Page 2 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE – Friday, June 14, 2019 American Legion celebrates Flag Day T Below is a speech by National Commander of the American Legion Brett P. Reistad. he American Legion was still in its infancy when it convened a meeting in Washington, D.C., which still reverberates today. In 1923 the fouryear-old veterans organization called together 68 other patriotic, fraternal, civic and military groups for the purpose of drafting a code of flag etiquette. They were enormously successful. President Warren G. Harding gave the opening address. “I hope you succeed in formulating a code that will be welcomed by all Americans and that every patriotic and educational society in the Republic will commit itself to the endorsement and observance and purpose of the code that you adopt here today,” he said. Legendary labor leader Samuel Gompers described how union workers felt about Old Glory. “To us,” he said, “the American flag means more than even its colors in themselves portray. It means the leadership of the democratic and humane struggle has been carried on throughout all the ages.” Although violations of the Flag code do not carry criminal penalties, it is still the “go-to” source for all rules of etiquette regarding the display and care of the U.S. Flag. The meaning and principles are far older than the United States, as American Legion National Commander Alvin Owsley alluded to in 1923. “That piece of red, white and blue bunting means five thousand years of struggle upwards. It is the fullgrown flower of ages of fighting for liberty. It is the century plant of human hope in bloom.” That hope is what allows us to make important life choices. We choose to be office professionals, construction workers, union members, schoolteachers, police officers, business owners, doctors, pastors, students or members of some other trade. Outcomes are not guaranteed but the freedom to try is quintessentially American. That freeA.B.C. CIGAR 170 REVERE ST., REVERE Don’t Forget Dad! OPEN: Mon.-Sat. 8 AM - 8 PM Sun. - Holidays: 8 AM - 6 PM (781) 289-4959 GIFT CARDS! ALL MAJOR BRANDS OF CIGARS * Desktop Humidors * Travel Humidors * Boxes of Cigars * Bundles of Cigars * Singles * Torch Lighters * Zippo Lighters * Cigar Cutters Father’s Day Special Chris Moore & his experienced staff will help you & save you money! * VAPES * JUICE * JUULS * BONGS PIPES * GRINDERS * HOOKAHS JUNE SPECIAL Buy any Box of PERDOMO CIGARS at our Reduced Price & receive a FREE PERDOMO Lighter! (Retail value in excess of $25.00) C.B.D. PRODUCTS Creating Better Days * Nature’s Supplement * All Natural * CBD Infused Products * Edibles * Concentrates * Topicals SMOKER’S DELIGHT 15 Churchill Size Cigars including a COHIBA Over 5,000 Units Sold! A BEST BUY! Lunch Menu! Enjoy our Famous $10 Served Mon. thru Fri. ‘til 3:30 PM Choose from 16 Items! Grilled Rib Eye Steak! Only $22.00 includes Two Sides Every Friday FRESH HADDOCK DINNER Prepared Your Way! Includes two sides dom is what is symbolized by our American Flag. It is what veterans have fought for and what many have died for. The term “rally around the Flag” has been used so much that it has become almost a cliché. But the truth is that Americans feel closer and more attached to their flag during times of crisis. In the years just prior to the attacks on 9/11, The American Legion averaged between a half-million to $600,000 of flag sales at our national headquarters. In 2001, The American Legion doubled those sales. By the end of 2002, sales were triple of what they were pre-9/11. The flag was just everywhere after 9/11. Who could forget the Pulitzer prize–winning photograph of three New York firefighters standing in the rubble that was the World Trade Center and hoisting our banner of hope and patriotism? Just a few weeks later, a giant flag draped the side of the Pentagon – the outer walls still scorched from where the hijacked airliner penetrated the nucleus of America’s military might. Debra Burlingame, an American patriot whose brother was killed in the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon, wrote eloquently in The American Legion Magazine: “The flag spoke for us when we were bereft of words. It was our comfort and our rallying cry: ‘America! America! God shed His grace on thee.’ And so we put them everywhere: on office buildings and storefronts, on cars and kids’ bikes. The flag was sewn anew onto the uniforms of Major League Baseball players and emergency room nurses. It greeted us and lifted our spirits when we needed it most, appearing in improbable places, like a highway overpass. That faded, dirty flag on I-95 pierces my heart. Where have all the flags of September 11th gone?” It is up to us to answer this question. We see the flag make the traditional comebacks – particularly during observances of Flag Day, Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and Veterans Day. We see our flag spike in popularity during Olympic Games, political conventions and national sporting events. The Flag becomes a symbol of national pride when an astronaut reaches the heavens and places it on the moon, or a group of common men show uncommon valor as they fight through the ravages of hell to raise it on Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribachi. But if only most Americans would pay as much attention to the Colors as we do our smart phones. It’s also worth mentioning that the technology makFLAG DAY | SEE PAGE 12 8 Norwood St. Everett (617) 387-9810 www.eight10barandgrille.com Kitchen Hours: Mon-Thurs: 12-10pm Fri-Sat: 12-11pm Sunday: 1pm-10pm Now Featuring our BREAKFAST PIZZA & OMELET MENU Saturday & Sunday Only Served until 3:30 PM
3 Publizr Home