One of these? One of these?I often have opportunity to attend various ceremonies while visiting an elementary school as part of a mentoring team. The ceremonies traditionally began with the playing of the national anthem.
At one ceremony, I noticed a youngster who promptly stood and placed her hand over her heart and kept it there while she stood proudly for the duration of the song. While some fellow students around her were fidgeting and engaging in sidebar chats, the young lady, who appeared to be around 6 years old, maintained her poise and refused to let anything distract her.
After the ceremony, I approached her and asked her a few questions. She proudly informed me her mother and father were both in the Air Force. She also told me it was a regular practice in her family to show respect for the national anthem and the flag.
Whether they were attending the base theater, a ball game or other special events, she said she always stood and placed her hand over her heart.
My first thought was "here we have a child who is doing this because her parents had in the past chastised her publicly or threatened her with punishment if she did not do this." Imagine my surprise when she answered my next question. I asked her if she would forego the standing and placement of the hand if she knew her parents would never find out about it. She replied, "No sir. I would do it because I know he is watching."
The "he" she was referring to was her grandfather who died in battle during World War II. Apparently her family visits the Veteran's Cemetery every 4th of July, Memorial Day and Veterans Day to honor her grandfather with a small ceremony.
During the family ritual, her parents always talk about how he had died fighting for his country and would place a flag at his gravesite. At the end of the ceremony, they would always look skyward and tell granddad how much they loved him. To close out the ceremony, Mom or Dad would usually salute the gravesite. When they did so, the little girl would place her hand over her heart and stand at attention just like them.
Respect for the flag is a time-honored tradition that should never be taken lightly.
Old Glory has endured many wars and has stood as a symbol of freedom for many. The next time you get the opportunity to show your respect, by all means do so. After all, "he" and others like him who gave their lives while defending the right for the Stars and Stripes to fly are watching.
By Chief Master Sgt. Ronald Beckett