U.S. Ships To Fly 'Don't Tread On Me' Flag
Fri Sep 6, 1:39 PM ET
U.S. warships in San Diego and around the world will be flying an old flag emblazoned with the words "Don't Tread On Me" starting Wednesday, the first anniversary of the East Coast terror strikes.
Navy Secretary Gordon R. England ordered last week that the historic banner, the first Navy Jack, be flown for the duration of the nation's war on terrorism.
"The temporary substitution of this Jack represents an historic reminder of the nation's and Navy's origin and will to persevere and triumph," England said in a statement.
The amphibious ship Rushmore was the first ship in San Diego to receive the flag and briefly displayed it during a ceremony Thursday, 10News reported.
It was taken down shortly after the ceremony and will be displayed on the ship's quarterdecks until Wednesday.
The first Navy Jack -- bearing a rattlesnake stretched across 13 bars of red and white above the words "Don't Tread on Me," -- appeared during the Revolutionary War.