July 2018 10 Sponsored by U.S. Senator, Craig Thomas, from Wyoming, the National Day of the Cowboy resolution first passed in the United States Senate in 2005, setting aside one day, Saturday, July 23, 2005, as an official day for Americans to celebrate their pioneer heritage and cowboy culture. Although Senator Thomas passed away in 2007, the resolution continues to pass in the U.S. Senate each year, now sponsored in Craig’s honor, by Wyoming U.S. Senator Mike Enzi. In 2008 and 2009, a National Day of the Cowboy resolution also passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, sponsored by Arizona’s U.S. Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. When I first began working on the National Day of the Cowboy effort with Senator Thomas, I was aware then that there were numerous flags for sponsors, vendors, and organizations, state flags, and the Stars & Stripes, at nearly all pioneer heritage events and in almost every rodeo parade and grand entry. But, no flag existed just to recognize the cowboys and cowgirls. It seemed as though an official National Day of the Cowboy flag could add that component and that such a flag could provide a symbolic link for all the individual elements of the ranching heritage and Cowboy culture movement. It could also highlight the common bond shared by the millions of individual preservation enthusiasts. In an environment that typically includes a wide array of flags, we needed a cowboy flag that was crisp, bright, and uncluttered; a flag that would stand out among the many others on display. Once the National Day of the Cowboy 501c3 organization was incorporated in Wyoming, our next item of business was to enlist Latocki Team Creative in Nashville, Tennessee, to design our logo. That finished logo was then placed at the center of a preliminary flag design. Our motto, “Preserve the Heritage,” was included in the design specs as well. The first design go-round included the logo and slogan screen printed on a white background bordered by a gold fringe, but that layout didn’t have much visual impact. We asked the designer to add red blocks with a star embedded in them, at each end of the logo, but still, it was striking enough. It was not until we extended those red blocks from top to bottom, that our five by three-foot flag finally seemed complete. The resulting National Day of the Cowboy flag was created to shine a light on the Cowboy Day effort while providing a universal symbol of honor for the entire cowboy and pioneer heritage culture. It is red white and blue, because, although the love of the cowboy is an international phenomenon, it is America’s cowboy and cowgirl who are loved the world over. In addition to creating the NDOC flag, we knew that the Cowboy Day flag must be “Made in the USA,” so we began looking for an American flag company that supported custom designs. We located US Flags in Florida and began working with them to put our key elements together. Several years later, we switched production to Flags Unlimited of Las Vegas, Nevada, where our beautiful flags are to this day, “Made in the USA.” The presence of an official Cowboy flag at homes, museums, festivals and cowboy gatherings, sends a visual message to the world regarding a heartfelt commitment to the preservation of pioneer heritage. The cowboy flag continues to earn a place of honor as an overriding external symbol of our love for the myth and magic of our cowboy and as a cherished symbol of our devotion to our cowboy culture. Displaying the National Day of the Cowboy flag contributes to fostering community among cowboys and heritage enthusiasts, but of course, only increased prominence and proliferation can build its stature and recognition. United States Senator, Craig Thomas and his wife, Susan, took the first step toward building that stature when they presented the first National Day of the Cowboy flag to the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo Committee on July 23, 2005, in Wyoming. They also presented a second NDOC flag to the Cheyenne Frontier Days Volunteer Committee. In 2005 and 2006, as mounted Grand Marshals of CFD, they each carried a National Day of the Cowboy flag in the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo parades. The National Day of the Cowboy flag is now proudly flown in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. It also flies in England and even flew in Iraq and Afghanistan over the barracks of our Desert Cowboys. It has flown at celebrations in Canada, England, Lebanon, and Italy. It has been carried around the world by a group of Western performers and taken to Ireland by NDOC spokesperson, Kelsee Brady Bradshaw. A National Day of the Cowboy flag was carried to the International Space station by NASA Commander and astronaut, Mark Kelly, aboard the Discovery Space Shuttle; a remarkable and historic event in which the Washington Post noted the old frontier melded with the new frontier With over twenty NDOC flags in its inventory, Dodge City, Kansas, holds the record for the number of National Day of the Cowboy flags they own and fly. You will see them everywhere in Dodge City during Dodge City Days each July. Not only do they fly the cowboy flag in their parades, but it flies over the historic Boot Hill Hotel, the bank, City Hall, and any number of other locations in Dodge. They also blanket their community with miniature NDOC flags, lining the streets in every direction. While this ever-growing proliferation is encouraging, one goal of the National Day of the Cowboy organization is to be able to report that the red, white, and blue of the National Day of the Cowboy flag is indeed flying in every state in the union and in many more countries around the world. We continue to work to encourage its adoption as a unifying symbol of the professional and the amateur, the sponsor and the participant; and all who cherish and enjoy America’s cowboy culture and pioneer heritage. The National Day of the Cowboy bill provides an opportunity for those involved in the Cowboy culture and the preservation of Western heritage to fly a flag which signifies to the world that there exists a unified group of people who actively support the preservation of this important element of America’s heritage. It may be true that a flag is a just a piece of cloth, but when the National Day of the Cowboy flag is displayed in a way that consistently honors our pioneer heritage, it holds the potential to become a national symbol that embodies and glorifies our deep love of America’s ranching and pioneer heritage and its cowboy and cowgirl culture. By Bethany Braley info@nationaldayofthecowboy.com; The official National Day of the Cowboy flag fringed or grommet may be ordered in the “Shop” section of www.nationaldayofthecowboy.com or by sending an email to orders@nationaldayofthecowboy.com Subject: Flag order. THE NATIONAL DAY OF THE COWBOY FLAG Above: Western Trails Ranch. Hayes, England. Right: Desert Cowboys' barracks, Iraq. Bethany Braley, Zia Bischoff, US Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Willcox, Arizona.