DONT MESS WITH OLD PEOPLE

THE OLD MAN AND THE FLAG


A couple of years ago we went out to the west coast and up to Washington State so we could store the coach and go across to Vancouver for a 14 day cruise up to Alaska. We did the cruise and decided to take the ''long way'' around the state of Washington and down 101, the coast highway, toward California. When we travel we never hurry and if we see something interesting, we stop for a day or a week as necessary.
We were traveling along thur some little town and we noticed that there was to be a parade/yard sale/bake sale/craft show/ petting zoo, food and balloons for the kids. As I remember it was Founders Day parade. We decided to stop for the parade and the other stuff. I found a spot to park at the end of town in a ladies side yard. She said it was ok so long as we didnt dump anything. Willa stopped at the craft stalls and did some serious shopping and I walked around sampling the baked goods. We wasted time till the parade was about to start. I walked back toward the coach so we could make the great escape when the parade was over. Willa was still ''shopping'' in the ''booths''. It so happened that where I was standing was where the ''parade'' made a hard left on to another side street. I kinda leaned against a pick up fender and waited for the ''big parade''. An ''old man'' came up two pickups down from me and stood between the trucks. He nodded a hello and I did the same as the parade started. They had the usual Mayor riding in a convertible. Little Miss ''something or other'' in a convertible, waving and smiling at the crowd, several clowns on tri cycles doing stunts, the high school band playing something or other. A couple of John Deere tractors pulling trailers decorated by the boy scouts and the FFA. It was your typical small town parade. Where I was standing it was not unusual for the parade to stop while each group made the left hand turn on to the side street and sometimes it would cause a bottle neck. Toward the end of the parade I noticed a ''color guard'' carrying the American flag and the state flag. There were two flag bearers and two guys carrying old Springfield rifles. There was a ''sergeant at arms'' out front carrying a sword. Everyone was in uniform and I guessed them to be Army reservists or National Guard or R.O.T.C. people. They were marching in perfect unison and formation. They also had to stop due to the left hand turn and they continued cadence in ''mark step''. Both the old man and myself had raised our right hand in a military salute to the colors as we were both wearing hats at the time. About the time the sergeant called ''Detail halt'' some guy, apparently drunk, came busting thru the pickups waving his hands and shouting obscenities at the color guard. He plowed into the old man, knocking him sideways and fouling the air with his obscenities and his tirade aimed at the color guard. I sprang to my feet to help the old man but he had already re-gained his footing, he held up his left hand in a ''halt'' gesture to me, he squared his hat and politely tapped the shouting fool on the shoulder. The drunk turned to the old man and said …...
''What the f.......''
This is all he got to say as the old man delivered a smashing right hand to his right eye and the side of his nose. I know we all have heard what it sounds like when you ''slap a ham'' with your open hand. Its a loud pop but he didnt ''slap the fool'', he hit him with the closed fist and the loud mouth kinda stumbled, tumbled and crumpled down in a heap like a pile of dirty underwear...........He dropped his paper sack with the ''tall boy'' in it......
Seeing all this the ''color guard guy'' on the left started to break ranks but the sergeant snapped him back in line. The old man went back to his salute to the colors and stood there at attention. The sergeant called the color guard to attention and shouted ''left wheel''.........''flag salute'' and on his command the color guard rotated left, dipped the flags slightly toward the old man as he stood there with his hand touching the brim of his fedora in salute to the colors. The sergeant raised his saber with the hilt to his chin, rotated the blade horizontal to the ground and slowly lowered it in the direction of the old man in a ''saber salute''. I felt great pride when the sergeant of the guard shouted ''right wheel'' …...... ''forward march''........ and the color guard continued thru the turn and down the side street. Several in the crowd including myself applauded the old man as he lowered his hand back to his side. The loud mouth on the ground was wallowing around trying to find his feet. His right eye was a purple slit and blood dribbled from his nose as he stumbled to his feet. He drew his fist back for retaliation against the old man.
''You old son of a Bi....….....''
That was a far as he got when a large deputy sheriff clamped the pretty chrome hand cuff to his left wrist, spinning him around and yanking his right arm behind him and cuffing that wrist in one continuous motion.
''Shut your mouth idiot or I will let this ''senior citizen'' beat the hell out of you so your mother will not recognize you when she comes to pay your bail''................
The deputy asked the old man if he was OK and he said he was fine. As the old man turned to walk away I noticed a small pin on his fedora . It was the Eagle, Globe and Anchor with master sergeant stripes pinned to the side of his hat. I walked over to shake his hand and thank him for his service to this country and to tell him what an honor it was to be in his presence. He said that what he had done was nothing and that he had served that ''flag'' in the past and he would see no one desecrate those colors so long as he lived.
I guess this is the morel of the story in that …..
One. Dont mess with old people
Two. Dont push old people
Three. Dont mess with or push old people wearing a fedora with an Eagle, Globe and Anchor pin, on their fedora ….......
Willa arrived with some ''pot holders, and a bird house ,and a pecan pie and she said she was ready if I was ready..........
Nuff Said I guess....


God bless our troops and keep them safe .......