A Flag Retirement ceremony in my little town-I have been asked to speak...
We are here today to honor the symbol of our country and retire a flag which has served its useful life as a symbol of freedom. What is so special about this flag that we should all come together to honor it in this manner? It is so much more that a colorful piece of cloth. For me it is a patch sewn on my childrens’ uniforms as they are serving harm’s way. It is a flag I took an oath to support and defend in my military service. It is a beacon of America on the 4th of July at the American Embassy in Afghanistan. It is a cloth draped over my father's coffin as he is laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. What does this flag mean to you?
The song for Freedom by Avalon captures the stories of many of our fellow Americans. Picture this with me…
Somewhere a trumpet sounds in the night
A soldier is standing there
It’s calling him out to the stars and the stripes
It’s calling him God knows where
He kisses the ones he loves goodbyeand leaves in the dead of night
For freedom he’ll heed the call
Leave all he knows
And for freedom he’ll stand and fight
And somewhere a man and wife can’t believe they’re waving their girl goodbye
For gone are the days of pigtails and curls and candlelight lullabies
If they had their way she’d stay young foreverand never be far from home
But freedom has drawn her heart to danger’s shore
And for freedom they’ll let her go
And somewhere beneath the stars and the sky
Our flag is still standing there
She bled and she brought one land under God
Her colors still lead us there
"I am your Flag. I was born on June 14, 1777. I have led your children into battle from Valley Forge to Vietnam. I have been there though the Civil War, Two World wars, at Gettysburg, Flanders, Korea, the Gulf War, and now in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was there with George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and I am here with you now. I have flown through Peace and War. Whether being raised in glory at the Olympic games or lifted above the wreckage of the World Trade center, I am the hope of America.Through strife and Prosperity, and amidst it all, I have always been respected. My red stripes symbolize the blood spilled in defense of this glorious nation. My white stripes, the burning tears shed by Americans who lost their sons and daughters in battle. My blue field represents God’s Heaven under which I fly, and my stars, clustered together, unify the fifty states as one for God and Country. I am "Old Glory" and I proudly wave on high. Honor me, respect me, and defend me with your lives. Never let our enemies tear me down from my lofty position, lest I never return. Keep alight the fires of patriotism, strive earnestly for the spirit of democracy, and keep me always as a symbol of freedom, liberty, and peace in our country. When it comes the time when I am old and faded, do not let me fly in disrepair, rather Retire me from my duties only to replace me with a new flag so that I may continue to symbolize our country. “
Last week I wrote my daughter and told her about this ceremony. She emailed me back from Ghazni Afghanistan. "There she stands by Michael W. Smith will never be the same to me. They played it for the two hours it took at the memorial for Tiexxx and Tomxxxxx(sic soliders killed in Kabul suicide bombing) to come forward, salute, kneel at the boot/rifle/helmet/dog tag display, and then stand and salute again.
There she stands
There she flies
Clear blue sky
Reminds us with red
Of those that died
Washed in white
By the brave
In their strength
She stands
When evil calls itself a martyr
When all your hopes come crashing down
Someone will pull her from the rubble
There she stands
We've seen her flying torn and tattered.
We've seen her stand the test of time.
And through it all the fools have fallen.
There she stands
By the dawn's early light
And through the fight She stands.
Today we will retire this flag that has become worn beyond repair. We will separate the blue field of stars from the red and white stripes. The pieces of cloth that were once a flag will be burned to ashes. The flag of our Nation should always be a strong, vivid symbol of our land and fly brightly in our minds. Our flag is a symbol of our people, our freedom, and our strength. What does this flag mean to you? I hope you never look at it the same way again. May the spirit of this flag be born again in the new flag we will now fly and in our hearts as Americans.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
Memorial Day
In our little village there is a ceremony at the park every weekend before Memorial Day. The kids gather with their decorated bikes and follow the high school band to the park. There is a speaker and a high school student recites the Gettysburg Address-another recites " In Flanders Field the poppies blow beneath the crosses row on row..."
They asked me to speak this year. I wanted the kids to hear-that this is not just about very old people from long ago and far away. Here is my message:
The Winona Memorial Day Celebration-what sweet memories this day holds for me. Little toddlers dressed in red white and blue excitedly waiting for the band to play. A few years later they are solemn Cub Scouts raising the flag And during the tribute to the armed services when my husband and I stepped forward to the strains of “Off we go in to the wild blue yonder” they would beam with pride.
Fast forward twenty years –they are all grownup. Now I am a mom of four service members, one in each branch-a 4 Star Blue star mom. Family gatherings become a mix of inter service rivalry and bantering. But they share one thing in common-a value of service toward country. Duty Honor Commitment Courage-they have made a personal sacrifice for us all.
As a mom I am filled with pride as I watch them go forth into the world. They have amazed me with their strength and dedication. They credit their roots on the farm here in Winona with much of the toughness they needed to succeed elsewhere. The lessons of endurance, persistence, and cooperation that comes from a day of baling hay are priceless. Stacking bales in the top of the mow prepare you for the dusts of Afghanistan. Racing a thunderstorm to get the last wagon in before the storm hits is pretty similar to the stress of a carrier landing. And feeding the animals before you feed yourself is good preparation to taking care of men and women in your command. If you can catch a calf you can do an obstacle course. And if you shoot groundhogs, that experience might helpful when you have to travel with a weapon in your thigh holster.
But the reality is they don't get back home much anymore. With hot spots and bad guys all over the world they are pretty busy and Winona is a little off the beaten path. As I write this son #1 is finishing up his aerial combat training as a Marine F/18 pilot. During his past three years of training there have been multiple training accidents. He will soon join his squadron and be deployed in September. Son #2 is a P3 naval flight officer flying sub hunting missions and supporting Haiti relief efforts. He and his wife are expecting the first child in November and he will most likely deploy again when the baby is five months old. Son #3 is working through his helicopter ratings in Army ROTC and will attend Air Assault School this summer where he will rappel out of helicopters. This is the same child I would not let use the big slide here in the park because it was too high. And my daughter, who loved to swing and hang upside down here is currently deployed in Afghanistan. Instead of her majorette uniform she wears a flak jacket –instead of gold ribbons in her hair she wears a Kevlar helmet.
They make personal sacrifices every day to serve-and so do we parents. They do not live down the road, they cannot come home whenever they want, and now they are in harm’s way. As a mom I don't like to think about that too much- there are times when it is better just to turn off the news or not read the newspaper. There are times when a chill just washes over you as you think about what might happen-it is my worst nightmare.
When we put flowers on the memorial stones and remember I think about those mothers and father whose worst nightmares came true. And in the midst of deepest loss the greatest comfort is to know that your loved one lives mattered and are worth remembering.
So when we remember all those that have served and those who gave the greatest gift-remember that some of them were once little kids who ran among the fields of Winona. They grew up and decided to make a commitment to serve their country. It meant leaving home and those they loved knowing they just might not make it back. That is a lot to ask and to give –and they deserve our utmost respect and admiration
It’s not easy being a mom. We do the best we can to raise them right to keep them safe. That doesn't change whether they are 3 or 23. Being a military mom is even harder. We have to let go and share them with the country and even the world while we wait at home for an email or phone call to know that for the moment they are ok.
I have a sign at the end of my driveway that reads “A piece of my heart in Afghanistan”. I could add over the skies of the world. They are my most precious treasures – I appreciate that you are here today to honor them and all those who serve. And I look forward to a day when they can all be home for the Memorial Day celebration-maybe with their own children trying to climb the big slide.
God Bless our troops and all who hold them dear.
Momma B
They asked me to speak this year. I wanted the kids to hear-that this is not just about very old people from long ago and far away. Here is my message:
The Winona Memorial Day Celebration-what sweet memories this day holds for me. Little toddlers dressed in red white and blue excitedly waiting for the band to play. A few years later they are solemn Cub Scouts raising the flag And during the tribute to the armed services when my husband and I stepped forward to the strains of “Off we go in to the wild blue yonder” they would beam with pride.
Fast forward twenty years –they are all grownup. Now I am a mom of four service members, one in each branch-a 4 Star Blue star mom. Family gatherings become a mix of inter service rivalry and bantering. But they share one thing in common-a value of service toward country. Duty Honor Commitment Courage-they have made a personal sacrifice for us all.
As a mom I am filled with pride as I watch them go forth into the world. They have amazed me with their strength and dedication. They credit their roots on the farm here in Winona with much of the toughness they needed to succeed elsewhere. The lessons of endurance, persistence, and cooperation that comes from a day of baling hay are priceless. Stacking bales in the top of the mow prepare you for the dusts of Afghanistan. Racing a thunderstorm to get the last wagon in before the storm hits is pretty similar to the stress of a carrier landing. And feeding the animals before you feed yourself is good preparation to taking care of men and women in your command. If you can catch a calf you can do an obstacle course. And if you shoot groundhogs, that experience might helpful when you have to travel with a weapon in your thigh holster.
But the reality is they don't get back home much anymore. With hot spots and bad guys all over the world they are pretty busy and Winona is a little off the beaten path. As I write this son #1 is finishing up his aerial combat training as a Marine F/18 pilot. During his past three years of training there have been multiple training accidents. He will soon join his squadron and be deployed in September. Son #2 is a P3 naval flight officer flying sub hunting missions and supporting Haiti relief efforts. He and his wife are expecting the first child in November and he will most likely deploy again when the baby is five months old. Son #3 is working through his helicopter ratings in Army ROTC and will attend Air Assault School this summer where he will rappel out of helicopters. This is the same child I would not let use the big slide here in the park because it was too high. And my daughter, who loved to swing and hang upside down here is currently deployed in Afghanistan. Instead of her majorette uniform she wears a flak jacket –instead of gold ribbons in her hair she wears a Kevlar helmet.
They make personal sacrifices every day to serve-and so do we parents. They do not live down the road, they cannot come home whenever they want, and now they are in harm’s way. As a mom I don't like to think about that too much- there are times when it is better just to turn off the news or not read the newspaper. There are times when a chill just washes over you as you think about what might happen-it is my worst nightmare.
When we put flowers on the memorial stones and remember I think about those mothers and father whose worst nightmares came true. And in the midst of deepest loss the greatest comfort is to know that your loved one lives mattered and are worth remembering.
So when we remember all those that have served and those who gave the greatest gift-remember that some of them were once little kids who ran among the fields of Winona. They grew up and decided to make a commitment to serve their country. It meant leaving home and those they loved knowing they just might not make it back. That is a lot to ask and to give –and they deserve our utmost respect and admiration
It’s not easy being a mom. We do the best we can to raise them right to keep them safe. That doesn't change whether they are 3 or 23. Being a military mom is even harder. We have to let go and share them with the country and even the world while we wait at home for an email or phone call to know that for the moment they are ok.
I have a sign at the end of my driveway that reads “A piece of my heart in Afghanistan”. I could add over the skies of the world. They are my most precious treasures – I appreciate that you are here today to honor them and all those who serve. And I look forward to a day when they can all be home for the Memorial Day celebration-maybe with their own children trying to climb the big slide.
God Bless our troops and all who hold them dear.
Momma B
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Mom
I am a mom-soccer mom, track mom, football mom , ballet mom, no you can’t watch TV until you finish your homework is done mom, do the right thing mom , Army mom, Navy mom, Air Force mom, Marine mom . I am even a helicopter mom since one of my sons is training in helicopters!
I have been protecting my brood since before they were born. As a mama bird tends her nest, I fluttered about finding all the right ingredients to make strong little birds. My other job as mom was developing their wings in all kinds of ways. I wanted them to soar, fly in the face of adversity, and become competent birds who could navigate the big world around them.
And now–they are off and out of the nest. Most of the time, I am filled with pride and joy as I watch them rise to their potential. But there are days when I wish they were safe in the nest again. When I contemplate a sweet baby head of blonde curls now cradled in Kevlar my mother’s heart aches. Gone are the days when I can keep them safe-it is in God’s Hands. And so I look His words and leave them to His protection.
I am reminded of a favorite song based on His word… On Eagles Wings by Michael Joncas. Here is the refrain :
And He will lift you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And Hold you in the palm of his Hand.
I am glad there is room for me in His Hand as well.
I have been protecting my brood since before they were born. As a mama bird tends her nest, I fluttered about finding all the right ingredients to make strong little birds. My other job as mom was developing their wings in all kinds of ways. I wanted them to soar, fly in the face of adversity, and become competent birds who could navigate the big world around them.
And now–they are off and out of the nest. Most of the time, I am filled with pride and joy as I watch them rise to their potential. But there are days when I wish they were safe in the nest again. When I contemplate a sweet baby head of blonde curls now cradled in Kevlar my mother’s heart aches. Gone are the days when I can keep them safe-it is in God’s Hands. And so I look His words and leave them to His protection.
I am reminded of a favorite song based on His word… On Eagles Wings by Michael Joncas. Here is the refrain :
And He will lift you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And Hold you in the palm of his Hand.
I am glad there is room for me in His Hand as well.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
A new rating
I have been behind on my blog-nothing like a wedding in the family to take precedence. The AF 2Lt is now a Mrs.-and her husband is also a 2Lt in the Air Force just getting ready to start flight school. As I wrote in my Christmas card-sleep in peace-my family is on duty all over the world.
My husband was able to come home for the wedding and returned to Dubai /Kabul several weeks ago.
It is hard to keep up with him and his everchanging schedule. So when news of the attacks in Kabul hit the TV the other day the hair on the back off my neck stood up. I recognized that mall
and hoped he was anywhere but there. Turns out all was well-but members of his crew who are Afghani live right next to the fighting. They are so tired of war.
Right now my son who was deployed is happily back at home and everyone else is in training mode. I will treasure these moments of calm-I know that soon they will be interrupted by a call to harm's way. And in the meantime we will celebrate a new marriage, and a new helicopter rating; a permanent duty station in California plus no Kabul overnights. Life is good.
My husband was able to come home for the wedding and returned to Dubai /Kabul several weeks ago.
It is hard to keep up with him and his everchanging schedule. So when news of the attacks in Kabul hit the TV the other day the hair on the back off my neck stood up. I recognized that mall
and hoped he was anywhere but there. Turns out all was well-but members of his crew who are Afghani live right next to the fighting. They are so tired of war.
Right now my son who was deployed is happily back at home and everyone else is in training mode. I will treasure these moments of calm-I know that soon they will be interrupted by a call to harm's way. And in the meantime we will celebrate a new marriage, and a new helicopter rating; a permanent duty station in California plus no Kabul overnights. Life is good.
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