National Flag

Ok, I will admit that I tear up when I hear the Star Spangled Banner and see the flag.  But what really gets me is seeing men and women in uniform saluting.  It catches me in the throat everytime and tears just stay on the rims of my eyes.  It is way more than just a snappy tune and a piece of cloth to me. 

Loved the openning to the Bama game....Roll Tide.

Me too Karla.    They are both so special to me and mean so much!!!  Watching the game.

Karla, I too get chill bumps and tears when the Star Spangled Banner is played.  I also do the same when I hear Taps.  In 2007 Congress passed a change in the law on how to render proper respect to the flag.  It added members of the military not in uniform, retirees and veterans to those who should render a hand salute to the flag.  I am humbled when I do that because I know I am in a small way connecting to my fellow brothers and sisters who are fighting or have fought for our freedom.  We can never give enough honor to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice or were wounded in service of our great country and its citizens.

Glenn

 

Thank you so much for posting this.  I have been out of the Air Force for 30 years after serving for five.  Even after all this time, it is hard not to salute the flag because I thought I was no longer allowed to.  I will never claim to have sacrificed as much as other veterans, but I still have great deal of pride in my country and its flag.  I sit here with tears rolling down my face because I have been given back the gift  to salute my beloved flag.

Glenn,
It has been my priviledge to work with vets in my counseling practice over the years.  It was also my priviledge to work outside of Fort Hood, Killeen, Texas from 1972 to 1980.  I started out as a second grade teacher and then became a school counselor there.  My friends were all military wives or soldiers.  It was one of the most impactful experiences of my life, when they shared their personal stories.  Then just being a day to day observer of not only their sacrifice for our country, but also their family's sacrifice.  I went to sleep at night with the sound of guns when they were in the field. The "big gun" often shook my bed when it was fired.  The beauty of tracer bullets, when they were training and the flares that lighted the sky.  These were at least a monthly event and sometimes daily.   And believe me, you can say what you want about the Viet Nam era veteran, but the ones I knew were really great guys, who came home to an unappreciative nation.  Yeah, some of them were not that great, but the same thing is true in any group of people...some really make the others pay a high price.  I have since worked with at least one veteran from every war since 1971...the faces change, but the painful memories do not.  Just because one did not shed blood, does not mean one did not make honorable and meaningful scarifices.   All I can say is "thank you" to all those that served.

Karla I will have to talk with you later in the year to see what to do at Fort Hood. Bobby was with the First Cavalry, and we are thinking that we may go to the reunion next year in Texas. We went last year to the reunion in Jacksonville, Fla.
Being married and knowing a combat vet from Viet Nam for the last 38 years I do know the sacrifice that he made and the mental impact that it has made on his life.
I am now seeing the impact that Iraq has made on my son. And the sad part is that the help he needs is not forth coming, but yet you have people ever day that has never stepped foot out of country that can get help from the VA. All he is asking for is some medical care.

Glenn I am just now reading this and I agree with you 100%. I just want to add that we should honor all veterans that have served in the military wheather they gave the ultimate sacrifice or were wounded. Not all of the combat vets have physical wounds, a very large number of our combat vets came back with a lot of mental wounds. Those with the mental wounds also got them while in service helping to protect this great nation of ours so that we may have freedom.

Same for me Karla, I always have those same emotions!! It is so much more to me than a piece of cloth!!
HUGS,
Michele