Commentary - Celebrate ‘Old Glory,’ pay respects to the ‘Stars and Stripes’

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. (Ret.) Scott Hubbartt
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  As Americans, we enjoy four special days set aside each year specifically to honor our veterans and comrades in arms. These days are often overlooked, and too few of us pay our respects and recognize the sacrifice and service of these individuals. These four days are intended to, in some small way, express the sentiments of a grateful nation.

I understand that today our lives are more complicated and busier than ever. We have so much going on in our lives these days: school getting out, visiting relatives, graduations, and any number of other competing priorities. I hope each of us were able to honor our heroes last November on Veteran's Day. What of the other days? It's perhaps easy to seek and find forgiveness for not making it out to the Veteran's cemetery last Memorial Day. After all, who among us is not grateful for a day off, a chance to sleep in, fire up the grill, catch a new summer blockbuster and recharge our batteries?

Beginning during the Civil War, what is now known as Memorial Day, was originally called Decoration Day, a day set aside to recognize the nation's war dead by decorating their graves. In nearly every community in America you can find the final resting place of our veterans. There are more than 120 national cemeteries, and at least 80 state and territorial veteran's cemeteries. Somewhere near each of us rests a veteran hero who answered the call and paid the ultimate price. So I ask you, how difficult is it really to pack up the kids and drive out to the local cemetery and pay our respects? Perhaps you did just that this past Memorial Day, and if you did, I thank you. If not, please do so soon. Our fallen brethren deserve your thanks any day of the year.

In 1950, President Harry S. Truman spearheaded efforts to set aside a single holiday, now called Armed Forces Day, when Americans could gather and collectively thank our military personnel for their service to the nation. There is usually a generous outpouring of support and gratitude from most Americans ranging from yellow ribbons to bumper stickers and welcome home parades for returning combat troops.

Then there is that fourth special day, June 14, set aside to honor another veteran - a faithful comrade who has accompanied each of us, every service member before us, to battlefields and duty stations in virtually every corner of the globe. For more than two centuries this veteran has always been there with us, always faithful and always ready for a parade. Our friend was there at the cemetery on Memorial Day. He was present and accounted for, standing tall on Armed Forces Day as well. In fact our friend is always there, and is in fact, often overlooked and taken for granted.

Of course I am speaking of Old Glory, our flag. Always faithful and decked out in full glorious parade dress uniform. It has guided and comforted countless numbers of us, and our comrades in arms through the best and worst times. No doubt each of us can recall an example of the flag being present at an important moment in our lives which might evoke strong emotions in each of us. Perhaps in a parade, at a funeral for a loved one, on the battlefield, on the tail of a plane, or over an embassy in a foreign land. So, I ask you this June 14, hoist Old Glory up, salute, and give our good friend the respect and recognition he deserves on Flag Day.