A matter of national pride

I experienced something on SuperBowl Sunday which I will never forget. We were invited to a friend's house for a superbowl party, and we gladly accepted. I spent the first part of the party in the kitchen, making guacamole, chattin with the girls, cooing over the baby. Little by little the house got packed and the noise reached a peak. It was such a great little group-- married couples, wives of deployed airmen, kids, single people, and our priest. Everyone was laughing and talking away, when suddenly on the TV we heard the opening notes of the Star Bangled Banner. What happened next was breathtaking.
Everyone stood up, in the living room, in the kitchen, wherever. A few hands went over hearts, but the others stood at attention. Silence fell over the group, and all eyes were fixed on the screen, where a girl was singing of our freedom and not just a few alpha male athletes had "something in their eye." For the four and a half minutes it takes to sing that song of freedom and national pride, everyone paid their respects to our flag. Now THAT is something that, as a european, you NEVER encounter. It was so beautiful I nearly lost it. It made all the pain of the election and inauguration, all the frustration and anxiety over these scary bills and acts that are getting passed just melt away.... because all of a sudden I knew what I believed in--- and that all the things that were most important to me: God, Family, Country, respect for life and love of neighbor, were represented perfectly at this beautiful gathering of Catholic military families. Man, it made me proud.

The last time I remember feeling that way I was a soldier in the US Army. Every night at 8:30 we had a "hydration formation" designed to keep us up to date on the following day's schedule and to force us to drink a canteen full of water in case we were getting low on fluids. Just before we'd be dismissed to go to bed, we would salute the flag and recite the Soldier's Creed, which read:

I am an American Soldier.
I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.
I am an expert and I am a professional.
I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.
I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.
I am an American Soldier.

My drill sergeants would make fun of me because not a single time could I say those words without getting tears in my eyes. I remember those words today when I'm having a tough day and my tasks seem daunting. I still live by that creed as a prayer warrior for my nation....and I will always be moved when I remember what America has been through and what the fight was for.

I want my children to grow up experiencing the same pride and solidarity that comes from common values and living the American Dream. Like the fourth of July on a military base, Superbowl Sunday teaches us something about our mission.

America, let's remember these things.