HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The United States marked Flag Day on Sunday, honoring the adoption of the American flag, and while some celebrated the holiday, others called it a somber day in history. <\/p>\n
Members of the military held a ceremony at Pearl Harbor to recognize Flag Day. This year\u2019s holiday is especially momentous for some, as the 250th anniversary of America\u2019s independence approaches this July 4. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think today represents a lot of what America stands for and I think today, there were a lot of what America stands for and I think there were a lot of organizations that these flags represented, and I had the joy of representing them because they meant something to me,\u201d said Navy sailor Mitke Strickland.<\/p>\n
The event was special for Strickland, who added, \u201cThis is actually my first time enlisted being able to present a flag, so that was something that definitely meant personal to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
For others, including Hawaiian community leader Hinaleimoana Wong, the American flag reminds them of dark events in history, namely, the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. <\/p>\n
\u201cAs a Hawaiian, it makes me very emotional and one day, I look forward to the relationship between the Hawaiian flag and the American flag to be put back in a rightful place,\u201d Wong said. <\/p>\n