Somerville born MG Richard Johnson inspires at First Flag

MG Richard Johnson spoke about the meaning of First Flag then and now in his speech posted here with permission:

Commemorating the Raising of the First Flag Prospect Hill, Somerville, Massachusetts — January 1, 1776

Good morning friends, neighbors, and honored guests, Madam Mayor.

Thank you all for gathering here to remember a moment that helped give visible shape to an idea that would change the world.

On this ground—on Prospect Hill—on January 1st,

1776, American forces raised a flag that told a watching world something new was underway.

For me, this hill is not just a historical landmark—it’s personal. I grew up in Somerville, within view of Prospect Hill. As a kid, I saw it every day.

It was simply part of the skyline—part of what “home”looked like.Like many of us, I didn’t fully understand what it meant at the time.

Only later did I come to appreciate that I had grown up in the shadow of a place where history quite literally raised its head and announced itself to the world. That perspective—that history is not something distant or abstract, but something you live alongside—It makes today especially meaningful.

Imagine this place 250 years ago… I imagine it was a day very much like this one. It is winter. The ground is frozen hard. The wind and cold are numbing.

Soldiers stand here—many of them farmers, laborers, and craftsmen—ordinary people who had taken up arms not for conquest, but for principle. They couldn’t have known that day that just a few weeks later on March 17th they would accomplish what many thought impossible. They forced the British evacuation of Boston.

You know the story of Colonel Knox and the cannon that were hauled across 250 miles of frozen ground from. Fort Ticonderoga to reinforce the siege of Boston.

The winter was cold, supplies were scarce, risk was constant, but the colonists stood firm and held this ground. Here they stood—knowing they were being watched. Prospect Hill was chosen deliberately.

From here, the Continental Army could be seen clearly. What happened next was meant to be noticed. On that New Year’s Day in 1776, the army raised what we now call the Grand Union Flag. Thirteen stripes represented thirteen colonies, united.

In the corner remained the British Union Jack. To modern eyes, that design can seem contradictory. But revolutions are not born fully formed.That flag captured exactly where the colonies stood at that moment: United in resistance, Committed to shared action, but still navigating the final break from British rule.

Independence would be declared just six months later. What mattered most that day was not perfection—it was unity. For the first time, American forces stood beneath a single banner.

This was not just symbolism. It was strategy. It told the British these colonies were coalescing and coordinating action around a common cause. It told potential allies abroad that something new was emerging. And it told the CITIZEN-SOLDIERS standing here that they were no longer fighting as separate provinces, but as one people. This was not a moment of celebration. It was a moment of commitment.They didn’t know how long the war would last. They didn’t know who would survive it. What they knew was that turning back was no longer an option.

Somerville does not always appear in bold print in Revolutionary War textbooks. We are not Lexington Green. We are not Bunker Hill. But history is not made only in famous places. It is made wherever people decide to act. Prospect Hill reminds us that Somerville has always been part of the American story—not on the margins, but at a critical vantage point. A place where resolve could be seen, and where decisions carried consequences far beyond town lines.

Standing here today, we benefit from knowing how the story turned out. The people who raised that flag did not.They lived with uncertainty. They disagreed with one another. They worried about their families, their livelihoods, and their futures. And yet—they showed up.

That is the throughline from 1776 to now. Democracy has never been self-sustaining. It depends on citizens who participate, who engage, who argue honestly, and who place the common good above personal convenience.

That first flag did not represent a finished nation. It represented a promise—and a responsibility. And that responsibility feels especially close to home here in New England.

This region has always punched above its weight—not because of size or wealth, but because of civic culture. own meetings. Volunteer service. Neighbors who show up when something needs to be done. A stubborn insistence that voices matter. From meetinghouses to mills, from shipyards to schoolhouses, from hills like this one to city halls across the Commonwealth, the habit of participation has been passed down generation after generation.

When the flag was raised here on Prospect Hill, it caught the winter wind and could be seen for miles.It was not just fabric on a pole—it was a signal. A signal that ordinary people were willing to take responsibility for extraordinary ideas.

As someone who grew up in Somerville, seeing this hill every day, I can tell you this: history doesn’t live only in museums. It lives in the places we walk past, the choices we inherit, and the obligations we accept.

So today, let’s remember not only what happened here—but what it asks of us. To stay engaged. To stay united, even when we disagree! Coming together here on this day reminds us of what unites us, at a moment in our history when we spend so much of our time talking about what divides us.

Carry forward the New England tradition of service, participation, and quiet resolve. Because the work that began on this hill was never meant to end here.

Thank you, and happy New Year.