By Frank E. Vaerewijck, “The Firehouse Foodie”
America is full of symbolism: baseball; mom’s apple pie; North American bald eagles; and, the most iconic of them all, the most recognizable of them all, The Stars and Stripes, The Star-Spangled Banner, Old Glory, the American Flag. Our nation’s flag consists of 13 equal horizontal stripes of alternating red (on top) and white, representing the 13 original colonies. The “Union,” the blue rectangle space, bears 50 small white five-point stars arranged in nine offset rows alternating six, then five, then six, then five, and so on, representing the states of the United States of America.
The first national flag, “the Continental Colors” (used from December 3, 1775-June 14, 1777), looked very similar to today’s flag but had a Union Jack (British flag) instead of stars on the blue field. Adopted June 14, 1777 (the original 13-star version) and then again on July 4, 1960 (the current 50-star version), the flag has its own day every year. A nonfederal holiday, Flag Day is still celebrated every June 14 to commemorate the adoption of the original flag of the United States by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. The design of the American flag has been officially modified 26 times since its inception and the current version (the 27th design) is the longest-used version of the U.S. flag.
The American flag has adorned many uniforms; many have died for and because of this symbol; and for many more, just the sight of our nation’s flag brings pride. As firefighters, we wear this symbol with that pride. We fly them from our trucks and place them on our helmets. We have even modified and adopted our own version of Old Glory known as the Thin Red Line Flag. This American flag is a black and white version with “The Red Line of Courage” running horizontally through the middle. “The Thin Red Line of Courage” represents the last ounce of courage firefighters find deep in their blood to conquer their deepest fears to save and protect life and property, much like the last ounces of courage found deep in our forefathers who fought for Independence.
As we celebrate 4th of July, don’t just see it as a day off or an easy day at the station. Think about those last ounces of courage found deep in the blood of those who sought freedom, those in the civil and world wars of the past, those who fought in foreign lands for democracy. Think about the flag and the pride it instills in you while you’re spending time with friends and family, enjoying your freedoms. Most of all, RFB: “Remember Fallen Brothers.” They have laid down their lives so that others may live, and “That’s Bringing the Firehouse Home!”
Creamy Sausage Dip
Ingredients:
16 ounces cream cheese
1 pound ground sausage
10-ounce can diced tomatoes and green chilies
Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, cook sausage until thoroughly cooked (don’t drain).
2. Add diced tomatoes and chilies (undrained).
3. Cook for a few minutes and add cream cheese.
4. Stir until mixed together and enjoy with your favorite chips (we like using salt and pepper pork rinds!).
Frank E. Vaerewijck has had a passion for the fire service that has spanned 20 years. He has been a volunteer and career firefighter and is currently a firefighter/EMT with the Manassas (VA) Volunteer Fire Company. He has passed on his passion for the fire service through instruction and mentorship. That same passion he has for the fire service is shared with his love of food. In 2006, Vaerewyck won an Iron Chef-style competition sponsored by a radio station in Richmond, Virginia. That is where he also furthered his education by attending a Culinary Arts Program. As the Firehouse Foodie, he has been compiling recipes to be included in a cookbook that will give others the opportunity to see their hometown heroes not just as firefighters, but as the firehouse chefs they truly are.
