VETERANS STILL FIGHT TO PROTECT OLD GLORY

I want you to use your imagination for a moment. Picture yourself walking a mile in somebody else's boots.

You are in the heat of a ground battle. Death and destruction are all you can see through the haze of dust and exploding hunks of earth. Exploding rockets and towering flames radiate overtures of death. Artillery blasts pound your eardrums and rattle your rib cage. The smell and taste of gun powder overwhelm the senses.

If this continues, you know you will meet your maker.

Your adrenaline is flowing fast. Your heartbeat pounds like an air-hammer.

But you and your comrades are not throwing in the towel. For you are fighting for freedom. You hang tough through the night. When the sun comes up, you and your buddies look for a sign of hope.

When you look into the sky, you see the unifying symbol of everything for which you fight. The American flag, "Old Glory," is wafting gently in the breeze. The flag is a bit tattered -- and so are you.

The flag's presence shows America is not defeated. The dreams of a proud and resilient people are still alive.

This was the scenario in which American troops found themselves in 1814. They were fighting the British at Baltimore Harbor because they believed in a sovereign United States.

The American flag is a symbol of freedom. The American flag is a symbol of liberty's triumph over tyranny. We pause on Flag Day to reflect on the significance of "Old Glory."

If you served the United States in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War or Persian Gulf War, you looked up at "Old Glory." If you served in El Salvador, Panama, Lebanon, Grenada, Somalia or Bosnia, then you noticed the American flag went with you. If any of your loved ones served in the armed forces, then you understand that the flag represents the cause to which service members take on an oath.

"Old Glory" holds the same significance today as it held for American troops in the nation's struggle for independence. The American flag is the legitimate symbol of "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." It's worthy of a special place in our society.

Many of us 3 million wartime veterans who comprise the American Legion are a little tattered -- by time. But we're still standing, just like "Old Glory" was on that eventful morning in Baltimore that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen "The Star Spangled Banner." As long as we're alive, we're going to fight to protect the flag from fools who want to burn it to make a point.

Intentional physical desecration of the flag is not free speech. It's an outrage. It's an ugly act of disrespect for the patriots who took an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States.

The people who say flag desecration is free speech remind me of the British forces in 1814. They underestimate the resolve of the people who are fighting to preserve the flag. They underestimate the will of 80 percent of Americans, according to national polling data, who favor a flag-protection amendment.

There is still some fight left in the 3 million men and women who call themselves Legionnaires. We will win the battle to protect "Old Glory." Our persuasive power will be our weapon.

The dust will settle on Capitol Hill after the battle. We'll ease our tired bodies into our favorite chairs. We'll read the newspaper, looking for a sign that our cause survived the battle.

We will read about passage of the 28th Amendment to the Constitution. It will simply say, "Congress shall have the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States."

Providing a constitutional sanctuary for "Old Glory" will be the legacy of a proud and resilient people: Legionnaires, veterans and, above all, Americans.

Daniel A. Ludwig is the national commander of the American Legion.