Happy Independence Day

I spent the morning celebrating the freedom we enjoy in this great nation with our town.  It was a perfect day with children running and playing games, entertainment by home-grown talent, hot dogs, ice cream, cotton candy,  a parade and neighbors just spending time together.  This is the America I love!

My son posted the following poem as his status on Facebook today.  Reading it reminded me of these two pictures from our parade this morning.  I thought of how much we owe to our veterans and how our future depends on our youth.

That Ragged Old Flag!

Written by Johnny Cash

I walked through a county courthouse square.

On a park bench an old man was sitting there.

I said, "Your old Court House is kinda run down."

He said, "No, it will do for our little town."

I said, "Your old flag Pole is leaning a little bit.

And that's a ragged old Flag you've got hanging on it."

He said, "Have a seat," and I sat down

"Is the first time that you've been to our little town?"

"Well," 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 the Flag there,

When Washington took it across the Delaware.

And it got powder burns, the night Francis Scott Key,

Sat watching it, writing 'Oh, Say, Can You See.'

And it got a bad rip at New Orleans,

When Packingham and Jackson took it to the scene

And, it almost fell at the Alamo beside the Texas Flag

But she waved on through

She got cut with a sword at Chancerville,

And she got cut again at Shilo Hill

There was Robert E. Lee, Bouregard and Bragg

The South wind blew hard on that Old Ragged Flag

On Flanders Field in World War One

She got a big hole from a Bertha Gun

She turned BLOOD RED World War Two,

And she hung limp and low a time or two.

She was in Korea and Vietnam

She went from our ships upon the briny foam.

Now they've about quit waving her back here at home

In our good land she's been abused,

She's been burned, dishonored, denied, and refused

And the Government for which she stands

Is scandalized through out the land.

She's getting threadbare and she's wearing thin,

But, she's in good shape for the shape she's in,

Because she's been through the fire before,

I believe she can take a whole lot more.

So we raise her up every morning, and we

Take her down every night,

We don't let her touch the ground,

and we fold her up right.

On second thought, I do like to brag,

Because I'm mighty proud of that ragged old flag!