----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Tinney" <tinneyb@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: "Bob Tinney" <tinneyb@xxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2008 4:08 PM Subject: Worth Reading: Pledge of Allegiance by John McCain > I've seen this before, but it's worth reading again! > Bob, tinneyb@xxxxxxxxxxx, K8LR > Skype name: bobtinn > Live Long and Prosper! > > > In light of the recent appeals court ruling in California, with respect to > the > Pledge of Allegiance, the following recollection from Senator John McCain > is very appropriate: > > The Pledge of Allegiance' - by Senator John McCain > > As you may know, I spent five and one half years as a prisoner of war > during > the > Vietnam War. In the early years of our imprisonment, the NVA kept us in > solitary confinement or two or three to a cell. In 1971 the NVA moved us > from > these conditions of isolation into large rooms with as many as 30 to 40 > men > to a room. > > This was, as you can imagine, was a wonderful change and was a direct > result > of > the efforts of millions of Americans on behalf of a few hundred POWs > 10,000 > miles from home. > > One of the men who moved into my room was a young man named Mike > Christian. > > Mike came from a small town near Selma , Alabama. He didn't wear a pair of > shoes > until he was 13 years old. At 17, he enlisted in the Navy. He later earned > a commission by going to Officer Training School. Then he became a Naval > Flight > Officer and was shot down and captured in 1967. Mike had a keen and deep > appreciation of the opportunities this country and our military provide > for > people who want to work and want to succeed. > > As part of the change in treatment, the Vietnamese allowed some prisoners > to > receive packages from home. In some of these packages were handkerchiefs, > scarves > and other items of clothing. > > Mike got himself a bamboo needle. Over a period of a couple of months, he > created an American flag and sewed it on the inside of his shirt. > > Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike's shirt > on > the > wall of the cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance. > > I know the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important part of > our > day > now, but I can assure you that in that stark cell it was indeed the most > important and meaningful event. > > One day the Vietnamese searched our cell, as they did periodically, and > discovered Mike's shirt with the flag sewn inside and removed it. > > That evening they returned, opened the door of the cell, and for the > benefit > of > all of us, beat Mike Christian severely for the next couple of hours. They > opened the door of the cell and threw him in. We cleaned him up as well as > we > could. > > The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on which we > slept > and four naked light bulbs hung in each corner of the room. > > As I said, we tried to clean up Mike as well as we could. After the > excitement > died down, I looked in the corner of the room and sitting there beneath > that > dim light bulb with a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo > needle, > was my friend, Mike Christian. He was sitting there with his eyes almost > shut from the beating he had received, making another American flag. He > was > not > making the flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was making > that flag because he knew how important it was to us to be able to Pledge > our > allegiance to our flag and country. > > So the next time you say the Pledge of Allegiance, you must never forget > the > sacrifice and courage that thousands of Americans have made to build our > nation > and promote freedom around the world > > You must remember our duty, our honor and our country > > 'I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of Ameri ca and to > the > republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with > liberty > and justice for all.' > > PASS THIS ON... and on... and on! You can even send it back to me, I don't > mind, > because its worth reading again! > > > To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject. Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message to: optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "subscribe" (without the quotes) in the message subject.