In this special patriotic episode of the DAR Today Podcast, we are honored to welcome the National Chair of the Flag of the United States Committee Jeanne McMillan for a meaningful conversation about the enduring power, history, and symbolism of the American Flag. As we reflect during National Military Appreciation Month and look ahead to America 250, this episode explores how the Flag continues to connect generations through service, sacrifice, remembrance, and love of country. Our guest shares her personal journey in DAR, the mission and initiatives of the Flag of the United States Committee, and the importance of teaching proper Flag etiquette, history, and respect in our chapters, schools, and communities. She also highlights meaningful programs, creative chapter activities, and the ways Daughters can help illuminate our legacy by honoring the Flag in both word and action. From patriotic education to heartfelt moments of service with veterans, this episode is a reminder that the American Flag is more than a symbol — it is a living expression of our nation’s ideals, responsibilities, and shared story.
In this patriotic May episode of the DAR Today Podcast, we are honored to feature the National Chair of the Flag of the United States Committee, Jeanne McMillan for a meaningful conversation on the history, symbolism, and enduring importance of the American Flag.
As we observe National Military Appreciation Month, recognize Armed Forces Day, and approach Memorial Day, this episode invites listeners to reflect on service, sacrifice, remembrance, and love of country. Our conversation explores how the Flag continues to unite generations, carry the story of our nation, and call each of us to deeper respect, education, and civic responsibility.
In this episode, we discuss:
Our guest also shares a touching reflection from her service with veterans, reminding us that honoring the Flag is not only ceremonial, but deeply personal.
As the blossoms are blooming throughout the Storage Administration, this episode is a timely reminder that legacy is not only something we remember — it is something we nurture, carry forward, and bring into full bloom.
We dedicate this episode to the men and women of this nation — past and present — whose service and sacrifice continue to call us to gratitude.
George Washington once said as he put on his glasses before addressing senior officers in the Newburgh Address in March 1783, gentlemen, you must pardon me. I have grown gray in your service and now find myself growing blind. In those few words lives the spirit of duty, sacrifice and devotion to country.
And in this patriotic month of May, as we honor the men and women of this nation, we pause in gratitude for all who have served, all who have sacrificed, and all whose legacy continues to call us to remembrance. Welcome to the DAR Today Podcast, where we celebrate the people, places, patriotism, and purpose that continue to shape our shared American story.
Where we tell our DAR story one episode at a time. I am True Lewis, your host. There are certain symbols that still have the power to stop us in our tracks and stir something deep within us. And few do that like the flag of the United States. It is more than fabric. It is more than the stars and stripes. It is a memory. It is a sacrifice and it is a service and it is hope. And when we think about the story of our flag, we are also drawn to the hands, history and hearts connected to it. From those who honor it today, to those whose stories have been stitched into our national memory since the Revolutionary War. Today, we are illuminating that legacy in a very special way, where we celebrate the people, places,
patriotism and purpose that continue to shape our American history. It is my joy to be with you today as we lift up a subject that is just beloved, recognizable, and deeply meaningful to so many of us, the flag of the United States. So in this episode, we will hear from our national chair of the flag of the United States committee, Jeanne McMillan who will help us better understand the mission of the committee and the importance of flag education and meaningful ways, daughters, that you can engage with this work and your chapter and community. So wherever you may be listening from today, I just want to thank you all for joining us as we honor this symbol that still speaks across generations and continues to illuminate our legacy.
Before we begin our first conversation though, let us just take a moment to reflect on why the American flag matters so much. The flag has followed this nation through war and peace, through triumph and sorrow, through moments of uncertainty and moments of unity. It has been raised in victory, folded in remembrance, carried in protest, protected in service and it's cherished in our homes and schools, cemeteries and communities across this nation.
For many, it tells a personal story. For all of us, it tells a national one. And with that in mind, it is my honor to welcome our guest. She serves in a role that helps preserve, promote, and educate others about one of the most visible expressions of American patriotism within the Daughters of American Revolution. The flag of the United States is not simply a symbol we display, it's a symbol that we respect, teach, and honor. And through committee leadership and chapter engagement, that work will always continue in meaningful ways throughout.
our society. We are honored to welcome the National Chair of the Flag of the United States Committee, Ms. Jeannie McMillan to the D.A.R. Today Podcast. Welcome, Jeannie. How are you?
Jeanne
Hi, True. I am wonderful. Thank you.
True
Yes, we're excited to have you here, my whole National Vice Chair Committee, they're all excited as well. So we wanted to let you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role as National Chair of the flag of the United States Committee.
Jeanne
Well, I'm originally from Otomo, Iowa, and my husband practiced medicine there. And when he retired, we moved to Michigan. And in Michigan, I joined the DAR and was chapter regent and state chaplain and service for veterans state chair. And then I became service for veterans national vice chair. And I've always been patriotic, have always honored our military, our veterans.
And so I was very, very honored for Mrs.Storage to invite me to serve as the national chair for the flag of the United States. I feel like my role is to educate, teach respect and promote the flag. And I do that through my team. And I have a wonderful team. We set goals.
They're really good about setting themes and flag related activities to share with others. And also we like to remind and encourage flag observance such as Flag Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day, Memorial Day. I'd love to hear from the DAR daughters about their successful projects also.
True
Good, good. We thank you for your service and we're so glad that you're here in the storage administration and all the things that you have accomplished throughout DAR. And I can just feel how meaningful this is that you are honored to be asked to be the national chair for this committee. So what are the goals and why is it important within DAR?
Jeanne
Our main goals are to educate the respect for the flag, the history of the flag, the symbolism. And we do this, we promote it to others. On our website, we have a wonderful etiquette of the flag, like how to display it correctly, how to stand and face the flag properly when you say the pledge or sing the national anthem.
I feel it's important also to teach in the schools and the communities and a lot of initiatives are wrapped around education that will illuminate our legacy, sharing information with children and our community. And there's so many ceremonies and observances that you can do in the school and the community.
True
Right. And I love that too about the C.A.R. our Children of the American Revolution. That's kind of like an extension that goes out to as well with the teaching about all of that, because it does start young up until we're adults. And I know even as myself, I still need training every now and then to remind myself, especially about the glove thing. I know I tend to forget to take that glove off during the night. Yes.
Jeanne
love that one of our initiatives on the website is to go into the schools, be allowed to read a book about the flag, pass out flags, encourage children to even have a flag in their room or have a flag somewhere sitting in their house, just to remind them the importance of the flag. And I think that that is illuminate our legacy is to teach while they're young.
True
Right, it starts then. So I wanted to ask about your committee and how you think or believe that the American flag still holds this like really deep meaning across all these generations for us.
Jeanne
I believe that the flag connects people to our nation's history because it stands for independence and the sacrifices and the major turning points in our U.S. history. And it's a symbol of all that service and all that sacrifice. I feel when you see the military, you see a flag. When you see a veteran, you see a flag. And that's why it's used for ceremonies, military honors, sports events, national holidays. It represents pride and responsibility, which affects us all. And each generation may interpret the flag differently, but the core symbolism is still there. No matter what the age is, our flag endures across generations because it carries emotion, it carries memory, and it has national meaning across time and age.
True
So one thing we have, that we educate our daughters and the public about proper respect for the flag. What distribution or initiatives that you all use mainly that I know about as well that we promote.
Jeanne
Well, we go by the flag code and the flag code sets the respectful shared standards for handling the US flag. A lot of times members will come up the dock and they'll ask, you know, different questions. And I always refer to the flag code because it helps people honor the flag consistently. It avoids disrespect and teaches the understanding of traditions about displaying, folding, disposal, and how to use it. Such as you can't use the flag as clothing, you can't use it as a tablecloth. You can use artistic interpretations like tablecloths with stars on it or stripes or a top with stars and stripes. Those are personal freedom of interpretation and they're not real flags and the flag code is very good about explaining that. That's the tool I use when I talk to daughters about the flag.
True
Good, good, because we all need to know how we're using that, you know, with respect. And I like that flag coat book and you can get them probably there at the DAR store.
Jeanne
You can get it at the DAR store. You can get it from most of us, flag, national committee and vice chairs. And for me, I always carry them around. I pass them out if I go to visit, say something in the community, Rotary or the schools. I always make sure that I have the flag code because it's just really important.
True
So what are the particular observances or programs that chapters need to know about?
Jeanne
Well, they can remember that Flag Day, which is June 14th, is a wonderful time to have a picnic, have some kind of an event in your community to distribute flags, to distribute flag pins. Memorial Day is another one, and Veterans Day, to help communities put flags on veterans gravestones. That's a wonderful project. I love that one you know, going to schools and talking about it. On our website, we talk about adding a ribbon to a flag and what ribbons are and what they mean. We talk about placing a flag in a flower garden, passing out flag certificates. The certificate for appreciation, they are beautiful and those are available in the DAR store. The beautiful flags that come with a certificate that you can give as a gift.
Those are lovely. We have a couple of initiatives where you go and if you see a business in the community that does not have a flag, you could pay it forward. You could go to them and say, this is a gift for you. And if you see someone that needs a flag, buy them a flag, or you can do that with a neighbor. I've done that with several of my neighbors, have given them a flag as a gift and then said, such and such down the street doesn't have a flag and you could buy them a flag. Well our street is completely each home each all has a flag flying outside now.
True
Yeah, I get it. I'm outside of a military community here in Kentucky and, you know, it's, they're everywhere here. And we do have that initiative where we pay it forward a lot of times, especially when we have new neighbors on the block as well.
Jeanne
We also have a couple of interesting fun things. We're counting how many pins, flag pins, or flags, or flag bookmarks. Anything to do with flags, we're trying to get 250,000 distributed throughout the nation. And I haven't added it up yet, but fingers crossed that we're close to 250. And we're going to do that through the storage administration.
And we also have a fun challenge. It's called the Flaganger Hunt. And you go out in your community and you hunt for the most unique, even oldest or prettiest flag. And you take pictures and you find out the history and then you put it on the dock. They've come up with some really cool things on that. And then another thing is that we have the flag post, which is our quarterly newsletter. and that is posted on the doc [Daughters Online Community] that is also on our web page. It's got a lot of interesting stories, history and etiquette in it.
True
Good, good. So again, we're talking about our chapters, our daughters, and them taking part in meaningful flag related programming. So can you explain to us a little bit about that?
Jeanne
You can meet up with a couple of local organizations. And the one that comes to me is because my husband, my husband is SAR and he's also Rotary and he's on the district board of the Rotary. And I like meeting up with them. They are very, very patriotic and we do educational events or service events. We invite the community, talk about a flag topic.
We bring civic leaders in and we like children to come in. Sometimes it's not always patriotic, but it's wrapped around the flag to make it a fun or educational event. You can invite the press. Our local newspaper loves to hear about this kind of stuff. I also kind of try to encourage people to decorate with flags. Constitution week, Veterans Day, Memorial Day.
Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween. I had a lady make a scarecrow and she had it made up as a patriotic character and it had a flag in it that she had in her yard and that was really cute. You can paint patriotic and flag type scenery on pumpkins. I just love all that because our flag is not just ceremonial but it's also
celebratory. It's teaching and also it's supposed to be fun. The flag is our nation and it's celebrating not only solemn ceremonies but also parades. You know, I can't wait to come to Washington during Continental Congress because it's just going to be magnificent. I mean, and we're going to see a lot of flags.
True
It is. I'm excited as well. It's like, it's just so different this year with our America 250th birthday. So I wanted to kind of ask though, what do we lose when we stop teaching the history and the meaning of the flag? I know that's a sensitive question, but.
Jeanne
And see, here's another thing I think about children. It's good not to give them a polished version of the history of our flag, but it's good to talk to them and start out with the understanding of the full picture of our nation's history and why the flag matters. Go back, go back to don't tread on me, the Gadsden and the colonial flag.
Go back and talk to them about that and tell them why the flag is important to our history, but not just teach it. Talk to them about it and have them interact with you. Sometimes I think that teaching strictly, you know, basic, you lose a deep sense of what the flag is about. But when you connect it with stories, when you connect it with don't tread on me, why, you know, that was when you connect it with Betsy Ross, when you connect it, it gives it an identity and it also gives us a responsibility to carry that on.
True
Exactly. So how does this work, again, connect to the spirit of patriotism as we're approaching America 250, which isn't too far away?
Jeanne
I can't wait. I just can't wait. The flag is about liberty. It's about equality. It's about self-government and it's about our civic duty. It's not just about our national pride. And I feel like now more than ever, it bridges our generations as we celebrate. mean, children, even teenagers are going to get to see this, get to see how
We approach 250 and how it becomes a visual reminder of our nation's founding ideals. I love that idea. Even now in my small community here in Des Moines, we have lots of flags, you know, getting ready and we have lots of 250 information. And I think that that encourages our youth and even our older people to ask about it.
I volunteered at the VA and I have really been pushing the VA to make the Central Iowa VA building pop with flags. I like how the veterans come in and they'll stand there and say, I love that flag or that 250 flag or that American flag is so beautiful. And it connects all of us to patriotism and it reminds us how we love our country, why we love our country, and how we're honoring it and it also protects our ideals, and I think it improves our future by doing that. For Flag Day coming in June, our chapter, our Abigail Adams DAR chapter, my husband and I are gonna dress up like Martha and George Washington, and we're going to go to the VA and our chapter is going to pass out cherry pie for George Washington and apple pie for America. And then I got really cute, celebrate 250 flags. And so we're going to pass out the flags to veterans and it's to remind them of what's coming 4th of July. We'll have a crowd because the VA, you know, brings in several hundred veterans a day and their families. So I'm so excited about that.
True
Yes, it sounds beautiful and I just can see all the, you know, the soldiers like, you know, their eyes lighting up and that they're not forgotten and that that moment because that's why they're there is because of that flag. So I love that. I know this is again, a little personal, but are there moments from your service in this role that's, you know, touched you or just, you know, really meant something to you so far?
Jeanne
Yes, and a lot, you know, almost everything touches me anyway. At the VA, I'm a hospice volunteer and they have a such a beautiful, beautiful service. It's called the flag pinning. So when a veteran comes into hospice, they're given a beautiful certificate. They're given a valor blanket, a Valor quilt and they're given a pin, a flag pin, and it's a special veterans flag pin. And you can find them online if people are interested in going to their nursing homes and talking to the staff to see if they would be allowed to give a veteran flag pinning. And it's a ceremony in the hospice and they honor the veteran.
They say a poem, they may pray, the family may make a comment or say a prayer or something. The last time that I did it, it was so precious. I bent over to hug the veteran and we had put the pin on him and he said, I'm gonna get you all wet. He was crying. It was so beautiful.
Jeanne
Yeah.
True
I had no idea about that, but I'm so glad that that is available for families, for the veterans, and also for you all. I can't imagine, but I think that is just so beautiful that the VA there especially makes sure that our veterans are not alone at that last minute, that last second.
Jeanne
And that's our theme is no one dies alone. And I've gotten called out in the middle of the night. I've gotten called out during a snowstorm and they're like, if you can't make it, I said, I will make sure I make it because it's important to me.
True
Yes, and we thank you all for that service because it's just important at our end of life issues here. So again, how do we balance tradition while making this topic about the flag engaging for younger generations? I know we talked about that earlier, but just give us a little bit more here.
Jeanne
And I truly believe, I really do, that there has to be a balance to where you're talking with them and telling stories and not leading by lecture. You know, I think that that's important. And if you've got some good stories we can talk about Don't Tread on Me, which I found that intriguing. I found the story of Betsy Ross intriguing. Young generations connect more with the flag if you tie it to real people really bent in real choices. I think museum displays, hand-on activities, short videos, maybe oral history, social media work, it's just all better than long speeches. They could share things that have happened to them. And also in schools and in youth, there's a lot of immigrants and they could share things, you know, how the flag affects them.
It's also really cool for young children to meet veterans, for veterans to just talk about their passion for our country. It can be very accessible through our media and through our stories, and it still doesn't lose its dignity.
True
What are some of the misconceptions about that or flag history in general?
Jeanne
Well, I kind of talked to you about the wearing of the flag. You you aren't to wear the flag. You're not to use it as a tablecloth. You don't write on it. You don't draw on it. But the misconceptions are that, you know, people have their own personal expression as far as artists. And if you see a beautiful star sparkly blouse that is a fashion interpretation, that's not a flag.
That's an interpretation. Also, I've heard people say, well, the flag touched the ground, so now I can't use it. And that is not true. You want to pick the flag up. You want to clean it, wipe it off, and you can use it. So that's a misconception too.
True
Okay, thank you for that. Jeannie, so this is our final and closing question. What would you most like our daughters listening today to remember about our conversation here?
Jeanne
Well, there's a lot to remember, but the biggest thing is that we as daughters should always live up to what our flag represents. And it is our nation's ideals and our sacrifices. And I think that it is our responsibility as daughters to share with others, adults and children alike, with proper displays, proper care, proper retirement and reverence for our flag and our nation. I would also like to remind daughters that our website is there, the doc is there, our newsletter, and we are an open door. Just send us messages, ask us anything that you would like. I feel like our flag has flown through triumphs, through trials, through war, through protests, and it's a progress.
And it is also so, so celebratory. And this 250, that's going to show that. I want to remind daughters that there's some wonderful items in the DAR store. Oh my gosh, flags of all kinds, flag certificates, flag codes, flag pins. I know the juniors have lots of flag pins. I have to tell you about a project that I do for the veterans. I take rocks and I paint them and I'll either put stars on them and put celebrate America 250 or I'll put Piro or thank you for your service and make sure that there's stars or some stripes or something. I gave one out to a veteran who had a hat on at the grocery store and it was so cute he just turned to me and said, you just made my day. So it's just little things like that that I want to remind daughters.
You could do really cute rocks for children and they can put them by their bed stand, put them on the fireplace mantle. There's just so many things, but also to get your community and get your chapters involved in Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Flag Day, Patriot Day. We've got Patriot Day in September, 9-11.
Jeanne
And this year is the 25th anniversary, so we are handing out Patriot flags to our veterans at the VA. But get involved. I guess that's it. Get involved with the flag because the flag is truly our nation.
True
Right, I love that how chapters and daughters and how we can bridge the community together to be so creative on all of this. So I just thank you so much for being with us, Jeannie, for all this meaningful work that you're doing to help keep respect, education, and patriotism connected through this important committee. And we are grateful for your service and grateful for you joining us today.
Jeanne
Thank you and I'm grateful for being involved.
True
Thank you. I'm so glad that we were able to have this conversation about your committee. And I do want to remind our daughters to go on your committee page where there's full of information and ideas and everything you need to know. And also their daughters' one line community, make sure that you go there. So for this moment, I want to take a pause here and say that when I look at the flag,
I don't just see a symbol of America. I see generations of people who carried this nation on their backs, in their prayers, and in their hearts. It's a beautiful reminder that the flag is not only something that we see, but it speaks for itself. And it is something we are called to understand, to honor, and to pass forward with care. Thank you so much, Jeannie, for the meaningful work that you are doing.
to help keep respect, education, and patriotism connected through this important committee. We are so grateful for your service, and we are so glad that you joined us today. Daughters, I want to share this personal experience from last year at last Congress. I stood at the raising of the flag. I actually came to Congress a little early just to experience all those moments that we normally have that I sometimes can't attend before opening night but I was reminded about this from Jeanne, that I still can feel the beauty of that moment. There is just something about seeing our flag lifted high in person that just settles deep in your heart and in your soul. And it will remind you of sacrifice, service, and the many generations who carried this nation forward. So as we come together for the 135th Continental Congress and look towards America 250, I want to encourage our daughters to come and witness this ceremony for themselves. Come stand with us and come feel that moment. Come be reminded of what binds us together. So join us for the annual flag raising ceremony at DAR headquarters. know the address, 1776 D Street, Northwest. On Tuesday, June 23rd from 12 p.m. to 1.
So when I look at that flag again, I just don't always see a symbol of America. I see generations of people who carried this nation on their backs, in their prayers, and in their hearts. It's just a beautiful reminder that the flag is not something that we see. It speaks for itself. It's something that we are all called to understand. and to honor and to pass forward with care.
I hope you all enjoyed our conversation with Curator Carrie Blough about Revolution in their words. Another reminder for you to go see that exhibition and to go back and listen to that episode and remind you about the 56 signers. Make sure you check out that at the DAR Museum because history greets you at the door.
It's on display as a prelude to revolution in their words. And there are the signatures of all 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. It's a stirring reminder of the nation's founding moment on view in the museum study gallery. And I just, I'm still amazed at how I got to see that last month. So I want to send you a little reminder about seeing that exhibit in their entirety and those signatures that are among the most prized documents in the Americana collection of the National Society.
And again, this is spanning six decades from the 1750s to the 1810s. The autographs are found again in letters, legal documents, and receipts, and it gives us that glimpse into the daily life of the men who signed the Declaration. Collectively, they represent the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution's ongoing commitment to preserving and upholding the founding principles of our nation. So I find it befitting that they are all on display for the first time to commemorate America's 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Haley
I'm Haley Lancaster, National Vice Chairman for the podcast, here to tell you how one state society is lifted by legacy. In this episode's What Are the Chapters Doing? segment, it is the Arizona Daughters soaring into service. For the first time, an all-female Vietnam War-era veterans honor flight went to Washington, D.C. The event, sponsored by the Arizona State Society, was for 32 female veterans who served in five military branches. Air Force, Navy, Army, Marine, and Coast Guard. And each woman on the flight is a DAR member. It was an unforgettable day honoring the stories and service of our nation's women veterans. During Honor Flight Arizona Mission number 123, our Arizona DAR veterans were welcomed by daughters of the District of Columbia Society to the Military Women's Memorial. It is the nation's only major memorial dedicated to documenting and honoring the service of women in the U.S. Armed Forces.
While there, participants were interviewed by Wreaths Across America radio, sharing their voices and experiences. They were welcomed at DAR Constitution Hall and NSDAR headquarters for a special visit filled with history and heritage. Our veterans enjoyed guided tours through the DAR library and the beautiful period rooms.
The evening concluded with a special dinner where veterans heard from NSDAR First Vice President General, Catherine Walker West, whose remarks honored their service and legacy. Each veteran received a personal portfolio of her story, now a part of the Military Women's Memorial Online Collection, generously donated by the Saguaro Chapter. It is so important to ensure these stories are preserved and shared for generations to come. These legacies deserve to be remembered. The Arizona veteran daughters were welcomed back home by fellow DAR members, families, Honor Flight Arizona,
Youth for Troops, Arizona Patriot Guard writers, and the West Valley Women Veterans. You can see the photos and videos from their trip on the Facebook page for the Arizona State Society Daughters of the American Revolution. So what is your chapter doing? If you have an amazing story to share on how your members are illuminating legacies in your community, then drop us a line at darpodcast@nsdar.org
True
We also would like to extend sincere appreciation to Curator General Mrs. Pace and to President General Mrs. Storage for their leadership, encouragement, and support as we continue to illuminate our legacy together. The National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, is a non-profit, non-political service organization open to women 18 years and older who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution.
Founded in 1890, the society is dedicated to three timeless pillars, historic preservation, education, and patriotism. Since then, more than one million women have discovered purpose, passion, and community through DAR membership. Our daughters come from a diverse background, walks of life, yet all share a common bond.
a direct connection to an ancestor who contributed to securing the independence of the United States of America. Membership is open to all women, regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background, who can trace and prove their lineage to a patriot of the American Revolution. Together, we honor our past, serve our communities, and illuminate our legacy for future generations.
In closing, We do so with grateful hearts. In this patriotic month of May during National Military Appreciation Month, as we recognize Armed Forces Day, and as we approach Memorial Day, we pause to honor the men and women of this nation, past and present, whose courage, service, and sacrifice have helped preserve the blessings of liberty and as the blossoms are blooming throughout the Storage administration, may we be reminded that legacy is not only remembered, it is nurtured, carried forward, and brought into full bloom through service, gratitude, and love of country.
Thank you for joining us and listening to your DAR Today podcast. I'm your host, True Lewis, and until next time, may we continue to illuminate our Legacy with purpose, remembrance and hearts full of gratitude.
Chapters
The Spirit of Duty and Sacrifice
The Legacy of the American Flag
Educating About the Flag
The Flag's Connection to History
Community Engagement and Flag Initiatives
Balancing Tradition and Modern Engagement
The Importance of Teaching Flag History
Personal Stories and Community Impact
Misconceptions About the Flag
Final Thoughts on Patriotism and Legacy