I am the flag of the United States of America.
My name is Old Glory.
I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.
I stand watch in America's halls of justice.
I fly majestically over institutions of learning.
I stand guard with power in the world.
Look up at me and see me.
I stand for peace, honor, truth and justice.
I stand for freedom.
I am confident.
I am arrogant.
I am proud.
When I am flown with my fellow banners,
my head is a little higher,
my colors a little truer.
I bow to no one!
I am recognized all over the world.
I am worshipped - I am saluted.
I am loved - I am revered.
I am respected - and I am feared.
I have fought in every battle of every war
for more than 200 years.
I was flown at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Shiloh and Appomattox.
I was there at San Juan Hill, the trenches of France,
in the Argonne forest, Anzio, Rome and
the beaches of Normandy, and Guam.
I was held high at Okinawa; Korea and Khe-San, Saigon, and
all Vietnam know me...I was there. I led my troops,
I was dirty, battle worn and tired, but my soldiers cheered me
And I was proud. I have been burned, torn and trampled
on the streets of countries I have helped set free.
It does not hurt, for I am invincible.
I have been soiled upon, burned, torn
and trampled on the streets of my own country.
And when it's by those whom I've served in battle - it hurts.
But I shall overcome - for I am strong.
In 1969 I slipped the bonds of Earth
and stood watch over the uncharted
frontiers of space from my vantage
point on the face of the moon.
I have borne silent witness to all of America's finest hours.
But my finest hours are yet to come.
When I am torn into strips
and used as bandages for my
wounded comrades on the battlefield,
When I am flown at half-mast to honor my soldier,
Or when I lie in the trembling arms
of a grieving parent at the grave of
their fallen son or daughter,
I am proud.
MY NAME IS OLD GLORY
LONG MAY I WAVE
DEAR GOD IN HEAVEN
LONG MAY I WAVE
~Author Unknown~
This is my tribute page to the victims and their families of the September 11 tragedy.
Like all of you, I was shocked, saddened, and angered at what happened to so many innocent people at the WTC and the Pentagon. I didn't (and I still can't) understand why these people hate us so much to do such a horrible thing. I understand that these are a small faction of religious fanatics who have twisted their religion around to their narrow-minded visions. I believe that Arab-Americans should not be used as a scapegoat for what these few people have done because they deserve to live in peace. The terrorists who did this obviously do not represent all the Muslim people or the Islamic faith. We all have to examine our own prejudices and be tolerant of people no matter what color or religion they might be.
I believe we were right to fight back after what happened. After Pearl Harbor, it was inevitable that we had to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki so nothing like that would ever happen again. If Osama Bin-Laden is found, I believe he will not be found alive. I think he would probably kill himself before he would let anyone take him, like Hitler. There's some speculation he is dead, but there is a chance he is still on the run. I think he had some nerve saying those things that he did in the video tapes he sent out to the media. But even though killing him might solve some of the problems, there will still continue to be wacko terrorists out there, and I hope the airlines will get their act together to make it safer for people to travel again.
We will NOT live in fear. We will continue to fly, attend concerts, go to plays, shop, work, and live our lives the way we did before this happened. We will never forget it, and we will never forget those people like the NYPD and FDNY who risked their lives trying to save others, or the people on Flight 93 who brought down the plane before it could hit another target. We will never forget those who survived the attacks, and those co-workers they lost.
Our generation will never forget any of these people and I hope we win the fight against terrorism. Thank you.
