EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — For Gilberto Blancas, a Vietnam veteran, gazing upon the U.S. flag takes him back to a moment where he was stranded in the jungles of Da Nang, Vietnam, thinking his time was coming to an end.
“I felt I was a goner,” Blancas said. “Until I saw one of our PBRs (Patrol Boat River unit). I had not yet seen the boat but I heard the motor, and I thought to myself, ‘Oh no, that may be the enemy,’ but then I saw the flag sticking up above the jungle and then I knew it was one of our boats. So right away, I knew I was being rescued.”
Rescue is just one of many meanings that Blancas attributes to the United States flag. He explained that the flag carries a lot of meaning and is much more than just a piece of cloth with colors and stripes.
Do you know the official rules for flying the American flag? (Credit: ABC4)
That is what the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVOA) Robert E. Chisholm Chapter 844 in El Paso is trying to teach younger generations with a new flag etiquette program.
“Our chapter’s goal is to present flag etiquette to the schools and train our students on the proper care of the flag,” Blancas said.
These veterans have developed a lesson plan geared for students in all grade levels, to learn about the meaning of the stars and stripes on the U.S. flag; the meaning of the colors of the flag; and how to properly handle, fold and respect the flag.
The program is intended to be a period-long, in-class lesson, where students will be allowed to ask questions at the end, and they have also created a quiz to test students’ knowledge.
Blancas said they’re trying to spread the word out to as many schools across the Borderland to offer their services.
Upon request from teachers or schools, the VVOA Chapter 844 will send a Vietnam veteran from the community to give students the lesson.
The VVOA Chapter 844 also offers lessons for high-school students on the history of the Vietnam War, and Blancas said they have been requested for these lessons at schools before, but the flag etiquette program is something entirely new.
Blancas, like many veterans from the chapter, feel that there is a disconnect with younger generations about everything the U.S. flag symbolizes.
“I don’t think the public knows (flag etiquette), and it starts as you’re growing up,” Blancas said.
Blancas explained how too often in public places or residences, people demonstrate a lack of understanding concerning flag etiquette.
He described instances where the flag will be mishandled and touch the ground during football games; people not standing and removing their hats during the national anthem; or people will fly the American flag at night without any lighting on it.
“(The flag) represents what we fought for. It represents our freedom. It represents everything America is about,” Blancas said.
The VVOA explains that properly respecting the flag acknowledges the historical context and sacrifices made by those who serve and have served to fight for “freedom and justice.”
To learn more, you can visit the VVOA Chapter 844’s website by clicking here: https://vva.org/chapter/vva-chapter-844/
Or you can contact them at: (915) 358-8667.
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