we salute it, fly it and swear allegiance to it.
I bring you a quote from an American
Legion Flag Day speech:”It touches us and
calls out to us.”
Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior,
delivered a 1914 Flag Day address in which
he repeated words he said the flag had
spoken to him that morning: I am what you
make me; nothing more. I swing before your
eyes as a bright gleam of color, a symbol of
yourself.
And sometimes we are so awed and
inspired by the message that our flag silently
sends to us that we find ourselves
responding to this living symbol of all that
we stand for.
This happened to Captain William Driver,
a shipmaster in Salem, Massachusetts, in
1831. As he was leaving on one of his many
voyages aboard the ship CHARLES
DOGGETT, he was presented with a
beautiful flag of twenty-four stars. His crew
opened the banner to the ocean breeze for
the first time against the deep blue skies.
Captain Driver was awestricken by the
beauty and magnificence of the living
portrait before his eyes and affectionately
addressed the flag as “Old
Glory!” That name has
stayed with our flag for 175
years. Old Glory, accented by
50 stars and 13 stripes,
symbolizes the blessings of
liberty and reminds us of the
freedom we share. It is also
the symbol of our patriotism.
That’s why the flag is seen
everywhere. Whether it’s in
front of or on top of buildings, hanging from
the rafters at sporting events, displayed
proudly on our home, or draped over the
coffin of a fallen hero who fought in the
War on Terror, the flag is a testament to the
ideals of American democracy.
Lest we forget that over one million men
and women have died for our country and
how many more have been physically and
mentally wounded in defense of America.
The troops certainly have personal views
on politics, but nevertheless, they perform
their duties on land, sea and in the air. And
do so in defending us, our freedom, our way
of life, our future. They salute the flag daily,
wear it on their uniform and eventually it
will drape their casket.
Have we forgotten the errors of how the
troops of the Vietnam era were treated? Or
are we becoming complacent? The shock
of 9/11 is not all that long ago. I for one am
proud to fly the flag at my home and one
day it will drape my casket. And it won’t
matter if I voted Democrat, Republican or
Independent. Show support for our troops!
Fly the flag!