Angry veteran takes down tattered flag

SanduskyRegister.com ^ | 9/2/11 | Emil Whitis

[Hot Tabasco]

I started shopping for a telescoping flag pole that could be carried in my RV.

I hope you don't drive the freeways with your flag raised...........most overpasses are only about 13' - 15' high.

[Niteranger68]

Being a veteran does not grant him the right to steal other peoples’ property.

Bingo! Take my flag off my property (regardless of condition) and I will treat you like a thief.

[Ro_Thunder]

I drove past a business in Texas (south of the Houston area) who was flying the Texas flag like this:

I pulled uturn, got the number of the business, and left them a message (it was before 6 AM, after all, they weren't open yet) telling them to please fly the flag correctly, that much blood was spilled for Texas, and that the easiest way to remember is the star points up, or that the red is the blood on the ground, looking up at the white of the sky. Whoever heard the message had it fixed that day.

[Gaffer]

There’s no good excuse for flying a ragged flag.

While I agree with the sentiment, I'd hazard to guess veterans of many battles would disagree. I started to list the places, but there are just too many.

[smokingfrog]

There’s no good excuse for a business to be flying a ragged flag.

Is that better?

[Gaffer]

Yes...thanks...it was a nit, I know. But there have been many battle-worn flags that could hardly be recognized. Our anthem describes one.

[dusttoyou]

That’s a nice way!

[dusttoyou]

You do know that “south of Houston” might be ronpaul territory. Prolly thought it was “Perry” flag.

[TYVets]

I started shopping for a telescoping flag pole that could be carried in my RV.

I hope you don't drive the freeways with your flag raised...........most overpasses are only about 13' - 15' high.

It is a 20 footer, that could be a slight problem.

Naw, it telescopes down to about 6 feet in length and goes inside the RV.

Since I am part Scottish, I put it in a pipe in the ground and use it here at home.

[Former Fetus]

That was the only time I saw one student taking down the flag, usually two students did it, which made it much easier. This kid just let it get on the ground, unhooked it, and walked away with a good part of the flag dragging behind him. But, to me, the worst offender was not the kid but the school administration. The students were not taught proper respect for the flag. That was years before I became a citizen and I would not say the pledge in the mornings because I read somewhere that, for a foreign national to do so, it would be a disrespect to the flag. I will never forget my first day at school after my naturalization, how happy and proud I was to be able to say the pledge!

[Hot Tabasco]

I put it in a pipe in the ground and use it here at home.

That's a relief, I thought you were flying it from your SUV......LOL!

[TYVets]

There's a new single gal in my subdivision with a 20' flagpole whose flag was in real tatters and flapping around because the rope was even broken.

I have one uncle that ran into trouble while hoisting the flag because of problem with the rope.

One morning during World War II he was to raise the flag at a large formation of Marines, complete with a band and one full bird colonel.

The band started to play, but the rope was twisted, tangled or knotted. It was a time consuming job for my uncle to straighten out the problem with the rope, but the band played on.

Finally the band director realized there was a problem, so he slowed the tempo . The longer my uncle worked on the rope, the slower the music. Finally it got down to one note at a time. Then the number of seconds between notes got longer and longer as my uncle worked feverishly.

At last my uncle was able to hoist the flag and as it reached the top of the flag pole, the the band played the last note.

Even today when he tells the story, he says "you talk about working under pressure, that was it."

[hadit2here]

I can't listen to the words without getting very teary eyed every time.

Ragged Old Flag

[dcwusmc]

Bump for Johnny Cash!!!

[rbmillerjr]

“Bad American.”

Hardly.