her answer:
******* appreciates your question very much. Even though he never speaks of being at war for 3.5 years [nothing compared to the life-times spent by Israelis], he feels very deeply as I also do about our flag! We have always had a flag flying from our home and over the years many have become very faded, tattered and worn to such an extent we've had to replace them. But the old ones are gently washed by hand and gently dried before placing them in a clear plastic zippered bag to go into a cabinet for important things. We still have *****'s flag with 48 stars which he was given while in the Navy at age 17! 
My Mom also treasured our country's flag, and we had my Dad's flag which he was given while a medic in the US Army during WW I. It was displayed on his coffin for his funeral and then folded and handed to Mom. Dad was 34 years old when he died, and we learned many things about what important things mean, thanks to our Mom teaching ****, my sister, and me wonderful thoughts. There was a time not long before Mom died while **** and I were in high school and the school needed a flag to raise each morning the lower at special times, but there were no funds available for such a treasure. Mom asked us how we would feel knowing our father's flag would be seen by all from the school grounds, and of course we were very proud. I have no idea how long "our" flag was used by the school, but it was greatly cherished and honored.
Jonah, until recently, our country's flag was always treated with enormous respect and reverence, and such dedication began to erode during the 1960's and the atmosphere about such matters seems to have steadily accelerated nationwide, until now ***** and I often wonder if indeed our nation's flag is treasured at all. It's alright, though, since in our hearts we honor the "Stars and Stripes" as the symbol of our great nation, and those who lack such concepts are, we feel, poorer for it. But it is true civilizations and nations rise and then decline, and now at the late stages of our lives it is alright that others must "pick up the banner they themselves must choose to carry".
I so vividly recall the wonderful conversations I often had with a very elderly man in Louisville,KY, *****'s hometown, who was one of those great souls able to foresee into the future enough to actively aid the struggle to form Israel into a great nation, however small, since, as he so rightly stated, he himself was small but enormous in loving faithfulness for Israel. This world needs many more such as he!
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that is one great lady!
jonah
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