The Secret History Behind the United States Virgin Islands' Flag
The U.S. Virgin Islands' flag carries two letters and three arrows, and each of them has a meaning.
The flag was designed by Percival Wilson Sparks and adopted on May 17, 1921. The idea began with the administration of Rear Admiral Sumner Ely Wetmore Kittelle, who became governor of the islands on April 26, 1921.
It shows a simplified version of the coat of arms of the United States, a yellow eagle, between the letters V and I, for Virgin Islands. The eagle holds a sprig of laurel in one talon, a symbol of victory, and three blue arrows in the other, which stand for the three main islands: Saint Croix, Saint Thomas and Saint John.
The date printed on every U.S. Virgin Islands design in our catalog, March 31, 1917, is the day the United States took over the islands from Denmark.
Two letters, one eagle and three arrows for three islands.
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