The first fold is for Paul Revere, and the patriots who died in the Revolutionary War to purchase America’s freedom from England.

          2. The second fold is for those who died in the War of 1812, called by some the Second War of Independence, after which American independence was assured.

          3. The third fold is for the men who gave their lives in the Mexican-American war that extended America’s borders from the Rio Grande to the Pacific.

          4. The fourth fold is for brothers who fought brothers in the Civil War, America’s bloodiest, at the end of which the Union was saved.

          5. The fifth fold is for the Spanish-America war when the United States was first recognized as a world power.

          6. The sixth fold is for the First World War, when Americans died in the fields of Europe, a war that was hoped would end all wars.

          7. The seventh fold is for World War II, which covered the whole globe, and when Americans sacrificed their lives again to free Europe and Asia from totalitarianism.

          8. The eighth fold is for the Korean War, America’s forgotten war, where for over two years Americas fought to keep South Korea free and blunt communist expansion.

          9. The ninth fold is for the Vietnam War, the longest war that the United States fought and the only one that didn’t result in a clear victory.       

          10. The tenth fold is for Desert Storm the last war of the 20th century when Kuwait was freed from Iraqi occupation.

          11. The eleventh fold is for the war on terror, and the patriots of the 21st century, who responded to the attack on America, September 11, 2001, with overwhelming force; bringing justice to the perpetrators and freedom to the nations that produced them.

          12. The twelfth fold is for the millions of US Citizens, brave men and women, who have served their nation proudly, putting their lives in peril in the defense of their beloved country, America: One Nation Under God!

          13. The thirteenth fold is for freedom, the burning passion of every American heart, and the dream of all of the world’s people.

          ©June 2005, Henry Lamar Hunt; Chaplain (Colonel) US Army, Retired; 352-687-1559; PO Box 463, Candler, FL 32111; lamarhunt(at)comcast.net; http:www.authorsden.com/henrylamarhunt.

          This ceremony may be used without the permission of the author. However, it may not be part of any commercial enterprise without the author’s permission.