‘Appeal To Heaven’ Flag Raised In Belleville

BELLEVILLE, NJ — A replica of the George Washington "An Appeal To Heaven" flag was recently raised by Belleville Historical Society members Thomas Grolimond and Jordan Polite at the old Belleville Dutch Reformed Church cemetery on the corner of Rutgers and Stephens Street.

According to Belleville Historical Society President Michael Perrone, the flag was created in 1775 for the first U.S. Navy fleet, six warships personally paid for by George Washington and known as “Washington's Cruisers.”

“The flag invoked Heavenly assistance during a time of extreme crisis and was eventually adopted by a number of states and other military units,” Perrone said. “As we prepare to commemorate the 4th of July, we felt that it would be proper to once again fly this important historical flag to highlight the importance that America's Founding Fathers placed in God.”

“We are now in one of the greatest crises our country has ever faced,” Perrone said. “The Founding Fathers understood that there are crises which are beyond human means alone to deal with. They believed that the dedication and hard work of the American people needed to be combined with an appeal to Heaven in order to triumph over adversity. May we remember and share in their strong faith which was well rewarded.”

The flag will fly through September, Perrone said.

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