I hung an American Flag up at my house Monday. It will stay up 24-hours a day, seven-days a week.
Yes, I was a Boy Scout. And, yes I know flags are to be taken down at dusk and raised every morning at dawn – unless artificially lighted at night.
I once pointed out this bit of American Flag etiquette to my daddy about the flag at our house.
My daddy was career military - Air Force all the way. He flew on heavy bombers in Europe and then B-29s in the Pacific. He performed maintenance on multi-engine aircraft in Korea, Vietnam and anywhere else Uncle Sam sent him.
He paused as he considered the conversation of his teenage boy.
“There will be men somewhere in this world serving under this flag while you sleep tonight, son,” he said looking at me, but thinking about somewhere else. “Let's keep it up to remind everybody of them.”
A world at war
We haven’t heard much about the War on Terror recently.
The war in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and I’ll add the drug war in Mexico and the military being sent to the U.S. Southern Border have grabbed the headlines.
This country will always need men and women who are willing to fight “its enemies, foreign and domestic.”
No, terrorism has not gone away. Neither has communism, fascism or vandalism.
So when does a war or battle end?
There are 28,500 U.S. military personnel getting combat pay in a country called South Korea. We have seven times that many serving in Europe and thousands more in such wonderful locations as Thule, Greenland and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
Yes, the fight against terrorism may have hit a lull, but it won't be long until some power-drunk dictator or crazy terrorist will decide he wants to pick a fight with the biggest guy in the bar.
And once again the rest of the world will cower and whine in righteous indignation as we send in the best warriors on the face of this planet to kick butt and take names.
Let us never forget
The news shifted away from the war on terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan years ago. The economy, COVID-19, a place called Ukraine and binge-watching Sean “P. Diddy” Combs in court have the eye of the American public now.
A check of the Pentagon's website on this week revealed we have 1.3 million men and women on active duty with the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. We have another 12,500 National Guard personnel in hometowns across this great state, including many from The Delta.
We have all seen the surge in patriotism ebb and flow. We’ve seen our country bestow the title of hero on everyone from waiters to grocery check-out clerks. We are a country looking for a hero.
Regardless of your politics, religion or personal beliefs, I hope you won't ever forget the men and women who are serving your country at this very moment.
As you bite into barbecued chicken this weekend I hope you will remember those who died serving our country. I hope we will continue to pray for the safety of those currently wearing our uniform.
I'm going to keep my flag up day and night. I'm going to leave it out rain or shine, hot or cold.
When it gets a little torn and tattered I will try to remember there are those serving us in a torn and tattered part of the world.
You see, I want to remember. I want to remember they are doing it for me.
Floyd Ingram is Editor of your Clarksdale Press Register. Don’t call him or stop by his office, just put a flag up at your house this weekend.
