Flag Day!
It’s Flag Day today. Here is my flag out front, as she always is, flying free! She’s not out just this one day a year. She’s a grand old flag and she remains free, as her colors portray.
You may know what the 13 red and white stripes symbolize. And, you may know the field of blue that contains all 50 precious states - the bright white stars. I’ll give you all a snippet from the USA Flag Site:
Today the flag consists of thirteen horizontal stripes, seven red alternating with 6 white. The stripes represent the original 13 colonies, the stars represent the 50 states of the Union. The colors of the flag are symbolic as well: Red symbolizes Hardiness and Valor, White symbolizes Purity and Innocence and Blue represents Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice.
I have a slightly different take on our flag, our banner, our standard, or just Old Glory.
The red and white stripes are the blood and tears of past wars, conflicts, and periods of growth this country has experienced in her time. These stripes stream from the field of blue, as each and every star has had their own struggles, internal and external, to remain free. Although the trials and tribulations have been severe at times, we as a country grow stronger - bound by the field of blue.
And that brings us to the field of blue. I believe that for me, the field of blue has always been the most powerful force. While binding those 50 stars together, creating a safe haven for all of us, the field of blue signifies the power of freedom enabled by our collective strength to be “one nation, under God”. I’ll grant that “under god” was not added until June 8th, 1954 - 52 years and 6 days ago! These words were added because our country had lost sight of the primary force behind the founding of this country, and our core belief that God protects us all and wants us all to be free. One courageous Senator, Homer Ferguson, (R-MI), and one brave President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, took up the challenge and put forth that we add those two awesome words - the words that bind those 50 stars, our 50 states, our country.
Our country, for which many tears and rivulets of blood have been shed, provided brave men an women from our great 50 states to take up arms in the name of freedom. On foreign soil for our own safety and security, we have answered the call. On our own soil, when we repelled forces dead set on occupying and destroying what is in our hearts. That blue field, binding the stars together, flanked by red and white stripes, well, she is our banner, our standard, our Old Glory.
The flag of the United States of America is freedom. Celebrate Flag Day, it is very important whether you realize it or not. If you’re here reading this blog, I think you realize it!
God Bless, and God Speed.
Also posted at California Conservative
TAGS: Fix4RSO, Milblog, Military, Flag+Day, USA, God+And+Country
June 15th, 2006 at 7:22
I like your take on it.
June 15th, 2006 at 7:23
p.s. Great new graphic.
p.p.s. I never wanted to show my ignorance and ask what is the meaning of Fix 4 RSO. LOL!
June 15th, 2006 at 10:30
Minutemen called Minute-klan
This should make you mad, really mad: As the narrow debate about federal immigration policy continues among politicians, the racist vigilantes of the Minuteman Project have become accepted as a legitimate voice in mainstream politics. These bigots and …
June 15th, 2006 at 12:59
Hey Laurie! I’d love to tell you what I mean - or the genesis for this blog title to be exact!
It’s not ignorance, honestly. There are very few who actually know what an RSO does, and why I have a “fix” for the RSO. 
The RSO, in an SR-71 (pictured in my header graphic above) is the Reconnaissance (Systems, Security, or Staff) Officer. Security is an older term, and has some meaning in other branches. I believe that “Staff” is used in the Navy. When I worked on the SR-71 and U-2, it was ’systems’.
The RSO is the “eyes” as well as the navigator for the mission. He is in complete control of cameras, jamming, targeting, and navigation. The pilot has one primary mission - fly the plane. And that is NOT a slam. The pilot is constantly trying to keep the aircraft from disintegrating - she is at MACH3 and with her profile, that is not very safe if she exhibits +-11 degrees in pitch during her profile. Very bad things happen.
The pilot MUST do one thing - predominantly. And his backseater relies on his supreme control of the bird. They both rely heavily on one another, as many two-seater aircraft crews do all the time. But, at MACH3, flying a rocket, and FLT LVL 700+ … hmmm … you can say I was always in awe on the flightline when around the crews. The entire mission relied on everyone to be at the top of their game.
And, everyone was, and I loved that duty station and mission.
My job, as a Nav and Steering Command Systems Repair Guy was to “fix” the systems for the RSO. (Fix 4 RSO)
I am using a double entendre here. I consider my readers to be RSOs, and I am providing a “fix” on their course to the truth. In Nav terms, when I have a “fix” on the target, my waypoints are set for my course/flight plan, or for this blog a clear path to the truth. (Fix 4 RSO)
Subtle, and very, very, nerdy.
And, I am VERY glad you asked. I think I’ll post this … people are probably all scratching their heads too … 
June 15th, 2006 at 13:12
Oh, and thanks for the compliments on my new header graphic. Each piece has a significance.
The Nav panel on the lower left is a Litton Nav System panel. I used to fix Litton, Singer Kearfott, and Northrop stuff (to name a few).
The SR-71 is my own photo. I couldn’t fit all the other planes I worked on in the graphic. And, she is the most distinct aircraft.
The remove before flight flag is VERY important. The plane goes nowhere unless I pulled the last pin in the wheel-well. Engines are running while we were executing final OpsChecks and systems checks. The last thing to happen was Thumbs-Up from the RSO, we’d shut down our systems, I’d run under the bird, pop up in the wheel-well (you can stand up in there - lots a room), disconnect our canon plug and cable, close the port with the cover, and pull my RBF pin.
Then, it’s final checks for the two man crew, and off she went. We stood at attention and saluted as she rolled out of the hangar. Man, goose bumps again …
my favorite time! We always got a wave from the RSO. I knew that he was smiling, you just know …
I, personally, never ever preflighted and launched anywhere but in the hangar. There are some other folks that have launched outside, but at Beale AFB I’d say 95% of the launches were from the hangar. Someone with more time in the 9th can correct me, or augment my statement. I had only about 1.5 - 2 years at Beale AFB.
Hangar? Giant wind tunnel, more like!
June 16th, 2006 at 7:35
[…] Fix4RSO reports more on Flag Day: I have a slightly different take on our flag, our banner, our standard, or just Old Glory. The red and white stripes are the blood and tears of past wars, conflicts, and periods of growth this country has experienced in her time. These stripes stream from the field of blue, as each and every star has had their own struggles, internal and external, to remain free. Although the trials and tribulations have been severe at times, we as a country grow stronger - bound by the field of blue. And that brings us to the field of blue. I believe that for me, the field of blue has always been the most powerful force. While binding those 50 stars together, creating a safe haven for all of us, the field of blue signifies the power of freedom enabled by our collective strength to be “one nation, under God”. Cross posting today DeMediacratic Nation […]
June 18th, 2006 at 19:13
You should definitely write a post about that. Very fascinating to a nerd wannabe who just has no experience in that particular field. LOL! I’ll be light blogging still for another week, big seminar at work.