Virginia Beach's flag features a plain blue field with a circular seal at its center: a lighthouse, the sun and the sea, ringed by the motto "Landmark of our Nation's Beginning".
The trident is not decorative. Virginia Beach proclaims itself the "largest seaside resort on the East Coast." The giant bronze statue of Neptune (30 feet) dominates the boardwalk, 3 miles of seafront promenade lined with hotels, restaurants, shops. Millions of tourists visit every year.
But Virginia Beach has a double identity. It is also a massive military city. Naval Air Station Oceana, one of the largest Navy air bases, is home to squadrons of F/A-18 Super Hornets. The roar of the jets is constant. Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story hosts Navy SEAL and amphibious units.
It is also geographically enormous: 500 square miles, stretching from the Atlantic beach to inland farmland.
History begins here: Cape Henry, in Virginia Beach, is the site of the first English landing in America in 1607, before they sailed up the James River to found Jamestown. The First Landing Cross marks the spot.
The flag and its lighthouse capture this seaside identity, but hide the military jets roaring overhead.