Washington wanted to see the ship carry the flag around the globe, and to forge new ties with nations like China.
WHITEHOUSE: President Obama Holds Town Hall with Chinese Youth
In 2012, Marina Silva was personally invited to be the only Brazilian to carry the Olympic flag at the opening of the London Olympics, raising eyebrows within the Brazilian government.
He also competed in the final of the 4x400m relay and was also asked to carry the South African flag at the closing ceremony.
Her bronze medal at the 2005 world championships made her a favorite for the Turin Olympics, and she was chosen to carry Italy's flag in the opening ceremony.
After his heroics in 2004, Gonzalez had the ultimate honor bestowed upon him prior to the start of the Beijing Games when he was asked to carry Chile's flag for the opening ceremony.
He is one of the country's biggest stars and is credited with boosting China's interest in the NBA. During his nine seasons with the Houston Rockets, his games were broadcast on national television in China, and he was selected to carry China's flag during the opening ceremonies at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Connor had been one of three Canadian athletes nominated to carry their country's flag at Friday's opening ceremony but that honour now falls to wheelchair basketball star Chantal Benoit.
BBC: SPORT | Other Sport | Paralympics | Connor out of Games
They also exist to carry out research and, equally importantly, flag up emerging issues that the wider commercial community needs to be paying attention to.
And a giant England flag which, folded up, takes eight people to carry and is too big to fit through stadium turnstiles, is being taken to Germany by a group of fans keen to show pride in their country.
BBC: NEWS | UK | England | The fight to keep flying the flag
Early on, it was mostly young Mexican-Americans, people born in the U.S., who carried the Mexican flag, and it was mostly immigrants, the people from Mexico, who carry the stars and stripes.
On the weight which their representations and remonstrances carry with them may at any moment depend the lives and property of British citizens and the honour of the British flag and name.
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