Uncle Sam

It’s a political thing I’m sure and each generation has its own way of dealing with it. For sure it’s what ever seems to be popular at the time and what makes believers out of the wild yarns that are being spun by the politicians on both sides. As a young child I can remember everyone mentioning Uncle Sam, his picture was everywhere, in store windows, on billboards, magazines and newspapers etc. Back then I thought he must have been someone’s uncle but whose, this man with the tall hat and dressed in the colors of the American flag. I did wonder who he really was. Now after 70+ years, I have learned that he was a personification of the United States, more specifically of the American government. First usage of the term Uncle Sam dates from the War of 1812. Folklore holds Uncle Sam origins go back to the soldiers in upstate New York. They would get their meat in barrels stamped with the initials U. S. The soldiers joked about the initials in reference to the meat supplier Samuel Wilson. At last my wondering as to who Uncle Sam might have been has been answered, he was simply a symbol of the times. No one as yet seems to be able to fill his shoes. And to this day he still gives us a since of pride and protection.