Thomas Daschle: “our Nation celebrates two birthdays today. On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress agreed to forge, from several…”

“our Nation celebrates two birthdays today. On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress agreed to forge, from several different State militias, one single Army to fight America's War of Independence. Congress called for 10 companies of expert rifleman to be raised from among the colonies of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia and ordered them to march to Boston to meet the British Army. Two years later, Congress established a flag for the young Army to fight under. With the war still raging, and the future of the Revolution very much in doubt, the Continental Congress decreed it ``Resolved, That the Flag of the 13 United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; That the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.'' In a way, the entire history of our Nation is contained within these events. From diverse parts, America set forth to create a single nation, founded on common values and a shared vision for its future.”