Just A Flag?

As an American with family on this continent dating back to before the Revolutionary war, and a veteran of the U. S. Army, I find it very disconcerting that there are Americans who can disrespect our flag.

To do so is to disrespect the people who have fought, the blood that has been shed, and the lives that have been lost all in defense of this symbol of America.

In 1776, the flag, containing the same seven red and six white stripes that it does to this day with only a field of thirteen stars, was created. It’s not known if the flag flew before the Continental Army thrown against the British forces during the War of Independence, but blood was shed and lives were lost in it’s defense.

In the War of 1812, the flag had added two stars for a total of fifteen, but it is still not known if it flew before the American military units in the field or on the sea. More sacrifices were made, blood shed, and lives were lost in defense of the flag.

The flag, now with twenty-seven stars, flew victorious in the field during the Mexican-American War, over both naval and land forces. At the wars end, three more stars had been added to the flag, giving it thirty, and blood had been shed and lives lost in it’s defense.

Next came the defining moment in the flags history. At the beginning of the Civil War, the flag contained thirty-four stars. By war’s end, only one star had been added and Abraham Lincoln had refused that any be removed. More importantly, though, the blood shed and lives lost as it flew before those victorious forces of the North had guaranteed that the count of stars would remain at thirty-five, and that the chains of slavery had been loosed in the land of the free.

At the time of, and through, the Spanish-American War the flag held forty-five stars. Through the success of American forces, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines found freedom as territories, while Cuba began it’s road to independence. Again, the blood of the American military man had persevered to victory for the flag.

The beginning of World War I saw forty-eight stars in the blue field of the flag, and again, blood was shed and lives were lost in defense of the flag. This time, American forces were victorious in beating back the chains of oppression on the European and Asian continents making our flag fly high among the nations of Earth.

The war to end all wars, World War I, had not put an end to war. In the late 1930’s oppression once again raised it’s ugly head. In 1941, the Stars and Stripes came under attack and led our armed forces into battle once again. Through the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans; the Asian, European and African continents; the flag led the American forces in victory. Blood and lives were spent, again, to save the country, and the world.

World War II, as did the Korean Conflict, saw forty-eight stars on the flag. Korea, once again, saw blood shed and lives lost in defense of our countries objectives as the flag flew before the American military.

At the time of the Occupation of the Dominican Republic and Vietnam, the flag had added the final two stars for the fifty that we have today. Vietnam saw more American blood shed and many more lives lost in defense of the flag, but our military persevered and brought honor to Old Glory.

Through the 80’s, Granada and Panama saw American servicemen once again in the field. More blood, more lives and more honor were brought to the flag.

The Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq Wars saw the flag raised above battlefields against a new threat to the United States, Islamic nations with a desire to destroy the Western way of life. Again, as before, the world saw blood being shed and lives being lost, honoring the American flag.

Through all this, three things were consistently witnessed by this flag, American men and women suffering bloodshed and death, while throughout bringing honor to those seven red and 6 white stripes and that ever-growing field of blue with white stars. From The siege of Fort Texas to Appomattox. From San Juan Hill to the Battle of the Marne. From Mt. Suribachi to Inchon. From the Battle of Ia Drang to Kuwait. From Kabul to Baghdad. Every one of these battles witnessed brave soldiers, airman, marines and seaman bringing honor to this flag.

Yet, today, we find this same honored flag stomped, burned, and defaced with the image of a man who is the President of the United States. But, what does it all matter? It’s just a flag, right?