Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, country roads and friendly waves from those working the fields, horses running freely across the farm land stopping at the fence to give a whinny as we slowly drive by making a dust cloud gently rising from the rear of dad’s car; Fords, Chevys (“See the USA, in your Chevrolet”). These are but a few things that sing ‘America’ forever in my heart.
I proudly served the American Armed Forces effort in Vietnam during 1966-67. While in a foreign land with culture far different from home, we would do as much as we could to keep our memories and hope alive. In free time around the camp, we would engage in touch football. Did I say touch? It always progressed into tackle, and then into fistfights, but without fail we would end the game bloody, sweaty, and laughing together as we sat in the dirt. Moreover, it was a special day if we could manage to find something to BBQ in a makeshift grill (Did you know you could grill Spam?).
With a little hope and a fair amount of doubt, we sent a letter to howling Wolfman Jack, America’s D.J., asking if he might help us with some good old Rock and Roll. Soon we received a tape for our ‘real to real’ tape player. This tape, having hundreds of hit music of the day, was soon turning our base into ‘Little America’ in our hearts. You could hear, “We gotta get out of this place, if it’s the last thing we ever do!” being sung everywhere by some off-key young man on his way to his duty station. “Clap for the Wolfman,” did we ever!
However, in my heart, the best thing ever for our morale while there still brings tears to my eyes . . . another letter, another request, another response. Governor Ronald Reagan sent a flag of the United States, which had flown over the California Capitol Building. We proudly flew it above our tents. That, my dear friends, is the one thing that best says, ‘America’ for me.
What do the stars, stripes and colors on the flag of the United States mean?
The 13 stripes on the flag of the United States of America represent the original 13 colonies that became the first states in the Union.
The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 states of the United States. (I remember when the last two states, Alaska and Hawaii, gave us the total of fifty. I was in the seventh grade).
The colors did not have meanings when we adopted the flag in 1777. However, in my heart the colors used in the flag of the United States of America, have these meanings: White signifies purity and innocence; Red, hardiness and valor, and Blue, signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice.
Old Glory, you’re a grand old flag! May you always wave over this land in peace; for you are the emblem of the land I fought for, and love, and will defend until I die.
America, keep your eye and heart on this grand old Flag; for it represents what is good in our world; a beacon of hope!
