Oh Say Can You See?

As I sat at my desk today, a note on my calendar caught my eye.  It was a reminder that my dad, survivor of 3 1/2 years as a prisoner of war, died eight years ago.

Under the note was a URL.  When I typed it into my browser it brought up this picture and a forgotten post.  

My son in law, Scott Fowler, sent me this picture four years ago.  The boys in the picture are my grandsons Preston and Bailey.  They made the flag with their own hand prints, as a gift to their dad. 

Scott said it is the most moving gift he has ever received.  He has tried hard to instill in the boys a respect for the history of our country and an awareness of the sacrifices which have given us the freedoms we enjoy.  They have heard the story of my dad’s imprisonment and torture.  They have seen the pictures of him raising the flag as he did almost every morning of his life.  They know what the flag stands for.

I remember seeing Jay Leno interview a random person on the street.  He pointed to a flag and asked the person if they knew what it stood for.  They didn’t have a clue.  Not an inkling of what the stars and stripes signified.  A generation of such people are quickly populating our country.

If we forget the price of freedom we will lose it.

If we forget our history we will forfeit our future.

The flag reminds us of the history and cost of the freedoms we enjoy today.  We must insure that this young generation can still SEE the significance of the flag and know its rich history.

That knowledge will help guarantee that after we are gone, our grandchildren will still have a land of the free and home of the brave over which old glory can wave.

Oh, say can YOU see?