My grandfathers were and are both WWII veterans. My paternal grandfather has been gone since I was in elementary school, so I didn't really get a chance to hear any of his stories. My maternal grandfather, on the other hand, is still here and thriving after nearly 89 years.But Grandpa is one of those veterans who doesn't relate many war stories. He's not one to boast or take credit for much of anything, whether it's being a decorated veteran or helping to tile a kitchen back-splash.
But when it comes to the American flag, his true patriotic stripes show themselves.
A few years ago, one of his neighbors -- and not one he spoke to on a regular basis -- had a sorry-looking, worn, tattered American flag displayed in front of his house.
This mistreatment of the flag really bothered Grandpa, to the point where he conspired with one of his fellow vets to approach the neighbor and offer to properly dispose of the flag for him. I don't see Grandpa get worked up over many things, but this did it for him.
Ever since then, it's made me more aware of the number of tattered flags forced to hang at their post until long after their shifts should end. While I don't expect everyone to have the amount of passion as my grandfather, we should probably take a little more pride in properly caring for our national symbol.
Camera: Canon 40D with 60mm macro lens, 1/1600s, f/2.8 at ISO 100 at about 7:00 p.m.
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