Tennessee Flag Salutes – Did you know that the State of Tennessee has two Tennessee Flag Salutes that are similar to the Pledge of Allegiance but these are geared for the State of Tennessee.
Tennessee Flag Salutes
There are two official salutes to the Tennessee Flag. I share those two salutes below. The Tennessee State flag has three colors: Red, White and Blue. It contains a circle with three starts inside and a blue ban. The three stars represent the three “Grand Divisions” of the state, East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and West Tennessee. The blue circle around the stars represents the unity of the “Grand Divisions” of the state. The blue bar at the edge of the flag was just a design consideration.
Tennessee state law dictates on how the center emblem is drawn on the flag.
“The arrangement of the three (3) stars shall be such that the centers of no two stars shall be in a line parallel to either the side or the end of the flag, but intermediate between the same; and the highest star shall be the one nearest the upper confined corner of the flag.”
The Flag of Tennessee was adopted on April 17, 1905. It was designed by Colonel LeRoy Reeves of Johnson City, TN an Army Reservist.
First
The first official salute was written by Lucy Steele Harrison and adopted in 1981:
“Three white stars on a field of blue
God keep them strong and ever true
It is with pride and love that we
Salute the Flag of Tennessee.”
Second
The second official salute was written by Miss John Bostick and adopted in 1987:
“Flag of Tennessee, I salute thee
To thee I pledge my allegiance with
My affection, my service and my life.”
Ranked 14th
In 2001, the North American Vexillological Association surveyed its members on the designs of all 72 U.S. state, U.S. territorial and Canadian provincial flags. Tennessee’s flag was ranked 14th out of the 72 flags.
Flag Day is June 14!
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