   The Mexican flag has evolved a great deal over the years, the struggles, revolutions and changes in power are fascinating, and reminiscent of the history of the United States.  If you ever have the chance to visit Mexico I highly recommend visiting some of it’s historical sites. We had a Mexcellent time!

Monday, May 31st is Memorial Day. Each year families remember their loves ones, friends, fathers, sons, daughters, wives and so many more who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. It’s not just about taking a day off from work, or running off to parade. The real meaning behind Memorial Day, is to honor those have fallen in our Military.  Most of all, remember why you’re able to have the freedom to celebrate the holiday, or have the right to go to the parade. However you look at it, your freedom has been protected by the very men and women Memorial Day honors.

Here in North Carolina we’re used to seeing our proud Military members around. With Fort Bragg Army base only an hour away and Camp Lejune Marine Corps base not too much further on our coast, a lot of us here at Carrot-Top Industries have friends and family members who have gone overseas, some of which have not returned. Some of us have been fortunate enough to see the Field of Flags during Glory Days in Fayetteville at the Special Operations Museum which displays 1,500 American flags sponsored to honor brave Military members. The Military is definitely around us, and we’ve always been proud to support them.

Memorial Day has been celebrated all the way back to the late 1800′s and though the traditions have changed here and there, there is still many ways to show your support. Whether it’s flying your American flag, lining your yard with mini American flags, making a Field of Flags for your own business or honoring a gravesite with a grave marker and American flag….just be sure to show your respect. Be sure to fly your American flag at half-staff on Memorial Day and show your respects for the brave men and women of our great Military.

We always try to find ways to show our support, and last year came up with our Virtual Wall of Honor. This exclusive Wall honors our brave heroes who have fallen, are retired and even still active on our Virtual Wall of Honor.  We have even had Military husbands honor their wives and the support they have given when they are overseas. If you’re proud of them…we want to help you honor them. It may still be a small Wall of Honor, but we’re proud of every single person we have been able to honor and will continue to keep doing so and hope you can share your stories with us. Its our way of showing you how proud we are of each and every soldier and say “thank you” for your courage. We’ve even started getting more involved by getting to know our soldiers better through their families by learning about their scholarship funds and beautiful memorials created in their honor. Most recently the stories of SSG Justin Whiting and PFC Andrew Nelson, two young soldiers who lives were ended too soon while serving our country. We’re proud to have great customers who have been proud enough to share their stories with us and become part of our family in a way. It’s made us who we are as a company and we will continue to show our support as we grow over the years.

Remember, There’s no better way to honor, than to remember and be proud. This Memorial Day, let’s all remember why we’re able to celebrate the holiday and honor our fallen heroes……freedom.

Nicki Snyder

Creative Director

Armed Forces Parade

In the United States we generally celebrate armed forces day by having parades, military open houses, receptions and air shows. This is a day to salute those in the military. In times of war or peace, they spend their days and risk their lives devoted to our freedom and safety. Our Military men and women have trained diligently mentally and physically to prepare for any mission that lay ahead. It is important to recognize what the military has done for our country and for you. There are a number of things you can do to support our troops and give back, especially if you have a family member actively serving.

Ways you can honor our troops on Armed Forces Day:

Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC

• Use the day to put together a care package to be sent to troops that are serving.

• Create a Military related fundraiser collecting money for veterans in your area.

• Write letters to serving troops or veterans that may not have family of their own.

• Plan a community wide event with a flag ceremony or parade.

• Create a blog sharing inspirational stories about military experiences.

• Submit a military member to a Wall of Honor to remember those serving or those who lost their life.

• Plan a trip to Washington DC or other military memorials

Fly Your American Flag

• Visit a veteran.

• Write a poem or patritic song.

• Fly a Military Flag or Support our Troops flag.

• MOST IMPORTANTLY:
Fly your American Flag!

Earth Day Flag

Earth Day is celebrated April 22 and was set in place to encourage people to take care of our environment. It is important to educate people about our earth and the many ways that we can protect it for future generations. The first Earth day in 1970 marked the beginning of the environmental movement. It was so popular that 20 million Americans participated; since then earth day has spread all across our planet and is now a official United Nations holiday. Earth day has encouraged many acts to go in place which protect our environment from senseless harm. Fly the Earth Day Flag this April 22 to spread knowledge about this important holiday.

The internet has played a huge role in the efforts to go green. No longer is large amounts of paper needed to convey information across the world. We are able to educate people all over the planet about global warming and boost recycling efforts everywhere. There are many new ways you can use the internet to reduce the amount of paper being used. Send an email, send a ecard, pay a bill online and shop online instead of requesting a large catalog. We invite you to view our PAPERLESS catalog.

Reduce • Reuse • Recycle

There are many easy ways you can go green everyday of the year. This includes recycling, buying green and conserving energy. As a company we are trying to do our part to help the economy, which is why we are bringing earth friendly products to our customers. Check out our products that help you with your recycling needs. We also offer products that are made of recycled materials. You can honor our great country and still go green with our recycled U.S. Flags. You should use solar-power whenever possible to conserve energy. We offer Solar-Powered Flagpole lights individually or in a set. This Earth Day we encourage you to check out local programs to clean up your community.

You may think that one person can not make a difference but if everyone does their part in their small area of the world together we can make a difference!  Feel free to share your Earth day photos, activities, poems, celebrations and traditions with us, we would love to hear about them.