"Proud to Be an American"

Proud to be American
Music and Lyrics by Lee Greenwood

If tomorrow all the things were gone I’d worked for all my life,

And I had to start again with just my children and my wife.

I’d thank my lucky stars to be living here today,

‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom

and they can’t take that away.

And I’m proud to be an American

where as least I know I’m free.

And I won’t forget the men who died,

who gave that right to me.

And I’d gladly stand up next to you

and defend her still today.

‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land

God bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee,

across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea,
From Detroit down to Houston and New York to LA,

Well, there’s pride in every American heart,

and it’s time to stand and say:

I’m proud to be an American

where at least I know I’m free.

And I won’t forget the men who died,

who gave that right to me.

And I’d gladly stand up next to you

and defend her still today.

‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land

God bless the U.S.A.

Today, I decided to start with a picture - and a song. I want to ask that everyone reading today take a moment to remember. I ask that every American show support by flying the American flag. I have put away all my fancy holiday flags since 9-11-01 and I only have the American flag hanging outside. It is funny because I have heard my grandmom and parents remember where they were for huge world events - WW II, Kennedy's assassination, Vietnam and so on. Now I have a memory. Not happy that I have it, but it cannot be changed.

I was in Babies R Us with Brian who was almost seven months old. I was browsing the store for diapers and some winter clothes. I went to pay and over heard some people talking about a plane crash in New York. I still have the receipt from that day. I didn't really think anything of it - there are plane crashes on the news all the time.

I was in for a shock when I got home and turned on the TV to witness the severity. It was not just a plane crash. America, Americans, and people all over the world would forever be changed. One of my favorite commercials is the one where there are a row of houses on a street and the caption reads something like - America before 9-11. Then it fades to America after 9-11 and the only thing that has changed is that all the homes have American flags outside them.

I notice that the number of American flags flying outside of peoples homes have drastically reduced. I used to see so many "Support the Troops" magnets and American flags on peoples cars. I am not trying to impose political views and I am not saying that I agree or disagree with the war or the President's decisions regarding it or anything else. I just ask that you take a minute to remember the lives lost on this day six years ago and also to remember the troops still in danger.

I saw a documentary on HBO a few nights ago about troops in Iraq. They were talking about "Alive Day." This is the day when a soldier is injured so badly that they might not survive. When they defy odds and make it, it is called their alive day. One story really hit me. A young girl had lost one of her legs in a bombing. She still considered herself LUCKY because she had made something of herself and made it out of her small, poor community. She doesn't feel sorry for herself, she feels sorry for the girls back home with no education, single and on welfare with two or three kids. What a remarkable person - what a great outlook on life!

Supporting the troops is different than supporting the war. You can do one without the other, if you so choose. A girl I went to high school with lost her life in the Twin Towers, along with about 2,750 others. Men and women are fighting for freedom around the world to try to make sure that things like that don't happen again.

So, fly your flag high and proud to support troops stationed here and around the world! There is a home a few miles from here that has a sign out front reporting the number of American lives lost in Iraq. It is updated everyday and there is a small American flag placed outside the home for each life lost. It is an amazing sight and tribute.

(I took the picture at Indian Spring Country Club in July - the boys were visiting their Dad at work and the clouds and breeze blowing the flag made for a great picture)