Just curious to see how many of you will even bother to put up the US Flag this weekend...


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They carried P-38 can openers and heat tabs, watches and dog tags,
insect repellent, gum, cigarettes, Zippo lighters, salt tablets,
compress bandages, ponchos, Kool-Aid, two or three canteens of water,
iodine tablets,
sterno, LRRP-rations, and C-rations stuffed in socks.

They carried standard fatigues, jungle boots, bush hats, flak jackets
and steel pots.

They carried the M-16 assault rifle.

They carried trip flares and Claymore mines, M-60 machine guns, the M-70
grenade launcher, M-14's, CAR-15's, Stoners, Swedish K's, shotguns, .45
caliber pistols, silencers, the sound of bullets, rockets, and choppers,
and sometimes the sound of silence.

They carried C-4 plastic explosives, an assortment of hand grenades,
PRC-25 radios, knives and machetes. Some carried napalm, CBU's and large
bombs; some risked their lives to rescue others. Some escaped the fear,
but dealt with the death and damage. Some made very hard decisions, and
some just tried to survive.

They carried malaria, dysentery, ringworms and leaches. They carried the
land itself as it hardened on their boots.

They carried stationery, pencils, and pictures of their loved ones -
real and imagined.

They carried love for people in the real world and love for one another.
And sometimes... ...they disguised that love: "Don't mean nothin'!"

They carried memories for the most part, they carried themselves with
poise and a kind of dignity. Now and then, there were times when panic
set in, and people squealed or wanted to, but couldn't; when they
twitched and trembled and covered their heads and said "Dear God" and
hugged the earth and fired their weapons blindly and cringed and begged
for the noise to stop and went wild and made stupid promises to
themselves and God and their parents, hoping not to die.

They carried the traditions of the United States military, and memories
and images of those who served before them.

They carried grief, terror, longing and their reputations.

They carried the soldier's greatest fear: the embarrassment of dishonor.

They crawled into tunnels, walked point, and advanced under fire, so as
not to die of embarrassment. They were afraid of dying, but too afraid
to show it.

They carried the emotional baggage of men and women who might die at any
moment.

They carried the weight of the world.

They carried each other.

Remember them this Memorial Day, May 28th.



Author Unknown

This weekend? I put the flag out EVERY day. God, I hope it means to us than having to be bothered to display it 2 or 3 days a year.

You bet,me and my family are looking forward to it. Ecspecially my 5 year old who was born on Flag Day.

He came home one day and told me you cant trade your lunch to another kid for his turn at holding the flag during the Pledge.

That brought a tear to my eye.


Hunter out...

I to fly our flag on daily basis.

Yes, my US Flag will be out along with the USMC Flag and the POW-MIA Flag.

I put my flag up everyday that it's not raining.

Unfortunately, it's supposed to rain all weekend here.

Mine goes up every day.  Nice 24' commercial pole located right between my house and shop. I get a lot of compliments.

I will fly the "Stars & Bars" because they died for their country too.

The flag will fly before the cooler is full!

A flag flies on my house every day of the year, weather allowing.  Mostly it is the US flag.  Occasionally it is the controversial (and now 'outlawed' for PC reasons) Georgia state flag.  On certain special occasions it is the First Flag of the Confederacy.

On Memorial Day, just remember:
"All gave some.  Some gave all."

Its up all the time.  Just replaced it in fact with fancy new sewn one.  Not sure how to get rid of old one-seems like chucking it in the firepit a little harsh-any ideas?

Not sure about a previous post about flying the flag "inverted" though...a little help here...

btt

Cleatus - an inverted flag is a symbol of distress.

Had Gore stolen the election, my flag would be flying inverted everyday.

I'm almost tempted to fly it inverted now, given the Police State we are becoming.

Of course, the Culpepper will fly as it does on these holidays. So will the HOG.

YES [sniper]

Flying the flag only let's "them" know that I like America the way it used to be, where the Constitution was honored, and makes me a target for "them."

Its always up.

Every holiday

Yesterday, I bought a "Betsy Ross" to fly this weekend.  I live in occupied territory and it is not PC to fly everyday.

i stopped flying that useless rag about four years ago--my country has abandoned me.

the stars and stripes will not return until my constitution and individual rights are fully restored--so apparently ill never be flying that flag again

i have been flying the gadsen flag since, and sometimes i switch it off with the navy jack.

You Betcha!

Absolutely YES!  I fly mine on all holidays.

Oh yes..........I fly the Betsy Ross and the Gadsden.

Most definitely, it will be up.  I have a niece and nephew coming today, and they're always excited about raising the flag in the morning when they're here.

The flag rests in the bottom shelf of my glass bookcase.  It's stored in a triangle with the white on blue showing.

I think I'll take a walk up the street and ask my Pearl Harbor survivor neighbor if he needs any help in the yard. He's been sick lately.  

There seem to be so many vets that need a hand, I'm not sure I'll have time to be bothered with a flag.

Or maybe I should follow suit of other's here and ignore the old guy, hang a flag upside down (which would come across as an affront to his sacrifice)...and whine about the sad state of affairs in place today....all caused by complacent bastards that think citizenship is a privilege and not a responsibly.

Leave the flag in the closet this weekend and go  help out a vet...be a responsible citizen.

just my opinion

I fly the U.S. flag frequently anyways, but this weekend I'll have it up along with the USMC flag.

Hell yes!

I fly mine proudly every day

Realist.....very well said made chills go up and down my spine...

NightRanger

Of course, do you breath? What a silly question.

Mrs DieselDoctor

My family & I fly the USA Flag everyday , I will add the "MIA" flag this weekend.

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It's great to see we have a so many patriots on Board... [:)] The VA hospital is full of veterans forgotten by us...  Forgotten by their own family and many without family at all.  I have a friend that visits the VA Hospital and old folk homes once a month.... He doesn't know a single one, but funny how most are tickled to death for a stranger to sit down and talk with them.... We are all so busy with our own lives that we forget about the ones that gave us the right to live as we do ....  Yes, I am guilty of the same and hold my head in shame, not because I will be visiting the VA this weekend, but because it takes Memorial Day weekend to remind me of those men that died for us and not making any effort to visit them all the other days of the Year.


realist out

Don't forget, half-staff from sunrise until Noon on Memorial Day.

Mine is in my livingroom everyday. In a triangle unit.

I also have one flying in my garage near my work bench everyday.

God bless you all and all the vets out there I say Thank You. May God give you and your family a special blessing, God bless

realist, did you write that?  It was beautiful.  I wish I could write like that.

ARMALITE FAN
Give your kid a hug for me.

Hey Realist!

My husband just shared your message with me. Being raised in the Northeast and not being much exposed to firearms - haven't had much interest or knowledge. Learning slowly - But just wanted to say I was quite moved by your message since Memorial Day to me, mostly meant remembering our loved ones gone past. Being raised during a fairly peaceful time ( I was just a babe during NAM), need these type of reminders for ALL those whom lost their lives preserving our Freedom.  My Dad, now gone, was a proud VET and I should remember him not only for who he was but for the country he proudly fought for!!!![^]

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attman,

I am not the author of the message and apologize for not specifying that.  It was sent to me by a widow of a veteran I know via email .....  I just did a search through http://www.bos2.alltheweb.com/  and found a page where someone has put the same message to music and states the author is unknown.....  

Anyone interested can go to...

http://www.byjoy.com/ThingsCarried.html



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Wife of propguy....  I'm glad you were moved by the message as myself...  I believe your Father would be proud of you .....

Sure will.  On  Memorial Day and the 4th of July, I take down the Bonnie Blue and put up the American Flag.

I'll be flying my Betsy Ross flag for sure.

Yes

Fred

Of Course

One Nation

Under God

Indivisble

With Liberty and Justice For All

I believe when the Flag is upside down it means nation in distress. I think it originated in the Navy.

If you think about it we are in distress. The people of this nation got rid of God. That was first. Then with God out of our lives the Bill of Rights is on its way out too. How can you have God given rights if you don't honor the God that placed them in a document for the people of the nation to hold dear and cherish. It is not just the gun issue that is under attack. The kids who want to can't pray in school. You can't post the 10 commandments on a school wall but you can give the kids a condom.

Around Christmas people were complaining in certain towns that the nativity was up on town property. We can't have the nativity but we can tax people to death and feel no remorse. We can let the people of this nation who needs help go hungry and send presious tax dollars to nations that just crap on us. Or default on a loan. We can let a vet starve but wast money on a 200 dollar hammer.

We are in distress. The only answer to this problem is return to GOD. If that does not happen you will be living in a cesspool in the near future. It will be by our own hands(people of this nation)  that it was done.

People that don't care about their fellow neighbor,country,ect they are the ones who have brought on this disaster. It all steems from the lack of GOD in a GOD fearing nation. In the constitution GOD(creator) was mentioned many,many times. Greed has pushed GOD out and distress in.

There are many people that would rather worry about themselves then think about their constitutional rights being chipped away. Just remember the more they chip the faster they disolve. The chips are getting bigger and bigger everytime. Why? Cause they can see they can get away with this then they are not affraid to get away with more.


WE ARE A NATION IN DISTRESS/I HATE TO ADMIT IT.
GOD HAVE MERCY ON US AND HELP THIS NATION AND ITS PEOPLE.

                    LOUGOTZZ

I fly mine every weekend when I'm home but I have a new one I'm flying this weekend.Thank you vets!

Tomorrow, Memorial Day, going to:
Pray for peace, what all soldiers want
Pray for our leaders, to preserve our countries integrity, and principles that it was founded on
Pray that our citizens get there heads out of their fourth point of contact, so they can see on their own, and not be lead astray by those that want to destroy all that so many have died to protect
Place a cross and flowers on the grave of the man I bought my farm from. He served in a AA battery in Europe, during WWII.
Take the kids down to te VA Hospital.
Watch Patriot again, get that feeling (the "warm and fuzzy") when Mel grabs the flag to motivate the first "AMERICANS" to hold the line and achieve victory!
Yeah, I still believe in what the Flag of the United States of America stands for. Yeah, I still get a chill when Reveley or the National Anthem is played. And despit all, I'm still proud to be a soldier and an AMERICAN, but most of all I'm thankful for those who went before me an lit the way! Thank you Vets, and GOD Bless you all. Raise Old Glory and hold the line!