Byrne Notes XV (Why I used an American Flag as a Blanket.) © 2015

The special education kid who was never thought to amount to much was the only one out of his home town to be of service in a time and event that ignited the War on Terrorism.

Within the first couple days at the Pentagon (Fort Meyer), I bought an American flag from the px (postal exchange). It was smaller than the one my sergeant gave me when I was in Korea-that one was the size of the flag put on the coffin. The one I bought was the size people use on their home flag pole. It was big enough to sleep under, as a blanket. A couple years earlier, I saw one of my peers, PFC Pickering,  use an American flag as a blanket . That happened at Fort Leonard Wood Missouri. 

My peers and superiors thought I was desecrating the flag. I thought I was being patriotic to a country that had given me so much. What else to be comforted by? When I bought the flag,  I realized that the US Army gave me another chance at life.

I cried when I took the Oath of Enlistment the first time when I joined the Army Reserves. Back then, 1997, I was so scared I was gonna’ be killed in some type of war. People who have never been in the military tend to tell someone going into the army that sort of thing. I believe these same types of people are afraid to take chances in their lives. I felt like I had no choice but to join the US Army. They were the only ones who would provide me with an opportunity.

The second time I said the Oath I had no tears. The same recruiter was there both times. I noticed he could see a change starting in me. Now I was in the thick of it. The special education kid who was never thought to amount to much was the only one out of his home town to be of service in a time and event that ignited the War on Terrorism.

Many, I have come across claim it was an inside job by our government. Once again, this comes from civilians who have never served. In all these conspiracy theories they discount one thing. That is…