She's been there since the birth of our nation. Every June 14 we pay our respects to her as Americans. She has waved over the land of the free and is the proud and sacred symbol of the freedom, equality, justice, humanity for which our country stands.

We as Americans have called her many different things, such as Old Glory, the Grand Union, Stars and Stripes, the Star-Spangled Banner, and the Red, White and Blue. But mostly she is better known as the United States flag, the symbol of our country.

The colors of Old Glory have meant many different things to many people. Gen. George Washington once said in his explanation of the symbolism of our flag; "We take the stars from heaven, the red from our mother country separating it by white stripes, this showing that we have separated from her and the white stripes shall go down to posterity, representing liberty."

It's been said that red stands for courage, white for liberty, and blue for loyalty.

I'm proud to serve under a flag that has so many meanings. The Stars and Stripes not only stand for freedom, but a star stands for each state in the Union. The stripes symbolize our original 13 colonies, the red stands for the men and women who shed their blood for freedom. The white represents purity of heart and goodness against all evil, foreign and domestic. The blue represents right that God may bless the United States of America, let freedom reign.

She's stood for freedom during the Revolutionary War and all the wars throughout our history and she still stands for freedom today. She's our Red, White and Blue - the United States Flag!