Veterans reflect on national flag week | va atlanta health care | veterans affairs

National Flag week, June 9-15, is a time to honor and celebrate the enduring strength and promise that the stars and stripes on our flag have always embodied as they fly proudly across our

country and around the world. One Army Veteran noted how the American flag has a proud and glorious history, and many brave soldiers have died defending it. "Our country’s flag has

inspired countless troops through their proudest and darkest days as a symbol of patriotism, strength and resilience, “ he said, thinking back over his experience in combat operations in

Afghanistan and Iraq. The flag provided strength to a Marine Corps Veteran as he and other members of his unit deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom shortly after the 9/11 terrorist

attacks. “When people attack and dishonor Old Glory, it's because they fail to recognize the ideals it stands for and the sacrifices made to preserve those ideals," he said. An Air

Force Veteran, who served during the Korean War, reflected on how the American flag continues to inspire U.S. servicemembers deployed across the world. "For some, the flag is just a

piece of cloth, but what it represents are the hundreds of thousands of brave soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and future,”  he

concluded.