First Navy Jack
31 MAY 2002
FIRST NAVY JACK
In the days of sail, ships at sea identified themselves by flying their national flag, called an “ensign,” a term carried over from European heraldry. To be most visible, it was flown from the tallest point on the ship, the mainmast. However, when docked in port the top of the mainmast is awkward to view from the pier. Hence developed the custom while in port of shifting the colors to a staff flown from the stern. This worked, except when ships were moored headforemost toward the dock. So, captains adopted the practice of flying an abbreviated version of the ensign from another staff on the bow. Often this “jack” as it came to be known, was simply the canton of the ensign–for example, the pattern of 50 stars on a field of blue from the upper left corner of our present national ensign.
Our very first warships of the Continental Navy practiced these customs, however at the time of their commissioning Congress had not yet defined an official jack. It has not been recorded what the first jack flown from a US Navy ship in port looked like, however it is believed today that jack was a field of 13 alternating horizonal red and white stripes. Then on 14 June 1777 Congress adopted Betsy Ross’s stars and stripes pattern for our national ensign, at the same time authorizing its canton as our official naval jack, the “Union Jack” (not to be confused with the British Union Jack). That usage continued aboard all US government ships until 1980 when our Navy’s ship with the longest active service was authorized to fly the First Navy Jack. At the time that oldest of active ships was the 40-year-old USS DIXIE (AD-14).
But what was Dixie’s First Navy Jack to look like? Researchers turned to RADM George Henry Preble’s “History of the Flag of the United States,” a work published in 1872. Unfortunately, Preble had made his own addition to what is now believed to be the First Navy Jack, an addition most agree was probably not on the original flag–an uncoiled rattlesnake with the words, “DONT TREAD ON ME” printed across the lowest white stripe.
Then on this date Secretary of the Navy Edward Hidalgo issued Instruction 10520.6, directing that on the first anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, all US Navy ships remember the tragedy by flying the First Navy Jack as a “temporary substitution” for the Union Jack “during the Global War on Terrorism.” That which was extant prevailed, and the First Navy Jack included Preble’s error. This substitution was rescinded in 2019. Only Navy ships fly the First Navy Jack–Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, NOAA, and other US government ships fly the traditional Union Jack. The First Navy Jack was also displayed on the BDU’s of some units.
Watch for more “Today in Naval History” 5 JUN 22
CAPT James Bloom, Ret.
“The U.S. Navy’s First Jack.” Naval History and Heritage Command, Frequently Asked Questions. AT: http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq122-1.htm, retrieved 9 October 2011.
SECNAV Instruction 10520.6. “Display of the First Navy Jack during the Global War on Terrorism.” 31 May 2002. AT: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/SECNAV_Instruction_10520.6, retrieved 9 October 2011.
Poirier, Michael T. “A Brief History of the U.S. Navy Jack.” Undersea Warfare, AT: http://www.navyjack.info/history.html, retrieved 9 October 2011.
ADDITIONAL NOTES: Authorization to fly the First Navy Jack is given for special occasions, as above. In 1975-76 the First Navy Jack was flown in recognition of our nation’s bicentennial. Currently, USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC-19) is our commissioned vessel with the longest service and is authorized to fly the First Navy Jack.
The term “Ensign” denoting the lowest officer rank is believed to originate from an assigned duty of that officer to tend to the ship’s flags.
The rattlesnake was a common image in Revolutionary America, the rattlesnake being native to North America and having a reputation for striking only when provoked. As depicted on the flag that snake had 13 rattles on its tail.
RADM Preble was the younger brother of Edward Preble, the fiery officer of the Barbary wars and the War of 1812. George Preble served in the last Seminole War of Florida, the Mexican War, and the Civil War. Their father was the civilian sea captain Enoch Preble.
