What will you find where this flag flies? The simple answer is – FREEDOM.
Unless you have spent significant time in any country that does not enjoy the extent of our freedoms, you will likely never fully appreciate our flag’s symbolism. Enjoy your freedom this and future July 4th Independence Days, and never take it for granted.
This flag flying in the midst of a July 2003 dust storm at Camp Speicher, Iraq was an unlikely sight for our convoy traveling from Baghdad to Mosul. But for us, it was a welcome reminder that we could find freedom, security, safety, and help within the camp’s borders as we stopped to get a vehicle repaired.
Just as that small American Flag in a tiny desert outpost represented safety and refuge to the few in our convoy, I can just imagine what it now means for those around the world fleeing violence and desperately seeking its refuge.
Although the concertina wire is unsightly, it serves as a stark reminder to me that freedom must be protected from those who oppose it, much like our own nation’s borders. At the same time, gates are included to allow for reasonable access.
The lesson I took away for myself was to cherish my “Independence Days”. And as a reminder, those days can be both national and personal.
A favorite quote: “What is living if I can’t live free? What is freedom if I can’t be me?” – Bonnie Raitt
a free state of mind 