Guest guest Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 This came from a German friend of mine that now lives here in Alaska. It really hit home for me and I thought I would share it with all of you. I also wish to thank each and every one of you for supporting the US Military. Us that are disabled or retired or just plain got out early really appreciate it far more than you will ever know. Our sharing these tidbits that we come across is our way of sharing the military life that we loved with our friends and families. As Butch said in his 'I Remember' post we need to write down and share with friends and family what has happened in history and this is just one way for us to do so. Cheryl GREAT MESSAGE > In light of the recent appeals court ruling in > California, with respect to the Pledge of > Allegiance, the following recollection from > Senator John McCain is very appropriate:. > > > " The Pledge of Allegiance - Senator John McCain > > From a speech made by Capt. John S. McCain, US, > (Ret) who represents Arizona in the U.S. > Senate: > > As you may know, I spent five and one half > years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam > War. In the early years of our imprisonment, > the NVA kept us in solitary confinement or two > or three to a cell. In 1971 the NVA moved us > from these conditions of isolation into large > rooms with as many as 30 to 40 men to a room. > This was, as you can imagine, a wonderful > change and was a direct result of the efforts > of millions of Americans on behalf of a few > hundred POWs 10,000 miles from home. > > One of the men who moved into my room was a > young man named Mike Christian. Mike came from > a small town near Selma, Alabama. He didn't > wear a pair of shoes until he was 13 years old. > At 17, he enlisted in the US Navy. He later > earned a commission by going to Officer > Training School. Then he became a Naval Flight > Officer and was shot down and captured in 1967. > Mike had a keen and deep appreciation of the > opportunities this country and our military > provide for people who want to work and want to > succeed. > > As part of the change in treatment, the > Vietnamese allowed some prisoners to receive > packages from home. In some of these packages > were handkerchiefs, scarves and other items of > clothing. Mike got himself a bamboo needle. > Over a period of a couple of months, he created > an American flag sewed on the inside of his > shirt. Every afternoon, before we had a bowl > of soup, we would hang Mike's shirt on the wall > of the cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance. I > know the > Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most > important part of our day now, but I can assure > you that in that stark cell it was indeed the > most important and meaningful event. > > One day the Vietnamese searched our cell, as > they did periodically, and discovered Mike's > shirt with the flag sewn inside, and removed > it. That evening they returned, opened the door > of the cell, and for the benefit of all of us, > beat Mike Christian severely for the next > couple of hours. Then, they opened the door of > the cell and threw him in. We cleaned him up > as well as we could. > > The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab > in the middle on which we slept. Four naked > light bulbs hung in each corner of the room. As > I said, we tried to clean up Mike as well as we > could. After the excitement died down, I looked > in the corner of the room, and sitting there > beneath that dim light bulb with a piece of red > cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was > my friend, Mike Christian. He was sitting there > with his eyes almost shut from the beating he > had received, making another American flag. > > He was not making the flag because it made Mike > Christian feel better. He was making that flag > because he knew how important it was to us to > be able to Pledge our allegiance to our flag > and country. > > So the next time you say the Pledge of > Allegiance, you must never forget the sacrifice > and courage that thousands of Americans have > made to build our nation and promote freedom > around the world. You must remember our duty, > our honor, and our country. > > " I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United > States of America and to the republic for which > it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, > with liberty and justice for all. " > > PASS THIS ON... and on... and on!!!!!! > > > > > ===== Cheryl Smith A Heavenly Body 204 Muldoon Road Anchorage AK 99504 The New Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. http://search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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