T oday, I would like to portray to you what I feel our United States flag would say to the Ameri can people if it could speak. I AM THE AMERICAN FLAG! I symbolize liberty and freedom! Some call me Old Glory, some the Stars and Stripes, the Red, White, and Blue, the Star-Spangled Banner. The courage and the vision, the sufferings and the hardships of those who founded this nation, the sacrifice of those who have died to preserve it are in the red of my stripes. The greatness of Washington and the noble minds and motives of such as Jefferson and Lincoln are in the white of my stripes. The principles which must stand fast and a trust in God that should be unshakable are in the blue be hind my stars. I was adopted as this nation's flag on June 14, 1777. I was want ed then because America had -de clared its independence to the world. I was wanted then to fly above the forts and at the camps. I was wanted then to lead in the long marches of those patriots as I represented the ideals of individ ual liberty, justice, and equal oppor tunity for all. These ideals they fought for, died for. I witnessed them then, and for more than 190 years I have seen the many, many suffer and die to preserve these ideals for their generation and the generations to come. I AM THE AMERICAN FLAG! Yes, I was there at Lexington, at Concord, at Bunker Hill, and Sara toga. I was at Yorktown and the many other battles that saw the ill- equipped patriots fight with cour age and win. I was there— there when the test-
by Marylee Van Dyhen
Marylee Van Dyhen, age 17, was bom May 18, 1958 at Ripon, Cali fornia. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Van Dyhen and has two older brothers and three younger sisters. Marylee has just completed her junior year at the Immanuel Chris tian School in Ripon, where speech and debate were among her subjects. In March of 1968, Marylee wrote the oration “ I AM THE AMERI CAN FLAG” for competition in the Speech and Music Festival conducted by private schools in California. In April she was ashed to deliver the original oration for the area 2 convention of the United Republicans of California. She received a stand ing ovation for her speech. Following that she received an invitation to deliver her talk to the Annual State Convention of the group in the Civic Auditorium in Oakland. Since that time Marylee has presented her oration at several occasions. She has taped copies and printed copies for radio and publication.
THE KING'S BUSINESS
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