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The historically significant Flag of the Four Freedoms will fly at Fort Ontario State Historic Site in celebration of Flag Day and the 80th anniversary of United Nations Week in Oswego.
It will be hoisted beneath the national flag from Flag Day, Wednesday, June 14 through Monday, June 19.
The United Nation’s Honor Flag, or Four Freedoms Flag, was designed by Brooks B. Harding after President Roosevelt’s January 6,1941 address to Congress, known as his Four Freedoms Speech. In it, FDR outlined his vision for extending American ideals throughout the world: freedom of speech and expression; freedom of worship; freedom from want; and freedom from fear.
Harding conceived of the flag as an “International Good Will Flag,” with four red bars, representing the “Four Freedoms,” on a white field which stood for peace and purity. Red was for the blood dedicated to the cause of freedom, and the vertical position of the bars symbolized uprightness between men and uprightness between governments. Harding envisioned the flag as a symbol that all nations could use which was free from the passions attached to traditional national flags.
The Four Freedoms Flag design was also intended to symbolize the goals of the Allies in World War II as prescribed by the Declaration of the United Nations and the Atlantic Charter. This was a pivotal policy statement issued by the U.S. and Great Britain on August 21, 1941. It was signed by 44 countries, becoming the basis of the modern United Nations.
The flag first flew in Washington, D.C. on Flag Day, June 14,1943, but saw limited use from 1943 to 1948. It is commonly referred to as the first United Nations flag, but it was never recognized as an official flag by that organization.
Then, as now, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms Speech and Brooks B. Harding’s Four Freedoms Flag serve to remind the world of these ideals and inspire people in the global struggle for freedom.
In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt suggested the idea of a nationwide observance of Flag Day and United Nations Week in honor of the UN joining the fight against the Axis powers during World War II. Most American cities participated in a two-day celebration of Flag Day, but Oswego was chosen to host a week-long nationally promoted and coordinated celebration from June 13 to 18, 1943. It was the result of winning a survey contest between other American cities of similar size with defense industries, a strong historical background and other attributes.
During United Nations Week, Oswego was the subject of an Office of War Information (OWI) film portraying it as a typical American city. Highlights of the celebration in Oswego included in the film were a visit by military personnel from Allied countries, a formal welcome, exhibits, trips to factories, speeches and many informal activities.
Fort Ontario State Historic Site is located at the north end of East Fourth Street in the City of Oswego, NY.
For more information on Fort Ontario State Historic Site, located at 1 E. Fourth St., Oswego, contact Historic Site Manager Paul Lear at 315-343-4711 or visit https://historicfortontario.com.
