The Road Home

The Road Home
There is no place like home.

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

She's a Grand Old Flag

We salute Old Glory. Long may she wave over America's shores, a beacon of Liberty and Freedom to all of us. Listen, and she will tell you a story of the struggles and bloodshed that have kept this country free. She will tell you about the men and women that gave all in defense of the light of freedom found in her stars and stripes. She will tell you of sacrifice, deprivation and loneliness as soldiers, far from home, missed their families in only the way a soldier can. She truly is a Grand Old Flag and we are honored to find her in many places around our homestead. Like Frank said in a recent comment, "Did I tell you I love my flag? It flies everyday, 365, 24/7. Rain or shine. It's just like our soldiers, it's there everyday. Rain or shine." We thought we would share her with you so that she might inspire you as well.


























Do you have a flag flying? What are you waiting for? Don't wait until it is too late.

Until next time - Fern

14 comments:

  1. My flag also flies 24/7. Thanks for your service and your obvious love for this country. I can't believe it's been almost 50 years since I stood with about 100 of my fellow Oklahomans and swore to defend my country against her enemies foreign and domestic. I never thought I would see the domestic type. I guess if you live long enough, you'll see just about anything. God bless and keep your heads down.

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  2. Love your post. It made think of this song


    "Ragged Old Flag" sung by Johnny Cash


    I walked through a county courthouse square
    On a park bench, an old man was sittin' there.
    I said, "Your old court house is kinda run down,
    He said, "Naw, it'll do for our little town".
    I said, "Your old flag pole is leaned a little bit,
    And that's a ragged old flag you got hangin' on it".
    He said, "Have a seat", and I sat down,
    "Is this the first time you've been to our little town"
    I said, "I think it is"
    He said "I don't like to brag, but we're kinda proud of
    That Ragged Old Flag

    "You see, we got a little hole in that flag there,
    When Washington took it across the Delaware.
    and It got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it,
    writing "Say Can You See"
    It got a rip in New Orleans, with Packingham & Jackson
    tugging at its seams.
    and It almost fell at the Alamo
    beside the Texas flag,
    But she waved on though.
    She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville,
    And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
    There was Robert E. Lee and Beauregard and Bragg,
    And the south wind blew hard on
    That Ragged Old Flag

    "On Flanders Field in World War I,
    She got a big hole from a Bertha Gun,
    She turned blood red in World War II
    She hung limp, and low, a time or two,
    She was in Korea, Vietnam, She went where she was sent
    by her Uncle Sam.
    She waved from our ships upon the briny foam
    and now they've about quit wavin' back here at home
    in her own good land here She's been abused,
    She's been burned, dishonored, denied an' refused,
    And the government for which she stands
    Has been scandalized throughout out the land.
    And she's getting thread bare, and she's wearin' thin,
    But she's in good shape, for the shape she's in.
    Cause she's been through the fire before
    and i believe she can take a whole lot more.

    "So we raise her up every morning
    And we bring her down slow every night,
    We don't let her touch the ground,
    And we fold her up right.
    On second thought
    I *do* like to brag
    Cause I'm mighty proud of
    That Ragged Old Flag"


    Happy New Years!!!!!!
    Sue

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  3. My flag is displayed 24/7/365. I have a pocket copy of the Constitution. Although I am not a vet a support and honor those who are.

    Carl in the UP

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  4. I am proud to work in a public school where we start the day right. Every day begins with a whole-school assembly for the purpose of one thing: We face the flag, and say the pledge of allegiance.

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  5. We also display our flag 24/7. We also have our great state flag and our confederate flag. I wish everyone had a flagpole in their yard.We will always let Old Glory Wave! Donna in Texas

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  6. Fern, and Frank,

    We have several flags on the property. One flying, one for retirement, one folded from my father's funeral, and another waiting to be placed in a frame properly. We are proud Americans who love our country and our freedoms!!!
    God Bless You and Frank, and God Bless America!

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  7. When I was in the military, one of the things I always said was When we had our own house, it would have a REAL flagpole!" It's been over thirteen years since I retired from the military. A flag has flown over our house since the day I took off the uniform. It's always lit at night. It's never left to go ragged. My wife and I are quite vocal in our patriotism, and leave no doubt as to our unabashed love for God and America. Indeed; the "decor" at our house is strikingly similar to that in yours! That message carries over to the tailgates of our cars, and the shirts on our backs. So often do we wear patriotic shirts that I was recently asked "Just how many "America shirts" do you have?" My reply; "Not enough, friend; not enough..."

    God bless you both!

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  8. Fern - if you don't mind, please give Frank a hug from me, a fellow vet! we don't fly our flag here on our property as there is really no reason to. we just look out our windows and see our "flag" - maple trees! we also see our "flag" in the beaver dam that we keep our eye on to make sure no one disturbs it. we see our "flag" in our river and down at the ocean. but that doesn't mean we don't have canadian flag magnets like yours - bahahahah! and our weapon locker is covered in canadian flags. we love our flag too - we just celebrate it differently. i am glad that you and Frank love your flag and love being american. we appreciate and understand what it means to the both of you! we feel exactly the same way - except that we're canadian - bahahah!

    sending much love to you both! your friend,
    kymber

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  9. The respect for the flag is waning and that is a sad thing. I saw a woman in Walmart wearing spandex in a Stars and bars Pattern! Something no one should ever wear.
    So many places let their flags fly and wear into rags, what has happened to flag ettiquette?

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    Replies
    1. Flag etiquette, like most other forms of etiquette, is unfortunately a thing of the past for many people.

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  10. I also keep mine up 24/7/365 with a small flood light on it. When it starts to fray, up goes another one. They have been doing this since Feb,5 1975. Been thru three sets of brass fasteners, all on the same piece of nylon line! Hows that for longevity?

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  11. Frank and Fern, my husband and I have had a flag discussion quite a few times over the past couple of years. We have a large flag flying over our property....and have been proud to fly it. However, in these distressing days, we have discussed turning it upside down, which is the proper way to fly a flag as a sign of dire distress. I believe this nation is in dire distress. Lately, though, I have been reading about a flag that was evident during the American Revolution: An Appeal To Heaven. This flag speaks volumes about the situation today. It has a white pine on the flag. White pines were majestic trees that towered above others. The colonists claimed those trees as their own but the crown, under the Broad Arrow Act, took as many trees as they wanted, both on the coast and inland. This flag, flown by order of George Washington commander in chief of the Continental Army in October 1775 is a symbol of solidarity, conviction and encouragement to fight for liberty. It meant that a man might not get justice when he appeals to Law, but his remedy is still "An Appeal To Heaven." Is this not what we desperately need?

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  12. Fern - i just showed this post to jambaloney and he said "hey...you didn't tell Frank and Fern that whenever we see our pair of resident bald eagles, we always think of all of our american friends!". and it's true...whenever we are down at the river and we see the bald eagles fly by, i salute and jamie waves...and we think of all of our american friends. make sure to tell that to Frank. xox

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  13. God Bless you and yours. Happy New Year 2016!

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