Ragged Old Flag

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"Ragged Old Flag"
By John R. Cash,
© 1974 House of Cash, Inc.

I walked through a county courthouse square,
On a park bench an old man was sitting there.
I said, "Your old courthouse is kinda run down."
He said, "Naw, it'll do for our little town."
I said, "Your old flagpole has leaned a little bit,
And that's a Ragged Old Flag you got hanging on it."

He said, "Have a seat," and I sat down.
"Is this the first time you've been to our little town?"
I said, "I think it is." He said, "I don't like to brag,
But we're kinda proud of that Ragged Old Flag.

"You see, we got a little hole in that flag there when
Washington took it across the Delaware.
And it got powder-burned the night Francis Scott Key
Sat watching it writing Say Can You See.
And it got a bad rip in New Orleans
With Packingham and Jackson tuggin' at its seems.

"And it almost fell at the Alamo
Beside the Texas flag, but she waved on though.
She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard, and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on that Ragged Old Flag.

"On Flanders Field in World War I
She got a big hole from a Bertha gun.
She turned blood red in World War II.
She hung limp and low by the time it was through.
She was in Korea and Vietnam.
She was sent where she was by her Uncle Sam.

"She waved from our ships upon the briny foam,
And now they've about quit waving her back here at home.
In her own good land here she's been abused --
She's been burned, dishonored, denied, and refused.

"And the government for which she stands
Is scandalized throughout the land.
And she's getting threadbare and wearing thin,
But she's in good shape for the shape she's in.
'Cause she's been through the fire before
And I believe she can take a whole lot more.

"So we raise her up every morning, take her
down every night.
We don't let her touch the ground and we fold
her up right.
On second thought, I do like to brag,
'Cause I'm mighty proud of that Ragged Old Flag."


God Bless America

Very cool, Byron...

Everyone probably knows or at least have hummed along to the first verse of the Star Spangled Banner (I learned it in school - but my kids had to learn it at home :( ... but for interested parties, here's the whole thing...

Blessings to all

Karla


O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?


On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!


And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.


O thus be it ever when free-men shall stand
Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

YOU'RE A GRAND OLD FLAG
By George M. Cohan

You're a grand old flag,
You're a high flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave.
You're the emblem of
The land I love.
The home of the free and the brave.
Ev'ry heart beats true
'neath the Red, White, and Blue,
Where there's never a boast or brag.
Should audd acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the grand old flag.

You're a grand old flag,
You're a high flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave.
You're the emblem of
The land I love.
The home of the free and the brave.
Ev'ry heart beats true
'neath the Red,White, and Blue,
Where there's never a boast or brag.
Should audd acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the grand old flag.

Bless all three of you for sharing. I hate choking back all those tears. I have done really good but his morning when I listened again to the news about Flight 93...I just couldnt hold them back anylonger. I think about those valiant men who stood for our nation and would allow those eveil terrorists to blatently destroy our nationas capital and the leaser who were there. Tears just aren't enough and never will be for those lives that were lost and their families...
I just dont undertand.......
I dont think any of us will ever comprehend the haneous deeds that were done that day. I dont think that I would want he mentalility to comprehend either.
As I tucked my children in bed these past couple of mights, I thought to myself...how can I protect my babies???
Then I think about the lives that are left.
Strong
Valiant
Brave
Determined
Eager
Zealous
Rich(not monetarily)
Young and old
men and women
and our children....
We will stand,
we will fight back,
we will show the world that God will not contiue to allow the World to live in this fear!

In god we trust!
This is our home.
Lee Greenwood said it best, "....You can't take that away!...GOD BLESS THE USA!!!!!!!"

I editted this to add those word of GOd Bless the USA!
http://www.wagsouth.com/ila/

This message was edited Thursday, Sep 13th 10:06 AM