Submitted by: Lawrence Piemontese

Category: Stories

If you strike a match to my flag, it burns my heart and I can not contain myself. The hate you stoke from that terrible spark cannot ever be extinguished. The flame will burn forever while all else stays dark. You think you’re protesting the deeds of our government, but what you really are doing is diminishing the deeds of our heroes of past and present wars.

The yelling and stomping on our flag with such venom tarnishes the cloth of the country which you did not create. You obviously never fought for my flag! A patriotic-dedicated group of men and women fought and died to give you the right of free expression and speech. Your disrespect is how you thank them? You live in this land of the brave and the free and you don’t understand how much has been sacrificed in honor of our flag.

Did you not learn anything in school? Many men and women fought and died for my flag. You have speared them through the heart with your thoughtless actions. I shed tears whenever I see you burn and step on my flag.

Please stop it for the sake of those who passed from our view. You need to take a knee in prayer instead of striking a match in hate. Pray for those brave men and women and thank God you live in a country that allows you the freedom of expression, no matter how many others it hurts.

My Flag ‘til I die.

About the author:

Lawrence “Pie” Piemontese, USAF 1964-1968, a proud Vietnam-era Veteran. I was born in September of 1946. My grandfather fought in WWI, my father fought in WWII and Korea and I enlisted in July 1964, two weeks after I was in boot camp, Vietnam broke out. I served in Texas, Massachusetts, East China Sea and lastly at Hq. SAC in Omaha, Nebraska. I met my wife Claudia at my last base and asked her to marry me after three weeks. We have been married 52 years in November. I have three children: Larry, Matthew and Danielle, the apples of my eyes. I am a patriot from the day I knew how to speak. I love my country and would die for it and my flag.