I fly a Flag from the front of my home. You have to walk by the Flag as you come to my front door. It stands night, lighted, and day in sun or rain or snow. It sails on the winds of winter and spring, summer and fall. I replace it when it gets tired with another sentry, another young one to stand the post.

My Flag stands alone on the street where I live. It, and previous sentries have stood watch night and day for many, many years.

Occasionally my Flag is joined by another. Most recently the flag of Poblacht na hÉireann or the Republic of Ireland, for a day.

My Flag reminds me, in the coming and the going, of those who have stood watch, are standing watch, of those who have stood and those who have fallen.

My Flag reminds me, as I look up and down my street, of how easy it is to forget, or to simply take for granted stuff. Of how alone it is.

I got an email, the other day, from a guy I served with in the 60's. We were younger then. It was the same Flag. It hasn't changed.

In my mind I see Flags at Dover, little Flags at Arlington row on row. I hear a lonely trumpet.

I wonder why there aren't more Flags flying on my street.

I like to see the flag, and feel lucky that I see it often.

I like the reminder to pause and reflect, too.

Beautiful post, Mike. We fly a flag on the front of our house, too. I live in the country, so my "street" is about a mile long, and there are only a couple other houses where I see flags. I wish there were more.

I have a Rhode Island flag, the state flag, the motto is "hope". I was raised there.
I haven't had an american flag because in my climate I'd be worried about having a light on it, keeping it from getting wet, etc. Some folks don't like it if you allow your flag to be out in bad weather.

http://www.vfw.org/Community/Flag-Education/

Yeah. I got up this morning. A drizzly rain, chilly wind. And there was my Flag. It was there when I went to bed. It was there to greet my morning.

I listened to NPR report on the awarding of the Medal of Honor to Fr. Emil Kapaun after more than 60 years. And I happened to see my Flag out of the corner of my eye. So I wrote a few lines.

I fly my Flag. When I am reminded of the cost of flying my Flag I am moved.

We live in such a wonderful country. We are so far beyond fortunate.

We take so much for granted. No more preaching.

I'll be more stoic in a little while.

 Quote: Mike Arnold

Yeah. I got up this morning. A drizzly rain, chilly wind. And there was my Flag. It was there when I went to bed. It was there to greet my morning.

I listened to NPR report on the awarding of the Medal of Honor to Fr. Emil Kapaun after more than 60 years. And I happened to see my Flag out of the corner of my eye. So I wrote a few lines.

I fly my Flag. When I am reminded of the cost of flying my Flag I am moved.

We live in such a wonderful country. We are so far beyond fortunate.

We take so much for granted. No more preaching.

I'll be more stoic in a little while.

I'm glad you wrote this. I heard a story about the chaplain too. Amazing and moving.

And the Catholic Church has declared Captain (and Father) Kapaun a Servant of God and is considering him for sainthood.

My business partner is from England. He spent about 6 months here last year. One thing he constantly commented on was the amount, and size of the American flags he saw every day. He said that in England people are not proud of their flag like we are. He told me that people there even call their own flag racist. He had a friend who flew a flag at his house and his Muslim neighbor complained to the police that the flag was a display of racial hatred. The police actually came to his house and told him to take it down. WTF?

God Bless America!!!

I have a flag on the front of my house. It has a light that illuminates it all night long, and when it becomes ragged, I have the local AFB (Vandenburg) come out and retire it with all due respect.

We have a huge (illegal) immigrant community in our city, and they proudly display their flag on any and all homes, cars and clothes they can. I am proud that my country allows them that right as well. I just wish they wanted to fly ours.

When the kids asked why I call the AFB to come retire a flag, it is an excellent opportunity to explain what the flag really means... At about age 6, Jay was walking out of the house and asked of we can call the Major up for the flag that weekend. He decided that he wanted it to always look its best I nearly cried that morning.

I spent most of last week at the funeral and burial of my sister's Marine step son who was killed in a training accident in NV. MILES of the road in the middle of open farm country in Illinois leading into the town he grew up in was lined with flags and people holding them. Every fire dept and Police dept at attention on the road side and many hundreds of people from small kids to old timers lining the roads at attention. This was in the middle of nowhere farm land. Cars pulled over and the drivers standing at attention outside their cars.
The mile long group of two by two Patriot Guard motorcycle riders, each with the flag on their bike. All the Marines who escorted Aaron and attended his funeral and burial left me no need to ask "What's in a flag". I could see it in the eyes of every man, woman and child I saw with their hands on their hearts as the procession passed.