The United States will celebrate its 245^th birthday this Sunday and people across the country will be celebrating with family gatherings, bar-b-ques and fireworks. The Green Bay Packers have also had their share of patriotic moments in their century of playing football, but two stand out the most, one in 1968 and another in 2001.

Here is a look at two of the most patriotic moments in Packers history:

DECEMBER 7, 1968, Lambeau Field

The Packers were holding on to slim playoff hopes on this December Saturday in Phil Bengtson’s first season as coach after taking over for Vince Lombardi. The Packers entered this game with the Colts 5-6-1 record while the Colts were 11-1 and well on their way to representing the NFL in Super Bowl III.

The game wasn’t the point. The Packers lost is 16-3 with their only points coming on a 45-yard field goal by kicker Mike Mercer that bounced off the crossbar and over. The lone touchdown of the game came in the first quarter on a 26-yard pass from Earl Morrall to Willie Richardson.

But the magic of that game took place in the stands. Three Green Bay housewives spoke to officials in the Packers organization and city officials and civic groups purchased American flags for all 50,861 fans in attendance at the game.

Late in the game, with the outcome no longer in doubt, the fans waved their flags in the sun while the band at the stadium played “Auld Lang Syne.”

It was a moving moment and a show of patriotism which came at the height of America’s involvement in the Vietnam conflict when so many Americans were disillusioned with what was going on in the country and just months after the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy.

NFL Films described the moment by saying, “It was pride and patriotism day in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  There are few cities that are as proud or as patriotic as Green Bay.”

SEPTEMBER 24, 2001, Lambeau Field

Fast forward to 2001, less than two weeks after Islamic terrorists killed thousands of Americans in attacks on September 11^th.

The NFL canceled all games that week and then returned to action on the weekend of September 23^rd. It was an emotional weekend as the country slowly tried to return to something resembling normal. Many people were wondering if having thousands of people being together in one place could make it a target for another attack.

The Packers hosted Washington on Monday Night Football that week in what was then the biggest nationally televised game in the league. As a national television audience watched, Packers linebacker Chris Gizzi, an Air Force graduate and veteran, led the Packers onto the field before the game carrying a large American flag.

The crowd cheered when Gizzi reached the end zone and started to wave the flag.

“It’s about being a part of something bigger than yourself,” Gizzi said about that moment. “I nearly had a heart attack, but I was proud to do it.”

He added, “That was a rush. I felt like ‘Braveheart’, just running out there and screaming my head off. My head was going to pop off, my legs were pumping—it was a rush—then you get to play a football game.”

The Packers road the emotions of the moment and crushed the Redskins 37-0 as Brett Favre threw for 236 yards and three touchdowns and Ahman Green ran for 116 yards.

After his playing career was over, Gizzi went on to become a strength and conditioning coach for the Packers.

Both these memories were spontaneous, emotional moments that combined the NFL and American patriotism. We recall them now on July 4^th as we celebrate our nation’s birthday.