Daily Journey: What The American Flag Means To Me

What the American flag means to me. I grew up in a military family so I have always had a very strong view point about our military and those that serve this country and the flag which represents it. It is an honor to live in this great country under all the freedoms that those have fought and died for to give us the right to live in this great nation America. I grew up knowing I had family dating back through history serving this country and the flag that represents it as well as the Constitution. My mother has tin photos of relatives that fought on both sides of the civil war. I have an Uncle that is buried in Arlington Cemetery. Both my natural father and step father served in three wars. I have a sister who has served on the civilian end serving Generals and has gone on and served through the Army Core of Engineers to help keep our freedoms and those that fight so hard for them. I have a step bother that still serving in the military. I have nieces and nephews that are serving and now I have a grandson serving. They each represent a piece of the freedoms I so richly take for granted daily. This is a piece of my heart and love for them and their love for America, the flag and what it represents to each one of us. Each one freely enlisting to serve our great nation laying their life’s daily on the line for us, knowing that they may come home in a body bag for our freedoms and the freedoms of others around the world. And yet they still serve because of love of country and the people who live here so we can have the freedoms we so richly have that no other country in the world offers or have. I still can hear my grandson say as a small child “when I grow up I’m going to be a soldier I’m going to protect all the boys and girls of the world and their mommy’s. So they can be free.” (Not exact words but close.) He loves this country so much that he was a color guard in ROTC and made General in his unit before graduating and heading into the Army. He is so proud of the flag and what it represents and the cost of many lives that have fought and died for the freedoms we have in this country. We were out one night before he left to go into the service and the light wasn’t on the flag. He went and told them they needed to take care of that as it represented lives. I sit here and cry when I think of all the lives that have been given for me to even write this and share it with you. It represents each person in America, those living and those that were given in battle for the freedoms we have. The flag to me is living and breathing life, representing life. Those that have died protecting our rights under the flag and those living here under her freedoms that she represents. It is a flag of life giving freedom. I have often thought and do believe soldiers are born and they somehow know they are going to do great things in serving and protecting the many rights that are represented under the flag, along with our Constitution. This means they represent all people that live here in America and the flag that represents this country. They are our American Heroes. Those that stand proudly under the flag, holding her banner high at all cost. They are the flag that waves; each life. I remember as a child growing up being taught the Pledge Alliance and having to stand and put our hand over our heart; saying the Pledge Alliance everyday in school. I do believe that honor and respect was taught through that. That the flag meant more than a piece of cloth. It represents something bigger. As I’ve gotten older it does…it represents so much more. It represents the opportunities to work in a free world. To be anything I want to be. But with that came a cost. A cost to someone’s loved one that gave their all so I might have the live I lead. The flag isn’t free! It cost someone so that I could be free. But the FREEDOMS she represents are free. To them and to you I say thank you! I couldn’t write this unless you stood to protect my rights under this great flag that represents this great nation America. Elizabeth (Beth) Proud American