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                                          Pledge of Allegiance

                                                                                           Courtesy of the NJ Dept. Ladies Auxiliary

            I                                              - Me, an individual, a committee of one.

           PLEDGE                                - Dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity.

          ALLEGIANCE                       - My love and devotion.

          TO THE FLAG                      - Our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom.  Wherever she waves, 

                                                             there is respect because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts

                                                             freedom, is everybody's job.

         OF THE UNITED                   - That means that we have all come together.

         STATES                                   - Individual communities that have united into 50 great states.  50 individual 

                                                             communities with pride and dignity and purpose, all divided with imaginary

                                                             boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that's love for country.

        OF AMERICA

       AND TO THE REPUBLIC       - A state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by

                                                              the people to govern.  And government is the people and it's from the

                                                              people to the leaders, not the leaders to the people.

       FOR WHICH IT STANDS

      ONE NATION                             - Meaning, so blessed by God. 

      INDIVISIBLE                              - Incapable of being divided.

     WITH LIBERTY                          - Which is freedom and the right of power to live ones own life without

                                                               threats or fear or some sort of retaliation.

     AND JUSTICE                             - The principle or quality of dealing fairly with others.

     FOR ALL                                      - Which means it's as much your country as it is mine

 Why the American Flag

                  Is Folded Thirteen Time                  

      
I've known how the 21 gun salute was determined (adding the individual digits 
of 1776), but only recently learned why the flag was folded 13 times when it 
is lowered or when it >> is folded and handed to the widow at the burial of a 
veteran?

Here it is:

The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.

The second fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life.

The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing our ranks who gave a 

portion of their lives for the defense of our country to attain peace throughout the world.

The fourth fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him 

we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His divine guidance.

The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, "Our Country, in dealing

 with other countries may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong."

The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag 

of the United States Of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, 

indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.

The seventh fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our 

country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.

The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might 

see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on Mother's Day.

The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood; for it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion 

that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been molded.

The tenth fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and 
daughters for the defense of our country since they were first born.

The eleventh fold, in the eyes of a Hebrew citizen represents the lower portion of the seal of King David 

and King Solomon, and glorifies in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of 
eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit.

When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding us of our 
nation's motto, "In God We Trust".

After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding 

us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington, and the sailors and marines who served 

under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces 

of the United States, preserving for us the rights, privileges, and freedoms we enjoy today.

MY NAME IS OLD GLORY LONG MAY I WAVE.
DEAR GOD IN HEAVEN LONG MAY I WAVE

I AM THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

I am the flag of the United States of America.
My name is Old Glory.
I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.
I stand watch in America's halls of justice.
I fly majestically over institutions of learning.
I stand guard with power in the world.
Look up and see me.


I stand for peace, honor, truth and justice.
I stand for freedom.
I am confident.
I am arrogant.
I am proud.


When I am flown with my fellow banners, my head is a little higher, my colors a little truer.


I bow to no one!
I am recognized all over the world.
I am worshipped - I am saluted.
I am loved - I am revered.
I am respected - and I am feared.


I have fought in every battle of every war for more then 200 years.
I was flown at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Shiloh and Appomattox.
I was there at San Juan Hill, the trenches of France, in the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome and the 

beaches of Normandy, Guam. Okinawa, Korea and KheSan, Saigon, Vietnam know me, 

I was there.  I led my troops, I was dirty, battle worn and tired, but my soldiers cheered me And I was proud.
I have been burned, torn and trampled on the streets of countries I have helped set free.
It does not hurt, for I am invincible.


I have been soiled upon, burned, torn and trampled on the streets of my country.
And when it's by those whom I've served in battle - it hurts.
But I shall overcome - for I am strong.


I have slipped the bonds of Earth and stood watch over the uncharted frontiers of space from my vantage 

point on the moon.  I have borne silent witness to all of America's finest hours.
But my finest hours are yet to come.


When I am torn into strips and used as bandages for my wounded comrades on the battlefield, When I am

 flown at half-mast to honor my soldier, Or when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving parent at the grave 

of their fallen son or daughter, I am proud.

                             The Great Seal Of the State of New Jersey

The three plows in the shield honor the state's agricultural tradition. The helmet above the shield faces forward, an attitude denoting sovereignty and thus particularly fitting for one of the first governments created under the notion that the state itself is the sovereign. The crest above the helmet is a horse's head.

The supporting female figures are Liberty and Ceres, the Roman goddess of grain, symbolizing abundance. Liberty, on the viewer's left, carries the liberty cap on her staff. Ceres holds a cornucopia filled with harvested produce.

Although the Seal's major elements have kept their relative positions for more than 200 years, there have been a number of lesser changes. The staff that Liberty now holds with her right hand she once held in the crook of her left arm. While the female figures now face straight ahead, they at one time looked away from the shield. The cornucopia that Ceres now holds upright was once inverted, its open end upon the ground. The Seal was redesigned in accordance with Joint Resolution 8 of the Laws of 1928. It was then that the year of statehood, 1776, first appeared in Arabic figures.

I AM THE FLAG
by Ruth Apperson Rous

I am the flag of the United States of America.

I was born on June 14, 1777, in Philadelphia.

There the Continental Congress adopted my stars and stripes as the national flag.

My thirteen stripes alternating red and white, with a union of thirteen white stars in a field of blue, represented a new constellation, a new nation dedicated to the personal and religious liberty of mankind.

Today fifty stars signal from my union, one for each of the fifty sovereign states in the greatest constitutional republic the world has ever known.

My colors symbolize the patriotic ideals and spiritual qualities of the citizens of my country.

My red stripes proclaim the fearless courage and integrity of American men and boys and the self-sacrifice and devotion of American mothers and daughters.

My white stripes stand for liberty and equality for all.

My blue is the blue of heaven, loyalty, and faith.

I represent these eternal principles:  liberty, justice, and humanity.

I embody American freedom: freedom of speech, religion, assembly, the press, and the sanctity of home.

I typify that indomitable spirit of determination brought to my land by Christopher Columbus and by all my forefathers--the Pilgrims, settlers at James Town and Plymouth.

I am as old as my nation.

I am a living symbol of my nation's law: the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.

I voice Abraham Lincoln's philosophy:  "A government of the people, by the people, for the people.

I stand guard over my nations schools, the seedbed of good citizenship and true patriotism.

I am displayed in every schoolroom throughout my nation; every schoolyard has a flag pole for my display.

Daily,  thousands upon thousands of boys and girls pledge their allegiance to me and my country.

I have my own law--Public Law 829,  "The flag Code", which definitely states my correct use and display for all occasions and situations.

I have my own special day, Flag Day, June 14 is set aside to honor my birth.

Americans, I am the sacred emblem of your country.  I symbolize your birthright, your heritage of liberty purchased with blood and sorrow.

I am your title deed of freedom, which is yours to enjoy and hold in trust for posterity.

If you fail to keep this sacred trust inviolate, if I am nullified and destroyed, you and your children will become slaves to dictators and despots.

Eternal vigilance is your price of freedom.

As you see me silhouetted against the peaceful skies of my country, remind yourself that I am the flag of your country, that I stand for what you are--no more, no less.

Guard me well, lest your freedom perish from the earth.

Dedicate your lives to those principles for which I stand:  "One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all".

I was created in freedom.  I made my first appearance in a battle for human liberty.

God grant that I may spend eternity in my land, "Land of the free and home of the brave", and that I shall ever be known as "Old Glory", the flag of the United States of America.

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