[Luis Gonzalez]

I wrote this last week, began it after raising the flag one morning.

Tomorrow, when I salute, I hope to be in the company of two great Americans, two soldiers.

Jimmy, look for my friend Herb, I knew him as the CHIEF negotiator, and as a great American. Bring him around in the morning.

Two old soldiers under whose shadow I will be honored to stand.

[Luis Gonzalez]

The Old Flag
H.C. Bunner

Off with your hat as the flag goes by!
And let the heart have it say;
You're man enough for a tear in your eye
That you will never wipe away.

You're man enough for a thrill that goes
To your very finger-tips--
Ay! the lump just then in your throat that rose
Spoke more than your parted lips.

Lift up the boy on your shoulder high,
And show him the faded shred;
Those stripes would be red as the sunset sky
If death could have dyed them red.

Off with your hat as the flag goes by!
Uncover the youngster's head;
Teach him to hold it holy and high
For the sake of its sacred dead.

Ragged Old Flag
Written by Johnny Cash

I walked through a county courthouse square,
On a park bench an old man was sitting there.
I said, "Your old courthouse is kinda run down."
He said, "Naw, it'll do for our little town."
I said, "Your flagpole has leaned a little bit,
And that's a Ragged Old Flag you got hanging on it.

He said, "Have a seat", and I sat down.
"Is this the first time you've been to our little town?"
I said, "I think it is." He said, "I don't like to brag,
But we're kinda proud of that Ragged Old Flag."

"You see, we got a little hole in that flag there
When Washington took it across the Delaware.
And it got powder-burned the night Francis Scott Key
Sat watching it writing _Oh Say Can You See_.
And it got a bad rip in New Orleans
With Packingham and Jackson tuggin' at its seams."

"And it almost fell at the Alamo
Beside the Texas flag, but she waved on through.
She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard, and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on that Ragged Old Flag."

"On Flanders Field in World War I
She got a big hole from a Bertha gun.
She turned blood red in World War II
She hung limp and low by the time it was through.
She was in Korea and Vietnam.
She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam."

"She waved from our ships upon the briny foam,
And now they've about quit waving her back here at home.
In her own good land she's been abused --
She's been burned, dishonored, denied and refused."

"And the government for which she stands
Is scandalized throughout the land.
And she's getting threadbare and wearing thin,
But she's in good shape for the shape she's in.
'Cause she's been through the fire before
And I believe she can take a whole lot more."

"So we raise her up every morning,
Take her down every night.
We don't let her touch the ground
And we fold her up right.
On second thought I DO like to brag,
'Cause I'm mighty proud of that Ragged Old Flag."

[Luis Gonzalez]

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[TexanMom]

Luis,

That was a truly inspirational story. Thank you!

Pam

[Sungirl]

What's the secret to posting new articles??? I keep getting a message to POst the text of article...over and over!! AHAHHA

[Come get it]

All I can say is: WOW! This is excellent storytelling that has brought a tear to my eye and a lump in my throat.

Stand tall, my fellow Patriot.

[Giddyupgo]

I can't describe how this story has touched me....thank you so much.

[pgkdan]

This is beautiful...it brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for writing it, you truly lifted my spirits.

[Rustybyrd]

What an inspiration and a beautiful tribute. Thank you so much for posting it, Luis.
Had to wait for the tears to stop to tell you.

[real saxophonist]

Outstanding. Made me think about my dad's flag. It's in a triangle shaped frame, about 1200 miles away. Just remember, though CHIEF was a soldier in the current political, economic and spiritual wars, he is always a Marine. Semper Fi

[SuziQ]

Oh man, Luis! I finally stop crying after reading CHIEF Negotiator's last thread, and you have to go and do this!!

It is a lovely story, and I'm glad Jimmy's flag is flying proudly again. I'm sure Jimmy is proud.

I've been looking for a flag for three weeks, too. We started to order one online on the Thurs. after the attacks, but I thought, nah, I can find one locally. NO WAY! I finally decided to go ahead and get one online this past Monday. I went to libertyflags.com and went throught the whole order procedure, but got a message at the end that they could not fill the order and I should come back in a couple of weeks to re-order. I was mildly perturbed, but decided no problem, I'll do that. To my great surprise, later that evening, I received an e-mail saying my flag would be shipped the next day! I'm so excited. I hope it comes in by Friday so we can hang it up over the weekend!

I'll be thinking about CHIEF Negotiator, BCM, and all those who died in the attacks as we put it up.

[MHGinTN]

Dios bendice usted, Luis. And God bless the CHIEF and BKO ... I'll bet they have some things to discuss!

[SSgt Mike]

Amen and God Bless!

[Victoria Delsoul]

Thank you so much for another beautiful tribute, Luis. You are an inspiration and the heart and voice of many.

There's an old, tattered flag waving in the breeze out front; under a clear, true blue dream of an American sky, Jimmy's flag is waving for the country once again; and though its edges are ragged, the colors are strong, and vibrant, just as they were when it waved, framed by a Virginia sky, and waited for a sailor to come home. Old Jimmy would have wanted it this way, Lydia told me.

I raise the colors every morning; then I do a small salute and speak to ears that I know are listening near by.

[Luis Gonzalez]

FYI

[Luis Gonzalez]

FYI

[M Kehoe]

Darn, I got something in my eye.

5.56mm

[fnord]

Outstanding as always Luis. I think this may be your best ever. I'm passing this along to my non-Freeper friends, after I dry my eyes. Take care.

[Eddeche]

Extraordinary.

[RikaStrom]

Luis,

Thanks for giving this one it's own thread.

RS

[JulieRNR21]

You made me cry and feel proud to be an American!

.......