O! Say Can You See By the Dawn's Early Light,

The other night I was at an event with several hundred people. The ages ran the gamut from babies to great-grandparents, no doubt including a variety of military veterans. At the opening of the festivities we were asked to stand and remove all hats as the band on stage played the National Anthem. An American flag graced the stage. A fair number of us placed our right hands over our left chest to show our respect for the flag and the republic it stands for and for the men and women who have and do serve our country in the armed forces, many having giving the final ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedoms. Out of the corner of my eye I spied a soldier in his mid-30's outfitted in Army combat fatigues and boots, obviously serving on one of our bases here in town. His wife and two grade-school aged children were there with him. Sadly during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner he was thumbing through the program, talking to his wife and playing with the kids. Is there no decorum left in our military? Are they not taught the history and heritage of our nation and the branch of the military that they serve in? Shouldn't they be expected to set a public example of respect for our flag and National Anthem? Didn't he realize that those of us around him standing quietly, facing and saluting the flag were doing so out of respect for him and his service? My how far we have come, or fallen. The real question is, where are we headed?