The Flame of Duty: U.S. Army Celebrates 250 Years of Enduring Spirit, Service, and Unity

What makes a farmer grab a musket and risk it all?

Before the sun set on April 19, 1775, the rag-tag ruffians couldn’t believe what they had just accomplished. The British, that well-trained army of international fame, had retreated to Boston. Soon, thousands of militiamen from all the New England colonies would surround what John Winthrop had called 145 years earlier “the city on the hill.” The Revolutionary War had begun.

But it wasn’t that simple.

Two-and-a-half centuries ago, if we had remained divided, we would have fallen. The rag-tag ruffians may have won the day in Lexington and Concord, but they could not have sustained an extended military campaign. Our nation’s Founding Fathers knew that winning the independence they sought required the colonies to stand united.

With tensions mounting as the Siege of Boston began, something had to be done. Success demanded organization. And organization required a unified command. Meeting in Philadelphia, the Second Continental Congress had a solution. On Wednesday, June 14, 1775, representatives passed a resolution that read in part:

“Resolved, That six companies of expert riflemen, be immediately raised in Pennsylvania, two in Maryland, and two in Virginia; that each company consist of a captain, three lieutenants, four serjeants, four corporals, a drummer or trumpeter, and sixty-eight privates.”

That each company, as soon as completed, shall march and join the army near Boston, to be there employed as light infantry, under the command of the chief Officer in that army…”

Thus began what would ultimately become the U.S. Army, a new way to blaze the path our nascent nation would soon shape. The enthusiasm to carry the flame of liberty drove ordinary men to serve, setting a tone that earned them the name “Patriots.” By the time they arrived at Boston, eager frontiersmen had swelled the original number of companies from ten to thirteen.

To further the cause of unity, five days later, on Monday, June 19, 1775, the Continental Congress elected a Virginian to lead the new army’s efforts in Boston. That’s when George Washington became America’s first official Commander-in-Chief. It was a role he would retain through the end of the Revolutionary War. He resumed the role upon his election as the nation’s first president. Per Article II Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, every president since has served in that role.

Washington didn’t arrive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to assume his command until July 3, 1775. This was a little over two weeks after the hostilities of June 17, 1775 (i.e., the Battle of Bunker Hill). In his General Orders issued the next day, Washington reminded the troops that their purpose was “for the support and defence of the Liberties of America.”

Conventional thinking frames the Army as born of rebellion. But was it? Was it rebellion, or was it a deeper duty to freedom? What else would compel ordinary men to fight not for glory, but for home? It was duty, not fame, that sparked the flame.

Remember “The Enlightenment” from history class? It heavily influenced Revolutionary America. In short, this philosophical movement championed individual liberty and the rights of man. Different interpretations of The Enlightenment emerged—more radical interpretations in continental Europe, but more subdued ones in Great Britain and its colonies (including North America).

Oddly, this made the American Revolution a bit of an anomaly. The colonists, while embracing British culture, also shared the French tendency toward rebellion. Americans truly believed the purpose of government was to serve the people, not the other way around. The influence of Enlightenment thinkers appears often in the writings of the Founding Fathers. Enlightenment philosophy also permeates our founding documents.

This philosophy helped Washington unite his troops. As each company came from different colonies, fragmented regionalism and mistrust often led to conflict within the ranks. To unify his army, he introduced the concept of military lodges, an idea he had picked up during his service in the British army.

Also known as “traveling” or “field” lodges, these social associations were formally part of the Masonic fraternity. Freemasonry embraced the same Enlightenment ideals of liberty and equality as the young Americans. It became a natural environment for the men to forgo their fragmented regionalism and discover what they had in common.

It’s hard to separate this experience from what would soon emerge as the principles of America. This was all forged by creating the Continental Army. Beyond the battles and the campaigns, the Army embodied the enduring spirit of America. Moreover, it offered a crucible of unity, binding men from all the colonies for a common national purpose.

Through the centuries, they marched, they fought, they served. They did this selflessly, with honor and respect for their country and their commander-in-chief. In the vessel of service, the uniform demands allegiance to principles far grander than any fleeting cause or partisan banner. It is truly an army of one. American soldiers have consistently showed they can channel individual differences into collective strength. The focus is on the mission and the bond between them, not on external divisions.

Whether fighting to defend our homeland or defending freedom abroad—the freedom so important to our nation’s Enlightenment roots—the U.S. Army has proudly stood united for the Red, White, and Blue. As we salute 250 years of the U.S. Army, let us recognize not just its power, but its profound lesson: that true strength lies in a shared commitment to common purpose, woven by unseen threads of service.

Before the Declaration. Before the flag. Before even the name ‘United States of America,’ there was the Army. Its 250th birthday is a moment to celebrate an institution that consistently prioritizes a unified America. The next time you see a soldier, say, “Thanks!” Better yet, live their values—serve, unite, endure.

What if we served our communities like soldiers serve the nation?

The flame doesn’t pass itself.