Ragged Old Flag

Of all the patriotic recitations, I think this one moves me the most. It was written by the late Johnny Cash. As you read it, I hope Independence Day is renewed in your heart. God bless you, and God bless America.

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, "Awe, it'll do for our little town."

I said, "The old flag pole is leaned a little bit.

And that's a ragged old flag you've got hanging on it."

He said, "Have a seat." I sat down.

"Is this the first time you've been to our little town?"

I said, "I think it is."

He said, "Well, I don't like to brag,

but we're kind of proud of that ragged old flag.

You see, we got a little hole in that flag there,

When Washington took it across the Delaware.

It git powder burned the night Francis Scott Key,

With Packenhan and Jackson tuggin' at it's seems.Stood watching it writing,

'O, Say can you see.'

It got a bad rip in New Orleans,

It almost fell at the Alamo; beside the Texas flag, but she waved on low.

She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville. She got cut again at Shiloh Hill.

There was Robert E. Lee, and Beauregard and Bragg,

And the south wind blew hard on that ragged old flag.

On Flanders's Field in World War one, she got a

big hole from a Bertha gun.

She turned blood red in World War two. She's hung limp and low a time or two.

She was in Korea and Viet Nam; she went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam.

She's waved from our ships upon the briny foam,

but now they've just about quit waivin' her back here at home.

In her own good land she's been abused.

She's been burned, denied, dishonored and refused.

And the government for which she stands, is scandalized throughout

the land.

Yea, she's getting threadbare, and she's waring thin,

But she's in good shape for the shape she's in.

You see, she's been through the fire before.

And I believe she can take a whole lot more.

So, we raise her up every morning, and take her down every night.

We don't let her touch the ground, and we fold her up right

.

On second thought, I guess I do like to brag,

'Cause we're mighty proud of that ragged old flag."

Just a thought.

Thank you for reading