Welcome to the U.S. Open 2015

We went to the U.S. Open for the first time this year.

We arrived early Monday morning full of excitement. When we stepped off the subway, we were greeted with the American flag. Despite the overcast morning, it was a beautiful sight. So today's flag of the week comes from Flushing Meadow and the U.S. Open.

If you enjoy tennis, I recommend you try to attend the U.S. Open one day. People from all over the world were there. The fans from Australia brought their flag and were proud to wave it when one of their countrymen were playing. It was fun to watch their pride for the Aussie's playing.

Flag of the Week

This week's flag of the week comes from New York City.

I was thrilled to see so many flags proudly flying in the greatest city in the world.

Wherever you live, I hope you fly your flag this week!

The National 9/11 Flag

We've all heard the story of Betsy Ross making the first American flag.

But do you know the story of the National 9/11 Flag? It's a story of the American spirit.

"The National 9/11 Flag is living proof that love is stronger than hate." Jeff Parness, Founder, New York Says Thank You Foundation.

On Sept. 13, 2001 an American flag was hung on scaffolding across the street from where the World Trade Center had stood just days earlier. Because of smoke and debris, the white stripes soon turned gray and dirty. Charlie Vitchers, a construction superintendent for the clean up crew, had the flag removed so it could be retired with honor. Charlie stored the flag in a shed until 2008. Charlie was a volunteer with the New York Says Thank You Foundation, and they took the flag to Greensburg, Kansas a town that had mostly been destroyed by a tornado. While the volunteers helped the community of Greensburg, a group of senior citizens began to stitch the flag back together. In the missing gaps of the World Trade Center flag, the ladies sewed American flag pieces destroyed by the tornado. Thus began the journey of restoring The National 9/11 Flag.

Between 2008 and the tenth anniversary of 9/11 the goal became make the flag whole again. Survivors of the Fort Hood shootings sewed a patch on. WW II veterans sewed the Hawaii patch on.



A patch from Georgia came from the retired flag that flew over Martin Luther King Jr.'s grave.

Blue threads were sewn onto the flag that President Lincoln was placed on after being shot.

Survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing and Hurricane Katrina added to the flag. The flag toured the United States and on Sept. 11, 2011 The National 9/11 Flag was raised in Joplin, Missouri. The journey was complete.

And then The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Museum donated three red threads from the original Star-Spangled Banner. These threads were stitched into The National 9/11 Flag.

On May 21,2014 the flag completed its journey and can now be seen in the National September 11 Memorial Museum.

If you're interested in learning more check out:

www.National911Flag.org

Flag of the Week

For the University of Kentucky's first football game of the season, the American flag arrived in style.






God bless America during football season and every season.

Never Forget

We visited the 9/11 Memorial Museum on our trip to New York. We spent about four hours touring the museum and remembering Sept. 11, 2001.

There was an air of reverence as we toured the museum. Tears were shed by many, but the feeling of hope and goodness kept you there. Despite the honorific events of that September day, heroes rose up. In one way it seems like America has never been weaker, yet it has never been stronger.

I'd like to share a few pictures from the museum with you today.



September 11, 2001. Never Forget!

Lady Liberty

Last week Tim, Scott, and I traveled to New York City. We spent a couple of days touring the city before enjoying the first three days of the U.S. Open.

What trip to New York would be complete without a visit to the Statue of Liberty? We got up early and rode the subway as far as we could go and then hopped on a bus to get to the ferry taking us over to the island.



The closer we got, the more excited I became.

Edouard de Laboulaye from France, first came up with the idea to give a monument to the United States as a gift. It took ten years until Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design the statue in time for the centennial celebration of the Declaration of Independence. An agreement was reached that the Americans would build the pedestal, and the French would build and assemble the statue.

Both countries had problems raising money to support this endeavor. While raising the money, Bartholdi contacted Alexandre Gustave Eiffel to help engineer the skeletal frame.

In America, Joseph Pulitzer used the editorial pages of his newspaper to garner support for the fundraising effort.


The statue didn't make it in time for the centennial celebration, but the dedication occurred on October 28, 1886. It became a national monument on October 15, 1924.

I can't help but wonder how many people immigrated to the United States looking at the Statue of Liberty. How did they feel? Did a sense of freedom flow through them at the sight?

I'm proud to be an American, and I love living in the United States of America.

Flag of the Week

This week's flags come from Bowling Green, KY. Thanks to my niece, Kelli Stubblefield, for sharing.



Kelli said often times children run through the fountains around the flags.

I hope you all find joy in these last days of summer!