"I pledge allegiance to the flag . . . "

Most of us could recite this in our sleep. It was drummed into our sponge-like child minds all the way through elementary school -- at least -- and soaked up right along with other important cultural chants such as "twoallbeefpattiesspecialsaucelettucecheesepicklesonionsonasesameseedbun" and the theme song from "Gilligan's Island."

Clearly, the pledge was a bit more important than the latter two recitations. But our brains seemed to give them equal storage space anyway.

Believe it or not, the pledge was not written by any of our founding fathers. In fact, it didn't even exist until 1892. It was written by Francis Bellamy, who was the circulation manager for a magazine called the "The Youth's Companion."

The quadracentennial of Columbus' voyage to America was approaching and Bellamy got the idea that it would be nice for school children to begin the day of memorial events with a verbal salute to the flag. Teachers across the country were encouraged to have their students stand up and recite:

"I pledge allegiance to my flag, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible with liberty and justice for all."

A little different from what we say now, but that was it.

And, apparently, it was a very successful part of the celebration of the day.

So what does any of this have to do with San Bernardino County?

Well, if you believe what comes up in the historical records at A.K. Smiley Library in Redlands, the short pledge was quickly forgotten by most teachers and school children after the Columbus Day celebration. But Mary Fackler, a teacher at Kingsbury School in Redlands, liked the pledge so much that she continued to have her students say it at the start of class on special days when no students were either tardy or absent.

And it might have remained a local anomaly. But Lt. Col. Henry Lawton heard about it.

Lawton was a career military man stationed in Los Angeles as inspector general of the Southern District of the Army. A Civil War veteran, he had received the Medal of Honor for gallantry in the battle for Atlanta. Lawton also led the soldiers who pursued Geronimo for 1,300 miles through the mountains of New Mexico and Arizona, finally forcing the chief's surrender.

Instead of living in Los Angeles, Lawton came to Redlands and bought an orchard and a home. He was often away, but his wife and children lived there full time. Three of his kids ended up in Fackler's class.

Lawton reportedly learned of the practice of saying the pledge in 1895 and sent Fackler an 8-by-5-foot, 44-star flag to replace the small one she had in her classroom.

Sometime later, Gen. Joseph Breckenridge was staying with the Lawtons and Lawton's wife took him to Fackler's classroom to observe the pledge ceremony. He reportedly was much impressed. In 1897, Mrs. Lawton wrote to Fackler telling her about a ceremony in Washington, D.C., where Breckenridge had members of the children's society of the Sons and Daughters of the Revolution recite the pledge. Several authors of Redlands history wrote that from the Washington, D.C., event, the practice of saying the pledge spread through the country.

In 1923, at the First National Flag Conference in Washington, D.C., the "my flag" portion of the pledge was changed to "the flag of the United States of America." But it wasn't until 1942 that the pledge was recognized by Congress.

Fackler died in 1945 at 83.

In 1954, backed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the phrase "under God" was added to the pledge.

Not everyone agrees on Fackler's contribution to the survival of the pledge. Frank Moore, former owner of the Redlands Daily Facts, downplayed Fackler's role in a 1983 letter he wrote, saying the idea that she single-handedly "saved the Pledge of Allegiance from oblivion" was largely a legend.

Whether or not it is legend, it's a story in which many people in Redlands have invested themselves. In 1982, a plaque was installed at Kingsbury Elementary School, honoring Fackler for her contribution to the school and to promoting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Which, if not justice for all, is probably due justice for Fackler.

Mark Muckenfuss' column appears on Saturday. Call (909) 890-4463 or e-mail mmuckenfuss@pe.com