Elks National Veterans Memorial (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In the United States, Veterans Day falls on November 11th this year. I am offering this little essay for your enjoyment. It was written by me when I was just a girl of twelve years old in response to a national contest sponsered by the Lodge of Elks in my hometown. I won the contest in the girls’ division and was very proud to have attended a ceremony where the essay was read by a group of veterans. The premise of the contest was to write a piece about ‘Old Glory‘ and how it related to veterans who fought in our many conflicts. I don’t know how appropriate it is to reprint here, but the sentiment then was heartfelt, and it remains that way to me today.
WHAT OLD GLORY MEANS TO ME
To me Old Glory means just what its famous name says, a flaming glory. It symbolizes the honor, pride, trust and independence of the United State of America. Old Glory is not just a flag. It’s more than that. It’s more than a piece of red, white and blue cloth made up of stars and stripes. Maybe it’s a beginning of a deserved liberty and feedom, and a country where the freedoms of press, speech, and worship have a chance to thrive. It describes a democracy in which no man shall suffer discrimination because of his color or race. To me it means the freedom of all people to choose religion, jobs, and politics.
Old Glory stands for a nation where no man shall be a slave, denied the education and support that every human being positively must have.
In my heart, it means a free land, in which dignity and authority are maintained to the fullest and best of the country’s ability. This great flag symbolizes our growing and striding country as a whole, a world power seeking peace which stands ready to defend the rights desired and cherished by every single person and American. It’s a nation in which important officials of the United States are voted on by the people and are responsible to the people and is not a dictatorship. Under a dictatorship our country might fall as other have done in past wars. It may also, to me, stand for the bloody battles of past conflicts. It means honor for the men and women who have sufffered in order to hold this United States together in time of crisis. Old Glory means much to me. It is the symbol of my country.
There is much more to this little essay that is lost in the 40 years since it was written and, of course, the conflicts in the Falklands, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, and others have taken place since that time. The sentiment was meant to honor our veterans, and I hope that this year you will not forget to remember the sacrifices that those who have served in our armed forces have made for us. These are men and woman who realize what their flag means to them. Please try to give our vets the honor they truly deserve for having given their all to their country.
Have a good Veterans Day.
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