The Flag Still Matters
Today is Flag Day.
It’s not a holiday that demands much attention. No day off work. No major traditions. No fireworks. Most years, it passes quietly—a small marker on the calendar that few people notice.
But today, in Washington, D.C., there’s a parade. And it’s fitting. Because today isn’t only Flag Day—it’s also the 250th birthday of the United States Army. And it also happens to be President Trump’s birthday.
In different ways, all of that points to what the flag represents: history, sacrifice, leadership, service, and a nation that still stands. Generation after generation, men and women have carried it forward through both triumph and tragedy.
The American flag has stood in some remarkable places:
Raised over Iwo Jima.
Folded carefully and handed to grieving families.
Draped over the caskets of the fallen.
Carried home by soldiers who fought for people they would never meet.
Waved by schoolchildren in small-town parades.
Hung from front porches and small businesses, quietly declaring: we’re still here.
Flown at church services and prayer gatherings, where citizens pray for their leaders and ask for God’s mercy on the nation.
Lowered in mourning after national tragedies — standing silent as a people grieve together.
Raised again after natural disasters, terror attacks, and wars — a sign that we do not give up.
Carried by the families of the missing, who still wait for answers but never stop believing their loved one mattered.
And sometimes, it’s even simpler than that.
There was a man named Joe who stood at the end of his driveway every morning. He wore his old Army cap and held the flag while his small-town neighbors drove to work. When someone once asked him why, he simply said, “Just honoring a few friends who didn’t make it home.” He did it every morning for years. Rain or shine. No fanfare. Just a man, a flag, and the quiet memory of sacrifice that still mattered.
Old Glory is more than just a symbol. She tells the story of liberty hard-won, of sacrifices made willingly, and of freedom preserved at great cost. Ordinary men and women have done extraordinary things to secure and protect the blessings we so easily enjoy.
There’s something sacred in a symbol that survives generations. It doesn’t bend to public opinion or change with every shift in culture. It stands—a quiet reminder that some things are meant to be carried forward.
Because behind this symbol are the lives of real Americans who gave far more than most of us will ever be asked to give.
The flag reminds us of who we are:
One nation, under God.
A people who still believe some things are worth remembering, worth defending, and worth honoring.
Today, may we pause — with gratitude, with humility, and with great hope.
God bless America.