What The American Flag Means to Me

BY: Jane Sanders

Editor's Note: The following essay is by a St. Peter of Alcantara student, and was recognized at a recent afternoon awards assembly sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution at the Manhasset Public Library.

When I see the American Flag, I think of Breezy Point. The American Flag is a big deal in Breezy Point. I would know because a lot of my family lives there. It is a very patriotic town, and America is very important to them.

I think an appropriate place to start is, well, the beginning! Right when you get off the Marine Park Bridge and into Breezy, there are American Flags lined up on the sides of the streets. When you see the flags, you think, Wow, is this town patriotic, or what? It's so cool. Also, on all of the walks, (walks are like roads or avenues but they have no actual street) they have a big American Flag at the beginning to tell you: "We're patriotic! We are so proud of our country!" and they really are.

It's so remarkable that in a community like Breezy Point, everybody has an American Flag hanging up somewhere; I think it's just amazing that everybody loves his or her country so much. Oh, and don't even get me started on the Fourth of July! It's so incredible because everybody has decorations! Nobody says, Oh; it's the Fourth of July? I thought it was just some random day in July! Everybody knows, and they're proud of it! People go out and buy decorations, and most of all flags. Flags are all over the place. It's spectacular. One of the first things that victims of Hurricane Sandy did was find an American flag and put it up.

I also want to talk about Wounded Warrior's Day in Breezy. On Wounded Warrior's Day, wounded veterans come on fire trucks, cars, motorcycles, etcetera. Everybody holds up signs and flags to welcome them. Then they spend the weekend having fun in Breezy Point. It's such a wonderful day. I love thinking that those soldiers risked their lives for that flag. In a way, it's true. It's breath taking that so many people fought for the American Flag. My grandpa was a doctor in the Vietnam War, and I'm proud of him for helping America and helping America's flag still wave.

After Hurricane Sandy, I was worried about Breezy Point. Would all the flags still be waving proudly in the wind? I had no idea. I found out that the residents of Breezy Point were fixing Breezy after the storm so the flags would still wave. It's sort of like how Francis Scott Key felt after the bombing of Fort McKinley. Would the flag still be there? Luckily, my grandparent's house down in Breezy Point is still standing, and their American Flag is still waving proudly.

You can obviously see that the American Flag is very important to the people of Breezy Point, and very important to me. I am a person of Breezy Point; my family grew up there. It's a very patriotic community, and the American Flag is so important to them. It's just incredible. That's what the American Flag means to me.