Happy Flag Day

A veteran discusses what flag day means to him, via the Orlando Sentinel (HT: RCP). He points out that while Flag Day isn't celebrated the way it probably should be, Old Glory gets a pretty good display on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veteran's Day. Further, he discusses what to him (and to me as well) is a disturbing trend in the attitudes of some citizens towards the flag.

"Some of us have even gone far enough from the basics to see our flag as a political symbol, one adopted by or representing some parts of our population and not others, something that signifies one political party, or set of beliefs, or values or one philosophy or another. I'm only 69 years old, only spent 31 of those years in a uniform under that flag, but have been around a bit and seen a fair amount. Not for one minute of those 31 years, or since, have I ever believed America's flag to represent anything other than all of us, be we rich or poor, native or naturalized, with no distinction for our station in life, our race, creed, gender, education or national origin. It is the one unifying element that has and should continue to bring all of us together in both good times and bad, in peace and in war. It is the common bond that connects us all, or should."

As a fellow citizen and veteran, I could not agree more.