Flag

[dd]

I read this this morning and thought it might be of interest.

Our Flag:

Did you know that at military funerals, the 21-gun salute stands for
the
sum of the numbers in the year 1776?

Have you ever noticed the honor guard pays meticulous attention to
correctly folding the American flag 13 times? You probably thought it
was
to symbolize the original 13 colonies, but we learn something new
every day!

The 1st fold of our flag is a symbol of life.

The 2nd fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life.

The 3rd fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans
departing our
ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of our country
to
attain peace throughout the world.

The 4th fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens
trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in
time
of war for His divine guidance.

The 5th fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen
Decatur, "Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always
be
right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.

The 6th fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that We
pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States Of America, and the
Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with
Liberty and Justice for all.

The 7th fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the
Armed
Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all her
enemies,
whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our
republic.

The 8th fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of
the
shadow of death, that we might see the light of day.

The 9th fold is a tribute to womanhood, and Mothers. For it has been
through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the
character of
the men and women who have made this country great has been molded.

The 10th fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his
sons
and daughters for the defense of our country since they were first
born.

The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David
and
King Solomon and glorifies in the Hebrews eyes, the God of Abraham,
Isaac
and Jacob.

The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the
Christians eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.

The 13th fold, or when the flag is completely folded, the stars are
uppermost reminding us of our nations motto, "In God We Trust."
After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the
appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who
served
under General George Washington, and the Sailors and Marines who
served
under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and
shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for us
the
rights, privileges and freedoms we enjoy today.

There are some traditions and ways of doing things that have important
deep
meanings. In the future, when you see flags folded, now you will know
why.

 

[MULDOON]

"The Pledge of Allegiance" - Senator John McCain

As you may know, I spent five and one half years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. In the early years of our imprisonment, the NVA kept us in solitary confinement or two or three to a cell. In 1971 the NVA moved us from these conditions of isolation into large rooms with as many as 30 to 40 men to a room.

This was,as you can imagine, a wonderful change and was a direct result of the efforts of millions of Americans on
behalf of a few hundred POWs 10,000 miles from home.

One of the men who moved into my room was a young man named Mike Christian.
Mike came from a small town near Selma, Alabama. He didn't wear a pair of shoes until he was 13 years old.
At 17, he enlisted in the US Navy. He later earned a commission by going to Officer Training School. Then he became a Naval Flight Officer and was shot down and captured in 1967. Mike had a keen and deep appreciation of the opportunities this country and our military provide for people who want to work and want to succeed.

As part of the change in treatment, the Vietnamese allowed some prisoners to receive packages from home. In some of these packages were handkerchiefs, scarves and other items of clothing.

Mike got himself a bamboo needle. Over a period of a couple of months, he created an American flag and sewed on the inside of his shirt.

Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike's shirt on the wall of the cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance.

I know the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important part of our day now, but I can assure you that in that stark cell it was indeed the most important and meaningful event.

One day the Vietnamese searched our cell, as they did periodically,and discovered Mike's shirt with the flag sewn inside, and removed it.

That evening they returned, opened the door of the cell, and for the benefit of all of us, beat Mike Christian severely for the next couple of hours. Then, they opened the door of the cell and threw him in. We cleaned him up as well as we could..

The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on which we slept. Four naked light bulbs hung in each corner of the room.

As I said, we tried to clean up Mike as well as we could. After the excitement died down, I looked in the corner of the room, and sitting there beneath that dim light bulb with a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend, Mike Christian. He was sitting there with his eyes almost shut from the beating he had received, making another American flag. He was not making the flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was making that flag because he knew how important it was to us to be able to Pledge our allegiance to our flag and country.

So the next time you say the Pledge of Allegiance,you must never forget the sacrifice and courage that thousands of Americans have made to build our nation and promote freedom around the world.

You must remember our duty, our honor, and our country

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation
under God, indivisible,with liberty and justice for all."

 

[greenpasture78]

Excellent story by John McCain. I do love his honesty...I think he would've made a fair candidate running for President.....what is wrong with honesty in Presidents? its about time we have one with honesty!

 

[Texan]

Excellent story by John McCain. I do love his honesty...I think he would've made a fair candidate running for President.....what is wrong with honesty in Presidents? its about time we have one with honesty!

Oreo, I thought you were a big supporter of your Second Amendment rights? You need to go to some of your trusted sources for news and see how John McCain really feels about those Second Amendment rights of your's.