| Proudly Display Your Veterans FlagI sadly remember | | | | while his wife and daughters waitand hope here at |
| the day we buried my father. An American flag | | | | home.Before his departure my son and I traveled to |
| covered the coffinbefore being transported to the | | | | Washington DC where he and I stood togetherin the |
| cemetery. There it remained during the service. | | | | beautiful new World War II Veterans Memorial, we |
| At the end of the service my brother-in-law and I tried | | | | walked the Viet Nam Wall and throughthe Korean |
| our best to remember our ownmilitary training while we | | | | War Veterans Memorial.Our national memorials in |
| folded dad's burial flag into a neat triangle and took it | | | | Washington DC have a direct tie to each of the |
| home.Each day similar scenes are repeated across | | | | veterans flags inour homes. Each represents the |
| America. Our country has many veterans whohave | | | | individuals who have given of themselves for the |
| sacrificed and suffered for their country. The number | | | | freedom we enjoyin America.Your veteran's flag |
| is now growing rapidly.The burial flag represents a | | | | should not be placed in a drawer or closet and |
| period of great sacrifice during the life of one | | | | forgotten. Display or evenfly your veterans flag for all |
| American. | | | | to see. Tell people about this person who gave so |
| In the case of my father who was stationed on the | | | | much. |
| USS Curtiss in Pearl Harbor on | | | | Cherish your flag as you did the loved one who |
| December 7, 1942 he was also present aboard the | | | | earned it.My father's flag is proudly displayed in a case |
| USS Piedmont in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945the | | | | made for the display of burial flags in our home. |
| day the treaty ending the war with Japan was signed. | | | | We have an engraved plate attached with a |
| Most of what happened betweenthese events was | | | | remembrance of him so our grand children |
| never talked about. He held the horror and devastation | | | | canremember him with the pride we all do, as a family |
| of this periodof his life to himself.I never really | | | | and as |
| understood how he felt until my own service time | | | | =====================================Bill |
| during the Viet Nam war. | | | | Shayler is a professional engraver as well as |
| It seems I do not like to talk about that time period | | | | theowner of Shayler Engraving and |
| either.Perhaps the feeling of sacrifice has again | | | | shayler-engraving.com,a company specializing in the art |
| surfaced with my son, a Sergeant in the | | | | of engraving. |
| United States Marine Corps now serving in Baghdad | | | | |