Today’s guest post was written by Earl Cagle.
THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
“Old Glory”, “Stars and Stripes”, call her what you will. She is our emblem of freedom, born almost two and a half centuries ago. Proudly waving over the land of the free and home of the brave, lending credence to a way of life that was declared and defended by the will of her people and their sacrifices.
Today, she inspires signage, clothing, advertisements, etc., often without value to her true being. Still rising above the slings and arrows, she looks back on history, to the support of a new nation, adding unity to the formation of rag tag combatants that risked their very being to protect what she stood for. Being handed off by a wounded or dying bearer to a comrade to lead on for the cause of freedom. Waving in the breeze on a sunny day or hanging limp, dripping the tear like rain drops for those that made the ultimate sacrifice.
She has seen it all, from gun smoke shrouded ramparts to bloody beaches, student classrooms to a trifold held to the bosom of a loved one, run up a flag pole in the dawns early light, to retirement in the flames of a Boy Scout Troop fire. She has been saluted by thousands upon thousands of hands and walked on by many in protest.
For whatever you feel when you see her, you are encouraged to at least remember what she stands for.
The following are special days for her to fly: New Year’s Day, Inauguration Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Lincoln’s Birthday, Washington’s Birthday, Easter Sunday, Mother’s Day, Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Constitution Day, Columbus Day, Navy Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, Days proclaimed by the U.S. President, Birthdays of States and State Holidays.
I hope you enjoyed Earl’s post. Sometimes I think of the trifold flag the sharped dressed Marines handed Granny at Pap’s funeral. It rests in Granny’s living room above Pap’s chair. I wonder if future generations of our family will hold onto it and remember what it stands for. I hope they do.
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Thank you Earl, well said!
God Bless America.
God Bless America! Amen!
Some today say God Bless America, but what is America going to do for God? America, Bless God!
I stand with Mr. Cagle and all the posters today. Thank you, Tipper, for this timely post. I fly my flag every day.
4 USC 8: Respect for flag
Text contains those laws in effect on July 2, 2021
No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.
(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.
(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.
(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker’s desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.
(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.
(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.
(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.
(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.
(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.
(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.
(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.
My flag flies twenty-four hours each day, just as it does on every U.S. Navy warship while at sea.
Both respect for the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance were a major part of our instructions in grade school. They caught us young and impressionable, and then taught us the important things we needed to know. They also had prayer in school back in those days. All the sacrifices in wartime were not stressed as we were just children, but later I learned a lot about that when many of my generation served in Viet Nam. When raised in a family where a parent served in the military you just naturally learn that our freedom comes at a price. God Bless America!
Gives me goose bumps! I’m a patriotic citizen of this wonderful country we live in, the United States of America. My son left to go overseas, a few weeks ago. It is in the name of bringing our troops home from Afghanistan, ugh. I pray for his safety, he has 3 very young ones at home , wife, and will be gone for a year. He went to NYC when covid broke out to protect and serve… just doing his job, as he tells me.
There are many people against the ones who protect us, these days. I’m sorry that they don’t fully understand the importance of having these men (and now women), keeping us safe and free.
God bless America!
The high school ROTC were an honor guard at my Dad’s funeral and my Mom was given the trifold flag. She ordered a triangular wooden box with a glass top to keep it in. Way over near the woods and out of sight a lone bugler played ‘Taps”.
We are now, as Lincoln said at Gettysburg, in the midst of “testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated can long endure”. The dedication and sacrifice of those who went before us cannot secure America for us if we are not ourselves dedicated enough to sacrifice for the eternal truths and high ideals that flag represents.
So precious to me and my family!
Thank you for thiis post. I know how great it is to see the flag. I was proud to have served under it when I was in the Army. My Boy Scout Troop has been asked to perform flag retirement ceremonies on many occasions; and we always did it with great respect and dignity. I also know what it is like to receive a folded flag at a funeral. My father was in the Army during World War II and receiving it from the Soldiers who performed the military honors at his funeral is something I will never forget. Tipper I am sure all of your readers will honor our flag this July 4th. Thank you for what you do.
Dennis Morgan
Stand for the flag and kneel for the cross. Everyday is a special day for my flag to fly.
Wonderful post. They handed me the flag when my dad passed away. It brought tears to my eyes. My sisters had told them to give it to me – the baby of the family. I’ll be in our town’s 4th of July Parade today dressed as Betsy Ross, something I’ve done since 2002 when President Bush visited our small town on the 4th of July. I’ll be carrying a flag I made – a special red, white and blue flag with thirteen 5-point stars. Happy Birthday America!
Psalms 60:4 THOU HAST GIVEN A BANNER TO THEM THAT FEAR THEE, THAT IT MIGHT BE DISPLAYED BECAUSE OF THE TRUTH, SELAH.
Long may she wave.
Amen