Retiring US Flags

On September 11, we had a special mutual activity. All the youth watched a really powerful video on how the Star Spangled Banner was written.  I'll use Brad Whitehead's words to describe it, because I thought he said it perfectly.

The circumstances that inspired the words of the Star Spangled banner to Francis Scott Key were horrific at best. He was on a British ship in the harbor. He had been sent there to negotiate the release of our prisoners. He successfully did so, a

nd went below deck to the cargo hold of that ship to inform them of there freedom. When he went back above deck, the Admiral of the British Navy informed him that they would still honor their agreement to free the prisoners but that there had been a change of plans. The British Navy intended to shell Fort Henry until the American Flag that was flying over the Rampart was lowered. Key informed the Admiral that Fort Henry was not a military fort but was primarily occupied by women and children. His response was that all we had to do was lower the Flag and the shelling would stop. They started the attack at dusk. Key told the prisoners what was happening and promised to yell down to them as the assault progressed. The prisoners were constantly asking about the flag. He would call down, "It's still flying, It's still flying!" All through the night this went on. Eventually the British turned their entire fleet on the Rampart and bombarded it with shell after shell. Over 100 ships. He could here the prisoners praying to God to "keep the flag flying" and to "protect the flag". As the bombs would burst he could catch glimpses of the flag still up. When morning came he could see the flag still there. The pole was at an awkward angle but it was still standing. He left the ship and went to the Rampart. The men involved in that situation understood that the Flag represented their freedom. Freedom that not long before they had fought for, sacrificed for and earned through the blood of many. They knew that if the Flag fell, so too would all that they had won. So as the shelling turned to the Rampart, and the flag was beaten and the pole was broken the men were running to it and holding it up to keep it flying. As Key approached the Flag, he could see that the reason it was at such an awkward angle, but still flying, was because it was being held up by the bodies of those men who ran to keep it there. 

I have sung the Star Spangled Banner countless times in my life. I have a new reverence for it and what it represents. Thank you to the men who sacrificed on the Rampart and to all those men and women who do so now.

When the video ended, we all stood and sang the Star Spangled Banner. I know that the youth felt the power of the song more than they probably ever had before. Then we went outside and watched the scouts retire 9 US flags.  It was an awesome experience that I'm glad my kids got to be part of. I'm grateful they have inspired leaders who organized this activity.

 Sawyer and Jeron presenting the flag.

 Displaying the flag.

 Sawyer, Jeron, Ethan, Conner, and Rafferty retiring the flag.

Saluting the flag.