St. Mary’s School students get an important lesson about the American Flag on Veterans’ Day
By Per Peterson
An inquisitive bunch of St. Mary’s School students learned all they need to know about the American Flag during a Veterans’ Day assembly last Wednesday.
In honor of the patriotic holiday, Tracy American Legion Auxiliary President Jane Wahl, decked out in red-white-and-blue, paid the students a visit and taught them about the importance of respecting the flag and even about what each of the 12 folds of the flag mean.
“I want you to go home and remember what the American Flag symbolizes,” Wahl said. “It’s freedom. It’s the freedom and the things we can do. We don’t all understand the freedoms that we have gained from having our troops in the service. They have done many things for us.”
Wahl said the flag represents everything that is great about America, especially freedom.
“We have religious freedom, we have freedom to vote, we have freedom to meet here like this, and some countries can’t do this,” she said. “We have a lot of freedoms we should be thankful for, and that’s what the flag represents. Don’t ever forget that, and always respect our flag.”
Wahl also told the kids that it’s never OK to burn the American Flag just to get rid of it. She said worn-out flags are disposed of at special flag burning ceremonies held by American Legion clubs.
See this week’s Headlight Herald for more on this article.