<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> 1954 (current version) 4 U.S.C. § 4 </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all ." </Td> </Tr> <P> The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of allegiance to the Flag of the United States and the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Rear Admiral George Balch in 1887, later revised by Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge in 1942 . The official name of The Pledge of Allegiance was adopted in 1945 . The last change in language came on Flag Day 1954 when the words "under God" were added . </P> <P> Congressional sessions open with the recital of the Pledge, as do many government meetings at local levels, and meetings held by many private organizations . All states except Hawaii, Iowa, Vermont and Wyoming require a regularly - scheduled recitation of the pledge in the public schools, although the Supreme Court has ruled in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette that students cannot be compelled to recite the Pledge, nor can they be punished for not doing so . A number of states state flag pledges of allegiance to be recited after this . </P>

When did we add under god to the pledge