Flags of Life
I tried to write this long post about patriotism and honor, but I couldn’t get it right. So I’ll stick to the basics and hope it comes out right.
I sent flags I flew during medevac missions to a few friends, family, and organizations I used to belong to. I expected a nice thank you and maybe “We support the Troops” type attitude out of the whole thing. What I didn’t expect was the outpouring of gratitude for the flags I sent. It was a simple program here where we purchased flags ourselves and flew them on medevac missions. Then we could print a nice certificate, get the crew to sign it, and “present it” to the individual or organization with a picture of the crew holding the flag. What ended up happening was very humbling for me.
I flew about ten flags, three for family, the rest for friends and a couple of organizations I felt would appreciate a flag flown on a medical mission in Iraq. Its not an uncommon thing for aviation units to do. I mailed them out to people and used a few proxies for the organization flags. About three weeks after I sent the first couple, I started receiving letters and e-mails from the people involved thanking me for such a special gift. The flags were appreciated so much that I received word that honor guards were being put together to formally fold and frame the flags, that people had shed a tear when the flag was presented to their organization, and that people would cherish them as valued heirlooms. This made me realize what a rare and special gift these flags were for the people and places that received them.
I personally didn’t feel they were that special at the time, more like unique gifts. However, the more I thought about it the more I realized what those flags represent. They represent the honor and sacrifice of military men and women and the dedication we have for our country and each other. They represent a life that was preserved, a person that survived to return home, and the people in the chain that guaranteed they would return. It represented individuals and ideals that still survive, and that meant something to people.
I will keep the letters and e-mails if possible, maybe to publish one day with a memoir, or maybe just for keepsakes of a war long past. I look forward to one day seeing those flags again wherever they hang, talking to the people I sent them to, and telling them the story behind their flag in person.
Short URL: http://bit.ly/cQ6RaB
It is very touching to receive a Flag flown in combat. My son is a C-130 pilot and presented me with one. I was overwhelmed with pride in my Country and for my son. It means a great deal to the receiver. Good for you to honor your friends and family with such a gift. God speed and keep safe. Thank you for your service and come home soon. Lorraine
The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 06/01/2009 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.
I can totally understand why they were so touched. I am touched just thinking about it. I suspect that for them, receiving the flag and the picture and the signed certificate makes the war more concrete. In their minds they can see injured soldiers, and those soldiers whose lives couldn’t be saved. The flag flown on a medical mission represents more than a single mission but all of them.