The Stars and Stripes was officially adopted as our national banner by Congress in 1777.
We have added 37 more stars to the blue field since the original 13 stars that represented the original 13 colonies.
Looking at the flag proudly waving atop a flagpole brings back many memories.
When I was a boy I served on the School Safety Patrol. We wore red jackets with white Sam Browne belts and bright yellow garrison caps trimmed in blue. We had badges that signified rank. Later in the interests of safety we traded our smart looking caps for white plastic helmets.
It was student run and there was usually an older boy in charge as the captain.
When I look at the flag I remember July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planted her on the moon.
We manned the crosswalks and helped our fellow students get to school safely.
Nowadays it seems safety in schools is governed by armed cops and metal detectors.
We had to get to school early and leave a little later after we completed our duties.
And one of those duties was raising the flag in the morning and lowering and folding it properly at the end of the school day.
I was reminded of this recently when I passed by a school and watched as a janitor lowered the flag and stuffed it in a box with no thought to the callous way he was treating Old Glory.
But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised given how patriotism and love of country are now viewed as old fashioned and not in step with the times.