Back in May, I traveled to DC on business. I had a little spare time on the last day, so I caught a cab to Arlington cemetery and the Vietnam memorial. I wasnt prepared for the impact that both would have on me. At Arlington, the cost of freedom is so very visible and very real. And, the Vietnam memorial for me was the embodiment of a presence that has held a space in our family for years, as my father worked to reconcile his experience when he was in country. I did a a pencil rubbing of one of his buddies at the wall, and left. A week later, I was doing my usual check at goodwill and saw a nicely folded quality flag behind the counter. I looked around a little longer, but the thought of someone buying the flag and possibly using it inappropriately got to me. I know what the red in the stripes represents. So, I paid the $6 for it and headed out. Based on the dimensions of the fold, its a burial flag. It has 50 appliqué stars and is slightly faded, so my guess is Vietnam era, or a vet buried within those years. Ive decided to care for this flag while on this earth, and in a way, care for the unknown soldier who earned it.
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 05:57:35 +0000