U.S. Navy Flag

U.S. Navy Flag

• Year First Flown: 1959
• Created By: U.S. Navy
• Design: A dark blue flag with yellow fringe. In the center of the flag is the seal of the Department of the Navy, which consists of an eagle, a ship, and the sea. Under the seal is a gold banner with the text "United States Navy" written on it.
• Use Today: The flag of the U.S. Navy is flown in offices, in parades, and for ceremonial occasions. It is never flown by ships at sea or on naval bases.

History

Infantry Battalion Flag

Department of the Navy United States of America Emblem

In the early days of the U.S. Navy, a variety of flags including the Grand Union Flag, the Washington's Cruisers Flag, and the Gadsden Flag. Near the end of the 19th century, the U.S. Navy began to use the Infantry Battalion Flag for naval landing forces. This was a blue flag that consisted of a white diamond shape with a blue anchor in the center of it. The Infantry Battalion Flag served as the unofficial flag of the U.S. Navy for over sixty years and was used in drill formations, parades, and other ceremonies. In 1957, the U.S. Navy decided to design a new seal. Their previous seal had been around for such a long time that there were many different variations of it, so they felt the need to create a new standard seal. The new seal design was created from recommendations of heraldic experts and historians, and was officially approved by President Eisenhower in Executive Order 10736 on October 23rd, 1957. Two years after that, the new seal was used to create a new and official flag for the U.S. Navy. The new flag was officially approved by President Eisenhower on April 24th, 1959 and publicly launched on April 30th, 1959 at the Naval Support Facility in Maryland.