You have been with me my whole life, giving me the
guidance and courage to do the things I want and helping
me fulfill my goals wherever I go.
I remember the first time I met you. I think it was
Kindergarten. You always seemed to be confident and
proud no matter what might have been said about you.
I remember greeting you every morning and throughout the
day as our paths would cross, you waving at me and me back
at you. Through my school years -- elementary,
junior high, then high school -- you began to mean more to
me than anything else as I realized the things you
represented. You were always adamant about the ideals of
our great country; you taught me how to respect the
freedoms we have and the sacrifices others have made over
the years to give us those liberties. It probably
wasn't until high school when I started studying the
history of America that I began to realize with your help,
how much it means to be an American.
We stayed close even after I went to college. I
joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps, where I learned
more about what our great country has gone through and
accomplished, and how important it is to protect her and
all she stands for. You came and watched me as I
wore the uniform of our mighty Air Force for the first
time during all those drill practices - rain or shine.
You watched proudly as I learned what it meant to be an
Airman and worked hard to become an ambassador in blue.
You stood behind me as I received my commission in the Air
Force and you were the first to quietly give your thanks
for what I was setting out to do. But, of course, it
was you that deserved the thanks for standing beside me
wherever I went. You let me know I could look to you
at any time and be reminded of who I was and why I was
here. You were there to support me as I started my
military career and, for the first time, truly began to
understand what it meant to serve.
I was lucky enough to have you follow me to my first
assignment at Cannon AFB, New Mexico. That became
home for a couple years, and you were glad to be there as
well. You were there as I took on new job
responsibilities, green through and through, but ready to
serve my country and protect her wherever called upon to
do so. You were there as I left home every morning,
waving as I left, and reminding me every day what you
meant to me. And when I returned each night, you
would always be waiting for me by the front porch,
greeting me and welcoming me home after doing my small
part to help keep this country free. In the summer,
late at night, we would spend time out front with the
light gleaming up at us from the spotlight out in the
yard. People would drive by, see us and wave as we
waved to them. It truly felt like the great American
dream.
As I moved on to new assignments throughout my career, it
may have seemed that you followed me wherever I went, but
truthfully, I was following you. You were my beacon,
my guiding light, always showing me the way. There
were the many times that I deployed, sometimes for long
periods of time, and I had to leave you back at home, but
you were always there with me. I would see your
translucent composure in the distance from my tent or
whatever I stayed in, in far off lands, beautifully waving
to me, reminding me why I was there: protecting our
freedoms and helping others. After seeing the
poverty and devastation in many other countries, it became
more evident how lucky I was to have you and our great way
of life.
You were there with me at awards ceremonies, retirement
ceremonies, promotion ceremonies, and just about
everything else I attended, proudly looking on at the
happenings of the day, knowing that every little thing we
did was important to the security and well-being of all of
us, our nation, and the world. You have been a great
friend through ups and downs, giving me hope when I needed
it, and sharing in my good fortunes when they came.
One of our most tested moments came Sept. 11, 2001, when
it seemed like our world came crumbling down around us.
It was a time that we would never forget where we were and
what we were doing. It tested our spirits, our
securities, our will and our way of life. But you again
rose up and told me not to worry, as America would not let
this drag her down, for she had seen other trying events
in her lifetime and got through them. You stood by
me and comforted me, as I'm sure you did for every other
American. Many servicemen and women would get the
call to begin the fight against terrorism, some would
never return. You would tell me that although some would
not return, their fight wasn't in vain. The
principles and values that we believed in would persevere
because of their sacrifices and this fight, wherever it
took us, was worth it for the sake of our future. No
one would get in the way of our living free and enjoying
the ideals that we enjoy in America, or demonstrating our
generosity to others around the globe.
You've been there for me pretty much my entire life, a
true friend that I've worshipped and loved, no matter what
anyone else may have thought of you. You have been
my glory, my resilience, my confidant, day and night, day
after day. Although you are not what many would call
part of family, you are part of mine, not with a love that
I might show a spouse or child, but with a love that still
comes from the heart. You are my old friend, my Old
Glory, my stars and stripes, my star-spangled banner ...
you are the flag of the United States of America.
You will shine bright for always, for all, not just for
me. I am grateful to those who have fought and died
to protect you and what you stand for, and I will never
forget them, each one of them. You have waved in
front of my house for as long as I can remember, quietly
whispering to me as I step out in the morning that I am
free and live in the best country there ever was.
You give me chills when I hear the Star-Spangled Banner
playing and see you standing straight on a stage or
graciously ruffling high atop your post outside. I
am proud to salute you for all you are. I will not
duck inside to avoid that, no matter the weather, because
I know many before me have endured much worse than two
minutes outside in a cold wind in order to protect you.
And I will keep doing so until the day I die, feeling
confident that when that time comes, you will again be
there for me, to warm me like a blanket, laying me to rest
and thanking me for my service to you. But of
course, I don't deserve the thanks; it is you that I will
always be thankful for, my friend.
Commentary by Lt. Col. Glenn Chadwick
28th Logistics Readiness Squadron commander
2/27/2007-ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D.