Well, here it is another Patriot Day.
What does the government think I should I be doing to commemorate 9-11..the reason Patriot Day was created?
Should I pause a moment to remember the three thousand killed by terrorists six years ago?
I don’t need anybody to tell me to do that.
Should I make sure to fly the American flag outside my house?
I probably would but it’s already ripped and tattered from years of exposure to the elements.
My biggest flag dilemma right now has been how to dispose of it.
Do I need to take it to the VFW for a formal burning ceremony or can Linda and I have a private little fire here at the house? Or can I just throw it away and buy a new one?
I suspect now that someone will be telling me what I can do with it..pole and all.
In my long career on television, people asked me many times if I would wear an emblem on my jacket lapel to show support for various causes..a red ribbon for the fight against aids..a pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness or an American flag pin..especially after 9-11.. to show all the viewers how patriotic I am and how much I love my country.
I never wore any of them.
Not because I’m opposed to those causes or am unpatriotic but the old journalist in me said my job was to deliver the news without opinion or distraction and that’s what I tried to do.
I certainly have no problem with people who do wear them…or decorate their vehicles with bumper stickers or magnetic ribbons..It’s just not for me.
Here’s an idea.
If you really want to commemorate Patriot Day why not find a veteran that has fought for this country and thank him..or her…especially those who served during World War II.
Time is running out for them and I know from personal experience how much they appreciate being appreciated.
I’m going to make it my patriotic duty to watch PBS later this month for the long awaited Ken Burns documentary, “The War.”
It should be required viewing for every young person in this country so they might see for themselves the incredible sacrifices that were made, both on the battlefields and the home front so that they and future generations could continue to live free.
Last June, on the anniversary of D-Day, I wrote about my uncle, Ray Lund, who was part of the Normandy invasion and paid the price with a chunk of his hand. I knew I had a photo of him when he got home from months in the hospital but couldn’t find it. Now I have and wanted to share it with you.
I wish he was still around so I could tell him “thanks” in person.
That would be the patriotic thing to do.
