First off, I must apologize for the tardiness of this show, but getting it posted on Friday just wasn’t a possibility.  To me, Veterans Day is all about saying, “Thank you” to the men and women who have made sacrifices to establish, protect and keep our nation great.  I must tell you, however, that any effort I put forth on Veterans Day to say, “Thanks” pales in comparison to what our vets have given.  It is a struggle that I feel every year and I have found only one way to try and make up the difference.  I treat Veterans Day as the reminder that I need to recognize, value and thank vets 24/7, 365.  Today we are going to talk about one of the ways we can say thank you.
0234 – Veterans Day 2011
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Sponsor of The Day:
Templar Custom Arms
SHOT Show
Veterans Day Isn’t Enough
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we have a day that is dedicated to the men and women that preserve our nation, but the issue is that one day isn’t enough.  Let’s take a look at why.
- Those folks that serve serve 365 days a year in good weather and bad.
- Service members are often serving away from their loved ones for long durations.
- Risk, need I say more?
- Other bullshit that our troops must endure.
It may very well be the little things that matter!
Life being the way it is, we often cannot repay those who make sacrafices for us. Â We aren’t powerless, however. Â So we do things like create a day to honor those who serve. Â It is really a symbolism for what we owe our vets that falls far short in my opinion.
So, I try to remember the sacrifice of our vets daily.  Still a woeful attempt at repayment.  But what would be better?  Probably not much.  So I try to focus on little gestures that may make a difference and today we are going to discuss a symbol that has great importance to our nation, Old Glory.  You see, our flag is a symbol that stands for much of what our Vets serve to protect.  So lets take a look at the flag, what it means, and how we can proudly display it to show our support to Vets.
Symbolism
There is little historical data to tell us about the intended symbolism of our American Flag but there is plenty of lore. Â One of the great things about any symbol is that it can mean different things to different people and at the same time as lore becomes fact it gives a general meaning to the symbolism.
13 Stripes
Also known as pales, the 13 stripes on Old glory represent the original 13 colonies that our country grew from.  The colors have some significance according to George Washington:
- White signifies purity and innocence
- Red, hardiness &Â valor
- To me, the red has another meaning.  It stands for the blood of those that have sacrificed for our nation.
- Some say that the red is a color we have taken from our mother country and the white stripes symbolize our separation from her.
The Union
This is the blue field located in the upper left hand corner of a horizontally flying flag.  The color blue represents  vigilance, perseverance & justice with the stars from Heaven, each one representing one of our 50 states.  The Union is considered the most important part of our flag.  In my mind that is a nod to our Republic and the importance of our States rights.  The Union should be oriented on a flag that is hung or draped in the upper left whether the flag is horizontal or vertical.  When worn as a patch or pin, the Union should be worn closest to the heart.  In addition, the flag should be worn so that the union is facing forward to represent constant forward motion.  This is where the reverse American Flag patch comes in.  The appropriate location for the reverse flag is on the right shoulder.  Again, this shows forward motion.
Show your Patriotism
I have the opportunity to see lots of folks displaying their patriotism. Â From LEO and military who participate in my training courses to average Joes that have slapped a flag on their gear. Â I love the patriotic aspect of my work. Â I think that if we were to pay a little more attention to how we display our flag it could provide even a bit more significance to those that are willing to give it all up for our freedom. Â Take some time to make sure that you are displaying your flag in an appropriate way. Â If you have that cool looking reverse flag patch that is great, but make sure it is on the right side of your body with that brilliant field of stars facing the front, and never retreat!
