The Lone Horseman
The lone horseman sat astride his white steed peering out of a line of woods on the edge of what once had been a fertile farm field, which this morning had been the venue of a bloody military battle between large armies. The horseman’s side had retreated southward through the woods presently about him, whilst the enemy had withdrawn from the field by moving northward through similar woods on the far side of the battlefield.
The horseman looked at the field littered with dead soldiers and dead horses who had perished during the morning battle. Also strewn about the farm field was scattered military equipment and other accouterments of battle. The horseman continued to peruse the battlefield as though he were looking for something.
Finally, the horseman seemed to have spotted the item for which he was looking. Slowly and cautiously, he urged his steed forward out of the relative safety of the woods and onto the farm field. His horse stepped carefully avoiding the dead lying on the field, because horses have a natural aversion to trampling on carcasses.
When the horseman reached his objective, he swung down from his horse and picked up the stick and wound the cloth around the stick. He then shoved the stick into the folds of the threadbare blanket strapped to the back of his saddle. With his prize in his possession, he remounted his horse and headed back to the woods from which he had entered the field. Again, the horse tread carefully to avoid stepping upon the bodies of those who had perished earlier that day. Upon reaching the woods, the horseman continued through the woods following the course that his forces had followed during their retreat from the battlefield on that afternoon.
Upon exiting the far side of the woods, the perspiration soaked horseman rode up the side of a hill and thorough a small line of woods. When the horseman exited those woods, he saw a meager encampment of soldiers. As soon as he was seen by the campers, he was surrounded by young men pleading that he give them the “honor” for the next day’s battle.
In those days, battles were fought by men marching in a straight line advancing toward the opponent’s battle line. The flag bearer marched in the center of the line, and the troops on either side of the flag bearer, kept looking at the flag, and trying to keep the line straight and even with the flag.
Although, it was regarded as a high honor to be the flag bearer, it was also the most hazardous position on the battlefield. Military men always sought to shoot the enemy’s flag bearer, both because it was seen as a triumph of sorts to have the enemies flag soiled in the mud of a battlefield, and because, if the enemy line no longer had a flag with which to keep their battle line straight and intact. And most soldiers and field commanders understood that disrupted, disorganized and disoriented attackers were easier to counter.
The horseman looked down at the young eager faces and chose one who seemed most eager. The horseman smiled and inquired about the young soldier’s name. “Michael Mullin, Sir!” was the young man’s rapid, respectful, reply.
That evening, after having had barely enough warm food to keep him alive, the horseman retired to his pup tent and pulled his threadbare blanket over his body although the stifling heat of the day still influenced the temperature of night.
The pup tent was too short to fully accommodate his long body, so his feet were visible at one end of the tent. The early morning activity in the camp awakened the horseman, who peered out of his tent to find another mild, misty morning with troops ready to march off to yet another battle. The horseman observed that the troops were being led into the nearby woods by Michael, the new flag bearer.
As time wore on, Michael and the other troops marched onto the farmer’s field which had served as the prior day’s battlefield.
Back at the camp, the horseman heard the gunfire, as the next battle commenced off in the distance. The noise of the battle escalated as more and more troops on both sides were discharging rifles and eventually cannon fire was heard. At about noon, the sounds of the distant battle ceased.
Eventually, a few of the troops, who had marched out of the camp earlier that morning, emerged from the nearby woods. Some of the stragglers were bloody, some were covered in mud all were dirty and tired because the heat of the day was stifling.
As had become his course of conduct, the horseman saddled his mount and rode off to position himself in the line of woods overlooking the battlefield, which had served as the situs of this morning’s battle as well.
The sound of battle was long gone, and that steamy afternoon had become eerily silent.
The horseman observed the field from his position at the edge of the woods. As any feeling human might think while observing such carnage, the horseman mourned the losses but, he remained convinced that the objectives of this war were worth such human suffering and sacrifice.
The horseman looked long and hard.
Finally spotting his objective, he rode into the battlefield as he had done on prior occasions.
The horseman rode to the spot where Michael had fallen. The horseman dismounted. He noted that although Michael lay dead, Michael still held the flag staff in his upraised hand and had not allowed his fallen flag to touch the ground. The horseman pried the flag staff from the young soldiers hand, and rode back to camp with the flag. Others would soon arrive at the battlefield to bury the dead and to collect any useable items.
Upon his return to camp, he was again besieged by eager young men seeking the honor.
This time the Horseman handed the flag to a young soldier who identified himself as Corporal Phillip Mason.
That evening, the horseman invited Corporal Mason and a few other soldiers to have dinner with him. The horseman and the others consumed a few heated rations while seated on the ground around a small campfire. Phillip declared that he too was a farmer who had spent his earlier days in a part of the country far away from where they were then encamped. Phillip Mason was a very entertaining dinner guest who seemed to be gifted with an endless supply of amusing tales. The horseman had rarely enjoyed an evening’s conversation as much as this one with Phillip and the other Corporals.
The following morning, the Horseman awakened to peer out of his pup tent to find that the camp was almost totally obscured by fog, although he was able to see troops lined up to march off to battle. The horseman saw the flag being carried by a soldier whom he assumed to be Corporal Phillip Mason. As the men approached the woods, a tear appeared in the horseman’s eye. He quickly wiped it away, because it would not be good for the troops to see tears in his eyes; however, he knew to a certainty that he would never see many of them alive again.
To the day of his death December 14, 1799, George Washington regretted that he could never remember the surname of Michael, the flag bearer who even in death refused to allow the American flag be soiled by the ground of that battlefield in Monmouth, New Jersey which American ground Michael and so many other Americans had sanctified with their own blood in June of 1778, more than 21 years earlier.
The American flag had great meaning for our first president, who was rarely pictured without an American flag in the picture with him.
The American flag had and has great meaning, Our Star Spangled Banner is and always was a revered symbol, and an inspiration to all of the American men and women, who fought for America during the nation’s rich history.
The flag raising atop Mount Suribachi, on Iwo Jima has enriched our history and our traditions, and lifted the spirits of the US marines who were locked in deadly combat on that war torn Pacific atoll, where American invaders suffered 26,000 casualties. Wherever true Americans are found, the sight of old glory waving enriches our souls as it did the soul of Francis Scott Key when he saw our flag still waving over Fort McHenry during the sun rise on a day during of the early stages of the War of 1812.
The inspirational value of our flag was on display universally during the days of the nation’s recovery from the tragedy of 9/11.
Despite all the Americans who fought bravely, and in many cases to their respective deaths, so that Americans of today can enjoy the liberties and the rights guaranteed by this country and defended by those who fought under our banner, there are still some who would desecrate our flag. Some are denizens of other nations who envy and despise democracy and freedom. Others are American citizens who are frustrated by something with respect to which, they cannot deal intellectually. These morons are living unsuccessful lives and are intellectually ignored. They undertake the desecration of our flag because they are desperate for attention and hope that this senseless, tantrum-like act will gain them some of the attention that they seek. (Maybe even their mommy’s ignored their attention seeking tantrums when they were younger). These desperate cretins are also demonstrating their cowardice. They know that unlike any other nations, this nation is not likely to prosecute them, because, one of the freedoms guaranteed by all those who fought for those freedoms, includes the freedom of expression.
One is reminded of the jocular version of a former American leader having a private debate with the leader of a middle European country. In this “Milton Berle-ish” version of the encounter, the American Vice President is said to have said, during his litany of the benefits of democracy: “And we have freedom of speech.” His debate opponent is said to have responded: “Ve too haf freedom speech. Vat ve don’t haf is freedom after speech.”
Those of us who love this country and are proud of our flag and all that it stands for, recommend that those who are offended by this country or our flag, should leave this country and move to someplace where they will not be so offended.
And for those lunatic “educators” who feel that the American flag should not be displayed on school grounds “because some people might consider the display of the American flag “offensive or divisive” should find their school funding rescinded so that real Americans who believe in our flag, and believe in our country, need not be taxed to pay the salaries of such imbecilic “educators.” The principal reason for this defunding, is that real Americans certainly do not want these idiots inculcating American children with anti-American propaganda.