Helping to bring peace, prosperity, health and exploration to people around the globe, our democratic country is the beacon of the world.
The Pledge of Allegiance brings words of hope and gratitude for the men and women who have battled and protected in situations worldwide, today and for years past.
My dad fought in the Battle of the Bulge and walked across the Rhine River into Germany with the United States Army in World War II.
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My mother's two brothers were in the Pacific fighting against Japan. Her brother-in-law was with the army in England. They all came home from that war.
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My cousin, at 17, enlisted in the Marine Corps and was sent to Vietnam. He was in the fireman unit that loaded bodies to be sent home.
My grandson-in-law fought in Iraq with the army and has overcome the severity of PTSD.
My granddaughter did a tour of duty in Afghanistan with the Army National Guard. Her grandmother's brother died at Normandy on D-Day in World War II. My cousin from Seattle flew with the Blue Angels.
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The words "under God" in the pledge are a reminder that schools of education and hospitals and health care systems for everyone were started by churches and congregations in the early decades of our country. Freedom of religion is a basic right.
Our flag is a symbol of freedom, decency, lawfulness and the sharing of wealth. It is a privilege to say that pledge.
The Trust Project
