http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475 Hello, Remember me? Some people call me &quot;Old Glory&quot; Others call me the &quot;Star Spangled Banner&quot; But whatever they call me, I am your Flag, The Flag of the United States of America.... Something has been bothering me, so I thought I might talk it over with you... because it is about you.... and me. I remember some time ago people lined up on both sides of the street to watch a parade, and naturally I was leading every parade, proudly waving in the breeze. When your Daddy saw me coming, he immediately removed his hat and placed it against his left shoulder, so that his hand was directly over his heart...Remember? And you, I remember you. Standing there straight as a soldier. You didn't have a hat, but you were giving the right salute. Remember little sister? Not to be outdone, she was saluting the same as you, with her hand over her heart.... Remember? What happened? I'm still the same old flag. Oh, I have a few more stars now and a lot more blood has been shed since those days long ago. But now I don't feel as proud as I used to. When I come down the street you just stand there with your hands in your pockets, and I may get a small glance, but then you look away. Then I see children running around and shouting; they don't seem to know who I am.... I saw one man take off his hat, then he looked around and saw no one else with their hat off, so he quickly put his hat back on. Is it a sin to be patriotic now? Have you forgotten what I stand for? And where I've been? Anzio....Normandy... Guadal Canal....Iwo Jima.....Korea..... Vietnam.... Persian Gulf....Afghanistan....and now Iraq? Take a look at the Memorial Honor Rolls sometime. Note the names of those who never came back; they died to keep this republic free... One Nation Under God! When you salute me... you are actually saluting them. Well, it won't be long now until I'll be coming down your street again....So when you see me, stand straight, place you right hand over you heart, and I'll salute you by waiving back.... and I'll know.... YOU REMEMBERED. Hello, Remember me? Some people call me &quot;Old Glory&quot; Others call me the &quot;Star Spangled Banner&quot; But whatever they call me, I am your Flag, The Flag of the United States of America.... Something has been bothering me, so I thought I might talk it over with you... because it is about you.... and me. I remember some time ago people lined up on both sides of the street to watch a parade, and naturally I was leading every parade, proudly waving in the breeze. When your Daddy saw me coming, he immediately removed his hat and placed it against his left shoulder, so that his hand was directly over his heart...Remember? And you, I remember you. Standing there straight as a soldier. You didn't have a hat, but you were giving the right salute. Remember little sister? Not to be outdone, she was saluting the same as you, with her hand over her heart.... Remember? What happened? I'm still the same old flag. Oh, I have a few more stars now and a lot more blood has been shed since those days long ago. But now I don't feel as proud as I used to. When I come down the street you just stand there with your hands in your pockets, and I may get a small glance, but then you look away. Then I see children running around and shouting; they don't seem to know who I am.... I saw one man take off his hat, then he looked around and saw no one else with their hat off, so he quickly put his hat back on. Is it a sin to be patriotic now? Have you forgotten what I stand for? And where I've been? Anzio....Normandy... Guadal Canal....Iwo Jima.....Korea..... Vietnam.... Persian Gulf....Afghanistan....and now Iraq? Take a look at the Memorial Honor Rolls sometime. Note the names of those who never came back; they died to keep this republic free... One Nation Under God! When you salute me... you are actually saluting them. Well, it won't be long now until I'll be coming down your street again....So when you see me, stand straight, place you right hand over you heart, and I'll salute you by waiving back.... and I'll know.... YOU REMEMBERED. en-us Great post Colitas!&nbsp; I wish there were more respect for our flag as well.&nbsp; My wife and I fly our flag on most holidays, the 4th, Memorial Day Veterans Day, etc.&nbsp; When we're home we fly it on the weekends too.&nbsp; And the only reason we wouldn't fly it on a holiday would be because we won't be home before it gets dark and flag etiquette dictates that it shouldn't be in the dark without a light on it.<br /> <br /> My wife and I love the little 4th of July parade in BVS!&nbsp; It feels like a small town parade where people care about such things, and where folks still show respect for the flag!<br /> <br /> Here are a couple of great flag and flag etiquette related websites:<br /> <a href="http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html">http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.usflag.org/flagetiquette.html">http://www.usflag.org/flagetiquette.html</a><br /> http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_92495 http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_92495 Great post Colitas!&nbsp; I wish there were more respect for our flag as well.&nbsp; My wife and I fly our flag on most holidays, the 4th, Memorial Day Veterans Day, etc.&nbsp; When we're home we fly it on the weekends too.&nbsp; And the only reason we wouldn't fly it on a holiday would be because we won't be home before it gets dark and flag etiquette dictates that it shouldn't be in the dark without a light on it.<br /> <br /> My wife and I love the little 4th of July parade in BVS!&nbsp; It feels like a small town parade where people care about such things, and where folks still show respect for the flag!<br /> <br /> Here are a couple of great flag and flag etiquette related websites:<br /> <a href="http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html">http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.usflag.org/flagetiquette.html">http://www.usflag.org/flagetiquette.html</a><br /> My son found this and is going to read it at his Cub Scout Mother's Day Camp-out.&nbsp; It's part of a Flag Retirement Ceremony.&nbsp; By the way, he is only 7.&nbsp; I am so proud.&nbsp; Okay, I'll stop bragging :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_92547 http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_92547 My son found this and is going to read it at his Cub Scout Mother's Day Camp-out.&nbsp; It's part of a Flag Retirement Ceremony.&nbsp; By the way, he is only 7.&nbsp; I am so proud.&nbsp; Okay, I'll stop bragging :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) Inspiring&nbsp;post, you son sounds awsome.The flag also represents the less fortunate and voiceless. The handicap that says the heck with the fact I'm in a wheelchair, I'm going to join a challenged basketball team, it's the blind person that says I can play a great piano and compose great music and sing &quot;Georgia&quot; like no one else, it's a testament to that mother that was just diagnosed with breast cancer and says I will fight this and I will survive, the black woman who although&nbsp;molested as a child can grow up to inspire millions of women. It's the inner city boy that instead of selling dope in the street&nbsp;listens to his mamas wisdom and with a candle&nbsp;lit by his side and gunshots blaring in the background&nbsp;opens his book and studies.&nbsp;It's the fireman and police officers that went up the firing inferno of 9/11 to save their brothers and sisters.&nbsp;&nbsp;It's the man who self educated himself, walked 20 miles to return 20 cents and became the leader of this great nation. You say who is this flag? It's a spirit mightier than all, it's the face of God. This flag is hard work, honor, resilience, bravery, ingenuity and compassion. When it passes by us you bet we must raise our chins high and salute it as if we were bidding our mothers our last &nbsp;farewell. http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_92583 http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_92583 Inspiring&nbsp;post, you son sounds awsome.The flag also represents the less fortunate and voiceless. The handicap that says the heck with the fact I'm in a wheelchair, I'm going to join a challenged basketball team, it's the blind person that says I can play a great piano and compose great music and sing &quot;Georgia&quot; like no one else, it's a testament to that mother that was just diagnosed with breast cancer and says I will fight this and I will survive, the black woman who although&nbsp;molested as a child can grow up to inspire millions of women. It's the inner city boy that instead of selling dope in the street&nbsp;listens to his mamas wisdom and with a candle&nbsp;lit by his side and gunshots blaring in the background&nbsp;opens his book and studies.&nbsp;It's the fireman and police officers that went up the firing inferno of 9/11 to save their brothers and sisters.&nbsp;&nbsp;It's the man who self educated himself, walked 20 miles to return 20 cents and became the leader of this great nation. You say who is this flag? It's a spirit mightier than all, it's the face of God. This flag is hard work, honor, resilience, bravery, ingenuity and compassion. When it passes by us you bet we must raise our chins high and salute it as if we were bidding our mothers our last &nbsp;farewell. I love this post!  Living in a military neighborhood almost every house has a flag out.  Many of my neighbors also fly POW MIA flags.   My husband was in the Old Guard at Arlington Cemetery and every year they would go out and put a flag on every grave.  Any of you that have visited the cemetery know that it is HUGE.  Every year around Memorial Day my husband reminisces about those weekends that he would be walking through the cemetery placing flags and sharing stories with fellow soldiers and good friends.  Good Memories enjoy your weekend and get your flags out! <br /> <br /> Here is a pic....<br /> http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/photo_gallery/05-28-04.html http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_92599 http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_92599 I love this post!  Living in a military neighborhood almost every house has a flag out.  Many of my neighbors also fly POW MIA flags.   My husband was in the Old Guard at Arlington Cemetery and every year they would go out and put a flag on every grave.  Any of you that have visited the cemetery know that it is HUGE.  Every year around Memorial Day my husband reminisces about those weekends that he would be walking through the cemetery placing flags and sharing stories with fellow soldiers and good friends.  Good Memories enjoy your weekend and get your flags out! <br /> <br /> Here is a pic....<br /> http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/photo_gallery/05-28-04.html Here is a pic of my husband from his Old Guard days cause I am so proud of him he is the 2nd one in from the left<img alt="" src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b359/rstott/4apr2004-gallery-004.gif" /> http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_92602 http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_92602 Here is a pic of my husband from his Old Guard days cause I am so proud of him he is the 2nd one in from the left<img alt="" src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b359/rstott/4apr2004-gallery-004.gif" /> I won't be putting a flag up unless I can get my 20 foot pole up first and get a new flag as before I moved back to Tehachapi I had to retire my old flag. http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_92639 http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_92639 I won't be putting a flag up unless I can get my 20 foot pole up first and get a new flag as before I moved back to Tehachapi I had to retire my old flag. Great post!! It gave me goosebumps! http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_92662 http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_92662 Great post!! It gave me goosebumps! How many of you remember Rick Monday saving the flag at Dodger Stadium in 1976?<br /> <br /> <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060424&amp;content_id=1415977&amp;vkey=news_chc&amp;fext=.jsp&amp;c_id=chc">http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060424&amp;content_id=1415977&amp;vkey=news_chc&amp;fext=.jsp&amp;c_id=chc</a><br /> <br /> Make sure you click on the link to listen to Vin Scully's call of the incident.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> He is usually humble when he speaks of the incident, but he acknowledges that he is thanked often, especially by service members.<br /> http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_93618 http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_93618 How many of you remember Rick Monday saving the flag at Dodger Stadium in 1976?<br /> <br /> <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060424&amp;content_id=1415977&amp;vkey=news_chc&amp;fext=.jsp&amp;c_id=chc">http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060424&amp;content_id=1415977&amp;vkey=news_chc&amp;fext=.jsp&amp;c_id=chc</a><br /> <br /> Make sure you click on the link to listen to Vin Scully's call of the incident.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> He is usually humble when he speaks of the incident, but he acknowledges that he is thanked often, especially by service members.<br /> <img height="250" alt="" width="333" src="http://www.tehachapinews.com/file/picture/36241/1/0/" />This is my son this weekend doing a Flag Retirement Ceremony at his Cub Scout Camp-out.&nbsp; http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_93830 http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_93830 <img height="250" alt="" width="333" src="http://www.tehachapinews.com/file/picture/36241/1/0/" />This is my son this weekend doing a Flag Retirement Ceremony at his Cub Scout Camp-out.&nbsp; GregL...I was too young to remember Rick Monday, but thank you for posting it.&nbsp; I read, listened, and saw the photos of that great day.&nbsp; I had never heard of it before, and thank you for sharing.&nbsp; http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_93842 http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/Colitas/9475/#c_93842 GregL...I was too young to remember Rick Monday, but thank you for posting it.&nbsp; I read, listened, and saw the photos of that great day.&nbsp; I had never heard of it before, and thank you for sharing.&nbsp;