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| (Image by Paul Whiting) |
"The Old Red, White and Blue!"
Look so high above us,
She waves to us so true!
There she flies to love us,
"The Old Red, White and Blue!"
-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"
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*I think that my blogs are being sabotaged by someone who is very 'tech savvy,' and they may be someone that I know, because I have noticed strange things happening while I have been editing my writing, which includes the font size being way smaller on the blog post 'header' titled, "Post No. 254: For Flag Day — 'The Old Red, White and Blue!'" on my "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" blog. Thus, the font size on this blog post header is smaller than the font sizes on the other blog posts' headers on the aforementioned blog. (Although, I have noticed that the header font size keeps changing back and forth, between the small size and the normal size, as I am editing the post.) And I cannot figure out what is causing this "smaller-blog-post-header-font anomaly" on this particular blog post, but it may be whomever is sabotaging my blogs—as I mentioned above—because they are 'bothered' by this "The Old Red, White and Blue!" poem that I wrote... –Paul Whiting (written June 14th, 2022, revised June 25th, 2022 and revised July 29th, 2022)
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My Writing Notes:
The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement: "Look so high above us, she waves to us so true! There she flies to love us, 'The Old Red, White and Blue!'"
Also, on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog where this post was originally published, beginning in January 2013, I tried to create a post for virtually every holiday and special occasion of which I was aware, but I realized by September 2014 that I did not have enough time and energy to continue posting for every holiday and special occasion. And I decided to keep the poems in that series which were the most relevant to my "Small All White in the Forest" blog, of which this is one.
And this poem was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest."
This poem was written in Portland, Oregon.
-Paulee
https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com
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June 14th, 2022 Update, Written On June 13th, 2022: I received two emails from the USO (United Service Organizations) with regard to the patriotic observances celebrated on June 14th, including both Flag Day and the U.S. Army's birthday!
And the first email I received from the USO was on June 10th, 2022, with the subject line, "How much do you know about the stars and stripes, Paul?" regarding the celebration of Flag Day, which stated the following:
Paul, Flag Day is right around the corner! We hope you'll celebrate with all of us here at the USO by learning more about the history of this holiday celebrating the American flag we all know and love.
In honor of Old Glory herself, check out the special Flag Day Timeline we put together for this incredible community of military supporters.
VIEW TIMELINE NOW:***
Whether you're planning to attend a parade, wear red, white & blue or enjoy a special Flag Day treat, we hope you enjoy this opportunity to celebrate this important symbol of our country.
The USO
***[I used to include hyperlinks contained within the email messages, or the text messages, to which I am referring in these "Activism Updates"; however, I could not figure out how to include the aforementioned hyperlinks, regarding some relevant action that I had taken—such as signing a petition, sending a letter or message to my representative(s) in Congress, signing a USO 'Thank You' card, and/or making a donation—without including my personal information.]
Plus, after I viewed the timeline, I made a one-time donation on the USO.org website in order to respond to the request, "This Flag Day, will you make a donation to send a little bit of home to our service members and show them how much you appreciate their incredible service and sacrifice?"
---------------------------------------------
And speaking of the U.S. Army's birthday, as I mentioned above, the second email that I received from the USO, regarding June 14th, was on June 12th, 2022, with the subject line, "Help us celebrate the Army's 247th birthday!", which stated the following:
We've got an important occasion to celebrate on Tuesday, Paul: It's the U.S. Army's 247th birthday!
From the Revolutionary War until today, America's bravest have answered the call to protect our freedoms and keep us safe whenever they've been asked. Now it's time for us to show them how grateful we are for their service and sacrifice.
That's why we set a goal to get 24,700 signatures on our Army Birthday Card before midnight on Tuesday. Show how much you appreciate everything Army heroes do for us by signing our Army Birthday Card now!
SIGN THE CARD***
Those serving in the Army risk their lives every day to defend our nation. They carry on a proud tradition that began in the 1700s and continues through this day. The U.S. Army is one of the world's foremost guardians of peace and liberty — we are so lucky they've got our backs.
And it may not seem like much, but we often hear from active-duty service members that getting messages of support from military supporters like you makes such a big difference when they're serving in challenging, dangerous conditions.
We're counting on at least 24,700 military supporters like you to sign our Army Birthday Card by midnight Tuesday — so add your name now and show the Army's heroes how grateful you are for their service!
Thanks!
— The USO
***[I used to include hyperlinks contained within the email messages, or the text messages, to which I am referring in these "Activism Updates"; however, I could not figure out how to include the aforementioned hyperlinks, regarding some relevant action that I had taken—such as signing a petition, sending a letter or message to my representative(s) in Congress, signing a USO 'Thank You' card, and/or making a donation—without including my personal information.]
So, I signed the card, since "the Army turns 247 on June 14, and our troops need to hear how grateful we are that they’re here for us!" Plus, after I signed the card, I made a one-time donation on the USO.org website to say to our Army heroes, "We are beyond grateful for the sacrifices you make to protect our freedoms and keep us safe. In honor of the Army’s 247th birthday, thank you for your service!"
In addition to that, I already make a recurring monthly donation to the USO in order to show my support for our U.S. Military Personnel! You see, I usually make one-time donations to the USO each month—as often as I can manage when they request a donation via email or text message. Therefore, I am planning to continue making one-time donations to the USO in the future, as often as I can manage to make donations, in addition to making the aforementioned recurring monthly donation.
By the way, did you know that the USO is a not-for-profit organization and not part of the Department of Defense (DoD)? The following description of the USO is from their 'About Us' webpage:
"The USO is not part of the federal government. A congressionally chartered, private organization, the USO relies on the generosity of individuals, organizations and corporations to support its activities, and is powered by a family of volunteers to accomplish our mission of connection."
So, that is why I 'volunteer financially' as a member of the "USO Home Team" through a recurring monthly donation, as well as through one-time donations to the USO each month!
–Paul Whiting (written June 13th, 2022, revised June 22nd, 2022, revised June 25th, 2022, revised June 26th, 2022, revised July 1st, 2022, revised August 16th, 2022, revised September 4th, 2022, revised November 18th, 2022, revised November 24th, 2022, revised December 25th, 2022, revised December 30th, 2022, revised April 11th, 2023, revised April 21st, 2023, revised April 27th, 2023, revised April 28th, 2023, revised May 11th, 2023, revised May 30th, 2023, revised June 5th, 2023, revised June 14th, 2023, revised July 28th, 2023, revised September 27th, 2023 and revised November 18th, 2023)
[I feel like I need to clarify why there are so many 'revised dates' on this 'update,' just like there are often times so many 'revised dates' on other 'updates' similar to this one! You see, I really try to keep my writing consistent as possible across all of my blogs. Therefore, as I am writing, I try to use the same phraseology wherever possible with regard to similar types of my writing so that, when I am editing my writing, I can change all of the similar writing at the same time and in the same way! Thus, a lot of the revisions indicated above, after my name (–Paul Whiting), and shown right after the original 'written date,' are often times due to these aforementioned consistent-writing revisions.]
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June 14th, 2022 Update—Continued: I think that my blogs are being sabotaged by someone who is very 'tech savvy,' and they may be someone that I know, because I have noticed strange things happening while I have been editing my writing, which includes the font size being way smaller on the blog post 'header' titled, "Post No. 254: For Flag Day — 'The Old Red, White and Blue!'" on my "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" blog.
Thus, the font size on this blog post header is smaller than the font sizes on the other blog posts' headers on the aforementioned blog. (Although, I have noticed that the header font size keeps changing back and forth, between the small size and the normal size, as I am editing the post.)
And I cannot figure out what is causing this 'smaller-blog-post-header-font' anomaly on this particular blog post, but it may be whomever is sabotaging my blogs—as I mentioned above—because they are 'bothered' by this "The Old Red, White and Blue!" poem that I wrote... (Please see the hyperlink below for the post.)
The aforementioned poem can be seen below:
"The Old Red, White and Blue!"
Look so high above us,
She waves to us so true!
There she flies to love us,
"The Old Red, White and Blue!"
-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"
https://paulwhitingwriting.blogspot.com/2022/06/for-flag-day-old-red-white-and-blue.html
Therefore, that is why I decided to provide you with this 'June 14th, 2022 Update—Continued' for the "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was" post on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog, with regard to the post titled, "For Flag Day — 'The Old Red, White and Blue!'" on my "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" blog, because my poetry is an integral part of my "Online Activism!"
–Paul Whiting (written June 14th, 2022, revised June 15th, 2022, revised June 21st, 2022, revised June 22nd, 2022, revised June 25th, 2022, revised June 29th, 2022, revised July 29th, 2022, revised August 28th, 2022, revised May 30th, 2023, revised September 19th, 2023 and revised May 4th, 2024)
[I feel like I need to clarify why there are so many 'revised dates' on this 'update,' just like there are often times so many 'revised dates' on other 'updates' similar to this one! You see, I really try to keep my writing consistent as possible across all of my blogs. Therefore, as I am writing, I try to use the same phraseology wherever possible with regard to similar types of my writing so that, when I am editing my writing, I can change all of the similar writing at the same time and in the same way! Thus, a lot of the revisions indicated above, after my name (–Paul Whiting), and shown right after the original 'written date,' are often times due to these aforementioned consistent-writing revisions.]
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June 14th, 2023 Update: Did you know that June 14th of each year is both Flag Day and the U.S. Army's birthday?
Neither did I! That is, until I received two emails from the USO (United Service Organizations) last year on June 10th, 2022 and June 12th, 2022, with the subject lines, "How much do you know about the stars and stripes, Paul?" and "Help us celebrate the Army's 247th birthday!", respectively.
And I wrote an 'update' regarding those emails from the USO, a copy of which can be found below:
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June 14th, 2022 Update, Written On June 13th, 2022: I received two emails from the USO (United Service Organizations) with regard to the patriotic observances celebrated on June 14th, including both Flag Day and the U.S. Army's birthday!
And the first email I received from the USO was on June 10th, 2022, with the subject line, "How much do you know about the stars and stripes, Paul?" regarding the celebration of Flag Day, which stated the following:
Paul, Flag Day is right around the corner! We hope you'll celebrate with all of us here at the USO by learning more about the history of this holiday celebrating the American flag we all know and love.
In honor of Old Glory herself, check out the special Flag Day Timeline we put together for this incredible community of military supporters.
VIEW TIMELINE NOW:***
Whether you're planning to attend a parade, wear red, white & blue or enjoy a special Flag Day treat, we hope you enjoy this opportunity to celebrate this important symbol of our country.
The USO
***[I used to include hyperlinks contained within the email messages, or the text messages, to which I am referring in these "Activism Updates"; however, I could not figure out how to include the aforementioned hyperlinks, regarding some relevant action that I had taken—such as signing a petition, sending a letter or message to my representative(s) in Congress, signing a USO 'Thank You' card, and/or making a donation—without including my personal information.]
Plus, after I viewed the timeline, I made a one-time donation on the USO.org website in order to respond to the request, "This Flag Day, will you make a donation to send a little bit of home to our service members and show them how much you appreciate their incredible service and sacrifice?"
---------------------------------------------
And speaking of the U.S. Army's birthday, as I mentioned above, the second email that I received from the USO, regarding June 14th, was on June 12th, 2022, with the subject line, "Help us celebrate the Army's 247th birthday!", which stated the following:
We've got an important occasion to celebrate on Tuesday, Paul: It's the U.S. Army's 247th birthday!
From the Revolutionary War until today, America's bravest have answered the call to protect our freedoms and keep us safe whenever they've been asked. Now it's time for us to show them how grateful we are for their service and sacrifice.
That's why we set a goal to get 24,700 signatures on our Army Birthday Card before midnight on Tuesday. Show how much you appreciate everything Army heroes do for us by signing our Army Birthday Card now!
SIGN THE CARD***
Those serving in the Army risk their lives every day to defend our nation. They carry on a proud tradition that began in the 1700s and continues through this day. The U.S. Army is one of the world's foremost guardians of peace and liberty — we are so lucky they've got our backs.
And it may not seem like much, but we often hear from active-duty service members that getting messages of support from military supporters like you makes such a big difference when they're serving in challenging, dangerous conditions.
We're counting on at least 24,700 military supporters like you to sign our Army Birthday Card by midnight Tuesday — so add your name now and show the Army's heroes how grateful you are for their service!
Thanks!
— The USO
***[I used to include hyperlinks contained within the email messages, or the text messages, to which I am referring in these "Activism Updates"; however, I could not figure out how to include the aforementioned hyperlinks, regarding some relevant action that I had taken—such as signing a petition, sending a letter or message to my representative(s) in Congress, signing a USO 'Thank You' card, and/or making a donation—without including my personal information.]
So, I signed the card, since "the Army turns 247 on June 14, and our troops need to hear how grateful we are that they’re here for us!" Plus, after I signed the card, I made a one-time donation on the USO.org website to say to our Army heroes, "We are beyond grateful for the sacrifices you make to protect our freedoms and keep us safe. In honor of the Army’s 247th birthday, thank you for your service!"
In addition to that, I already make a recurring monthly donation to the USO in order to show my support for our U.S. Military Personnel! You see, I usually make one-time donations to the USO each month—as often as I can manage when they request a donation via email or text message. Therefore, I am planning to continue making one-time donations to the USO in the future, as often as I can manage to make donations, in addition to making the aforementioned recurring monthly donation.
By the way, did you know that the USO is a not-for-profit organization and not part of the Department of Defense (DoD)? The following description of the USO is from their 'About Us' webpage:
"The USO is not part of the federal government. A congressionally chartered, private organization, the USO relies on the generosity of individuals, organizations and corporations to support its activities, and is powered by a family of volunteers to accomplish our mission of connection."
So, that is why I 'volunteer financially' as a member of the "USO Home Team" through a recurring monthly donation, as well as through one-time donations to the USO each month!
–Paul Whiting (written June 13th, 2022, revised June 22nd, 2022, revised June 25th, 2022, revised June 26th, 2022, revised July 1st, 2022, revised August 16th, 2022, revised September 4th, 2022, revised November 18th, 2022, revised November 24th, 2022, revised December 25th, 2022, revised December 30th, 2022, revised April 11th, 2023, revised April 21st, 2023, revised April 27th, 2023, revised April 28th, 2023, revised May 11th, 2023, revised May 30th, 2023, revised June 5th, 2023, revised June 14th, 2023, revised July 28th, 2023, revised September 27th, 2023 and revised November 18th, 2023)
[I feel like I need to clarify why there are so many 'revised dates' on this 'update,' just like there are often times so many 'revised dates' on other 'updates' similar to this one! You see, I really try to keep my writing consistent as possible across all of my blogs. Therefore, as I am writing, I try to use the same phraseology wherever possible with regard to similar types of my writing so that, when I am editing my writing, I can change all of the similar writing at the same time and in the same way! Thus, a lot of the revisions indicated above, after my name (–Paul Whiting), and shown right after the original 'written date,' are often times due to these aforementioned consistent-writing revisions.]
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Thus, today is both Flag Day and the Army’s 248th birthday! And I received a text message today, June 14th, 2023, from the USO (United Service Organizations), which stated the following:
Paul ... Only 3k Americans have signed our birthday card for the U.S. Army! We just checked our records, and it looks like YOUR name is missing:
Supporter ID: [redacted]
Signature: PENDING
Please, honor those who serve and sacrifice so much for us by wishing the Army a happy birthday before midnight tonight. It's the least we can do. Sign the card here >>***
Thank you,
USO
***[I used to include hyperlinks contained within the email messages, or the text messages, to which I am referring in these "Activism Updates"; however, I could not figure out how to include the aforementioned hyperlinks, regarding some relevant action that I had taken—such as signing a petition, sending a letter or message to my representative(s) in Congress, signing a USO 'Thank You' card, and/or making a donation—without including my personal information.]
So, I signed the card to "honor those who serve and sacrifice so much for us by wishing the Army a happy birthday!" Plus, after I signed the card, I made a one-time donation on the USO.org website to say to our Army heroes, "We are beyond grateful for the sacrifices you make to protect our freedoms and keep us safe. In honor of the Army’s 248th birthday, thank you for your service!"
And then, for Flag Day, I did a search on Google for "USO Flag Day 2023" and found an article on the USO.org website titled, "When is Flag Day and Five Must-Know American Flag Facts." A brief introduction to the article can be found below:
"When is Flag Day and Five Must-Know American Flag Facts" from the USO
By Mike Case | Wednesday, Jun 14, 2023
“Resolved, that the Flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation.” – Saturday, June 14, 1777; Journals of the Continental Congress
There are many famous stories about the American flag, from Betsy Ross to the Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima, to firefighters raising the flag at Ground Zero in New York after 9/11.
To help celebrate Flag Day on June 14, which is the “birthday” of the American flag, here are 5 less well-known facts that you might not know about the “Red, White and Blue”: ...
Please see the hyperlink below for the article:
https://www.uso.org/stories/2768-when-is-flag-day-and-five-must-know-american-flag-facts
And so, I decided to highlight this article from the USO for you, my readers, to consider reading too! By the way, there was a donation prompt at the bottom of the article, which stated the following:
"Every day, America’s service members selflessly put their lives on the line to keep us safe and free. Please take a moment to let our troops know how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice." GIVE TODAY
Plus, after I read the article, I made another one-time donation on the USO.org website in order to support the USO's following statement: "For more than 80 years, the USO has stood by America's military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country. But we're not a government agency, and rely on individual supporters like you to fund the programs that make the biggest difference for our service members."
In addition to that, I already make a recurring monthly donation to the USO in order to show my support for our U.S. Military Personnel! You see, I usually make one-time donations to the USO each month—as often as I can manage when they request a donation via email or text message. Therefore, I am planning to continue making one-time donations to the USO in the future, as often as I can manage to make donations, in addition to making the aforementioned recurring monthly donation.
By the way, did you know that the USO is a not-for-profit organization and not part of the Department of Defense (DoD)? The following description of the USO is from their 'About Us' webpage:
"The USO is not part of the federal government. A congressionally chartered, private organization, the USO relies on the generosity of individuals, organizations and corporations to support its activities, and is powered by a family of volunteers to accomplish our mission of connection."
So, that is why I 'volunteer financially' as a member of the "USO Home Team" through a recurring monthly donation, as well as through one-time donations to the USO each month!
–Paul Whiting (written June 14th, 2023, revised July 28th, 2023, revised July 31st, 2023, revised September 23rd, 2023, revised September 27th, 2023 and revised June 14th, 2024)
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June 14th, 2024 Update No. 1: Flag Day is yearly (annually) on June 14th!
And I read an NBC article today, June 14th, 2024, which is titled, "The American Legion weighs in on upside-down American flags," while I was doing my occasional news searches on Google, which I do as often as I can manage. A simplified overview to the article can be found below:
"The American Legion weighs in on upside-down American flags" from NBC News
The American Legion said flags should be flown upside down only if there is “extreme danger to life or property.”
By Megan Lebowitz | June 13, 2024
WASHINGTON — The veteran organization the American Legion weighed in on the upside-down American flag controversy on Thursday, noting that flags should only be flown this way if there is "extreme danger to life or property." ...
... "The American flag is a symbol of courage, strength, freedom and democracy," said the American Legion National Commander Daniel Seehafer in a statement to NBC News. "American Legion members swore with their lives to protect all that the flag stands for."
Seehafer pointed to the Flag Code, a detailed set of guidelines laying out how the American flag should be displayed, as evidence the flag should not be inverted unless to signal distress.
"Our organization also led the creation of the U.S. Flag Code, which includes the following: ‘The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property,’” Seehafer said. ...
Besides that, in observance of Flag Day, I did a search on Google for "Flag Day USO" and found an article on the USO.org website titled, "When is Flag Day and Five Must-Know American Flag Facts." A brief introduction to the article can be found below:
"When is Flag Day and Five Must-Know American Flag Facts" from the USO
By Mike Case | Wednesday, Jun 14, 2023
“Resolved, that the Flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation.” – Saturday, June 14, 1777; Journals of the Continental Congress
There are many famous stories about the American flag, from Betsy Ross to the Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima, to firefighters raising the flag at Ground Zero in New York after 9/11.
To help celebrate Flag Day on June 14, which is the “birthday” of the American flag, here are 5 less well-known facts that you might not know about the “Red, White and Blue”: ...
Please see the hyperlink below for the article:
https://www.uso.org/stories/2768-when-is-flag-day-and-five-must-know-american-flag-facts
And even before I read the article above—since I was already planning to donate—I made a one-time donation on the USO.org website in order to support the USO's following statement: "For more than 80 years, it has been the USO's mission to strengthen the well-being of the people serving in America’s military and their families. But we're not a government agency, and rely on individual supporters like you to fund the programs that make the biggest difference for our service members."
In addition to that, I already make a recurring monthly donation to the USO in order to show my support for our U.S. Military Personnel! You see, I usually make one-time donations to the USO each month—as often as I can manage when they request a donation via email or text message. Therefore, I am planning to continue making one-time donations to the USO in the future, as often as I can manage to make donations, in addition to making the aforementioned recurring monthly donation.
By the way, did you know that the USO is a not-for-profit organization and not part of the Department of Defense (DoD)? The following description of the USO is from their 'About Us' webpage:
"The USO is not part of the federal government. A congressionally chartered, private organization, the USO relies on the generosity of individuals, organizations and corporations to support its activities, and is powered by a family of volunteers to accomplish our mission of connection."
So, that is why I 'volunteer financially' as a member of the "USO Home Team" through a recurring monthly donation, as well as through one-time donations to the USO each month! –Paul Whiting (June 14th, 2024)
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This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 254 was edited on June 14th, 2024.
"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]
