WEBVTT 00:01.129 --> 00:04.039 I am the flag of the United States of 00:04.050 --> 00:06.570 America . I was conceived in the dreams 00:06.579 --> 00:09.020 of liberty and in the hopes of freedom . 00:09.859 --> 00:11.915 I was designed by the hands of Betsy 00:11.915 --> 00:14.229 Ross and her sewing basket was my 00:14.239 --> 00:17.450 cradle . Although I was never an orphan , 00:17.750 --> 00:19.583 I was adopted by the Continental 00:19.583 --> 00:22.309 Congress in 1777 and proclaimed the 00:22.319 --> 00:24.889 national emblem of a nation newly born 00:24.899 --> 00:27.389 on the continent fighting violently for 00:27.399 --> 00:30.110 survival and destined to bring to all 00:30.120 --> 00:33.700 mankind a new concept of life , 00:33.709 --> 00:36.189 liberty and the pursuit of happiness . 00:37.090 --> 00:39.110 I've been many places and I've seen 00:39.119 --> 00:41.970 many things I have witnessed every 00:41.979 --> 00:45.049 event of America's history . I was 00:45.060 --> 00:47.116 there when they fired the shot heard 00:47.116 --> 00:49.400 around the world . I was there in the 00:49.409 --> 00:52.279 late twilight at Fort mckenry and 00:52.290 --> 00:55.040 inspired Francis Scott Key to write the 00:55.049 --> 00:58.500 immortal star spangled banner . Now our 00:58.509 --> 01:02.049 national anthem , ladies , I saw Molly 01:02.060 --> 01:04.171 pitcher take the cannon swap from the 01:04.171 --> 01:06.639 hands of her dead husband and carry on 01:06.650 --> 01:08.870 the fight for freedom . I felt the 01:08.879 --> 01:11.349 biting cold at Valley Forge and gave 01:11.360 --> 01:13.139 warmth and comfort to General 01:13.150 --> 01:15.529 Washington and his tired and hungry 01:15.860 --> 01:18.919 Continental army . I rode with Ethan 01:18.930 --> 01:21.559 Allen and the Green Mountain boys . And 01:21.569 --> 01:23.458 I saw the signal that started the 01:23.458 --> 01:26.610 midnight ride of Paul Revere . I was 01:26.620 --> 01:29.059 flown on the decks of old ironsides and 01:29.069 --> 01:31.180 from the mass of the Yankee and China 01:31.180 --> 01:33.569 Clippers . I blazed the trail with Davy 01:33.580 --> 01:35.669 Crockett and Daniel Boone . I led 01:35.680 --> 01:38.199 settlers coming west and cross Death 01:38.209 --> 01:41.540 Valley in a covered wagon . I was 01:41.550 --> 01:43.717 carried through the halls of Montezuma 01:43.717 --> 01:45.883 to the shores of Tripoli by the United 01:45.883 --> 01:49.059 States Marines . And once I fell to the 01:49.069 --> 01:51.519 ground , the country by standing and 01:51.529 --> 01:53.640 there were no living hands to pick me 01:53.640 --> 01:56.029 up . I charged up the slopes of San 01:56.040 --> 01:58.319 Juan Hill with Teddy Roosevelt and the 01:58.330 --> 02:00.219 rough riders of the United States 02:00.219 --> 02:02.500 cavalry . And I was raised by five 02:02.510 --> 02:05.699 brave men during the hell of Iwo Jima . 02:06.900 --> 02:09.020 And I waved farewell to the four 02:09.029 --> 02:11.169 immortal chaplains who took off their 02:11.179 --> 02:13.479 life jackets , gave them to the young 02:13.490 --> 02:16.839 soldiers locking arms , singing closer 02:16.850 --> 02:19.949 my God to thee . Slowly sank into the 02:19.960 --> 02:23.910 sea and to an honored glory . I stayed 02:23.919 --> 02:27.070 with the troops until it was over and 02:27.080 --> 02:29.136 on the battlefields of bunker hill , 02:29.136 --> 02:32.360 Gettysburg , Pearl Harbor , war torn 02:32.369 --> 02:36.309 Europe , Korea , Vietnam , the Persian 02:36.320 --> 02:38.759 Gulf and much of the Middle East to 02:38.770 --> 02:41.199 this day . I've seen many of our 02:41.210 --> 02:43.800 soldiers , sailors and airmen of our 02:43.809 --> 02:46.610 nation fall and lie still in death . 02:47.639 --> 02:49.861 They had given the last full measure of 02:49.861 --> 02:52.740 devotion . Their voices silence forever 02:54.020 --> 02:56.242 and my stars and stripes rustled gently 02:56.242 --> 02:58.830 in the breeze as I kept my lonely vigil 02:58.970 --> 03:01.419 over their graves , watching the 03:01.429 --> 03:04.809 puppies grow and the crosses row on 03:04.820 --> 03:08.729 road . I owe many things to many people . 03:09.460 --> 03:11.589 I'm an inseparable link in the chain 03:11.600 --> 03:14.080 that binds men to God and country . 03:14.990 --> 03:17.960 Each link welded in the fires of purity 03:18.199 --> 03:20.360 by the sacred hands of God himself . 03:21.160 --> 03:23.216 And because I'm on the side of God , 03:23.500 --> 03:25.833 there are those that seek to destroy me , 03:26.360 --> 03:28.839 but they dare not . We are protected by 03:28.850 --> 03:31.017 the mighty land armies of our nation , 03:31.080 --> 03:33.302 by the powerful and deadly fleet of the 03:33.302 --> 03:35.524 navy and by the screaming eagles of the 03:35.524 --> 03:39.240 air force just watching and waiting to 03:39.250 --> 03:42.179 swoop down and destroy anything that 03:42.190 --> 03:45.520 should harm me to some . I am 03:45.529 --> 03:49.089 yesterday , today or tomorrow , two 03:49.100 --> 03:51.949 others . I'm a glorious child , a grand 03:51.960 --> 03:55.589 old man or a most gracious lady . I 03:55.600 --> 03:57.933 have several names . I'm called the red , 03:57.933 --> 04:00.740 white and blue , the stars and stripes , 04:00.750 --> 04:03.320 the star spangled banner . But I'm most 04:03.330 --> 04:05.441 commonly known by a nickname given to 04:05.441 --> 04:07.429 me by an old sea captain , Captain 04:07.440 --> 04:09.190 William Driver who's buried in 04:09.199 --> 04:11.559 Nashville's old city cemetery . Captain 04:11.570 --> 04:14.860 Driver called me Old Glory . I've 04:14.869 --> 04:18.420 changed much in my 247 years . I still 04:18.429 --> 04:21.079 have my original 13 stripes . And each 04:21.089 --> 04:23.145 time a state came into the union , a 04:23.145 --> 04:24.811 star was proudly added to the 04:24.811 --> 04:27.399 constellation of my blue field . It all 04:27.410 --> 04:30.829 started with 13 and now there are 50 . 04:31.880 --> 04:34.047 There are many more things I'd like to 04:34.047 --> 04:36.102 tell you . But we haven't the time . 04:36.450 --> 04:39.070 I'd like to see you again . I'm easy to 04:39.079 --> 04:42.200 find . I'm in the homes of the poor and 04:42.209 --> 04:44.519 in the mansions of the rich , an 04:44.529 --> 04:46.751 independence Hall with the Liberty Bell 04:47.109 --> 04:49.220 and the Declaration of Independence . 04:49.519 --> 04:51.297 I'm in the White House with the 04:51.297 --> 04:53.519 President and Mrs Biden and in all the 04:53.529 --> 04:56.940 churches , cathedrals and synagogues . 04:57.529 --> 04:59.696 I'm in the Council of the Boy and Girl 04:59.696 --> 05:01.529 Scouts of America and in all the 05:01.529 --> 05:03.751 schools where they pledge allegiance to 05:03.751 --> 05:06.769 me . And I am on the moon 05:07.410 --> 05:10.200 where I am also lonely for . I'm the 05:10.209 --> 05:13.500 only one there . My life has not been 05:13.510 --> 05:16.279 an easy one , but my memories are vivid 05:16.929 --> 05:19.040 and I have not forgotten the presence 05:19.040 --> 05:21.980 of war or those missing in action for . 05:21.989 --> 05:24.600 We must always remember them lest their 05:24.609 --> 05:27.079 tears cause my stars to become clouded 05:27.519 --> 05:30.339 and my stripes to fade . I've draped 05:30.350 --> 05:33.179 the caskets of our nation's heroes born 05:33.190 --> 05:35.359 to their final resting place , the 05:35.369 --> 05:38.290 caskets of presidents of admirals and 05:38.299 --> 05:41.660 generals , the humble private and the 05:41.670 --> 05:44.440 unknown soldiers and wherever free men 05:44.450 --> 05:47.829 gather where there's justice , equality , 05:48.019 --> 05:51.649 charity , fate , hope , truth , 05:52.059 --> 05:54.970 or brotherly love . There are two of my 05:55.790 --> 05:58.489 and my history never write my obituary 05:58.769 --> 06:01.559 for on the stars and stripes forever . 06:01.989 --> 06:03.850 I am old glory .