Today is the 30th anniversary of the day Rick Monday rescued a flag that was about to be burned in Dodger stadium. Captain Ed over at Captain's Quarters is blogging about it today.
I certainly applaud the actions of Monday, but I was troubled by one paragraph in the story
"With the bicententennial of the Declaration of Independence coming up, the country had started a celebration of the event that overloaded on red, white, and blue. The nation tried to put on a coat of faux patriotism it didn't really feel, and the entire effort felt commercialized and hypocritical. With Independence Day two months away, many already had had enough of the celebration."
In 1976 I was eleven years old, and living at Lakenheath AFB in the United Kingdom. And after reading this, I'm very glad of that. Because the Bicentennial was very different for me. It was a time of unabashed patriotism and a celebration of the birth of our nation. It was something we tried to share with our bemused British hosts, who after all, were the ones we were celebrating our separation from. I am sure the fact that I was living on an Air Force base overseas had a great deal to do with my experiences, but that makes them only more special to me. I am an unembarassed, unreformed and undying patriot. I have seen the sacrifices our men and women make to make the world a better and safer place. There is not, and has never been, a better nation than ours.
Thank you Rick Monday, thank you to all those who have served in our military (and their families) and God Bless America.
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