Not worthy. Nope, not at all

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In the course of my career in journalism, I have covered a number of flag presentations.

The kind where a flag flew over the Capitol in Washington and it's give to someone, a school, a group, etc. The idea is the flag is flown for a bit, hauled down and boxed up and passed over to the Congressman who's requested the flag. Washington actually has a crew who does this every day.

Still, pretty cool, not only 'cause there is a waiting list for the flags, but it did fly over the Capitol. It's one of those things that not anyone can get.

I took the pictures, ran the story and promptly forgot about it. Just another story of the thousands and thousands I've covered in my career.

Then I get a phone call today. Someone at the office wants to see me.

"Is he armed?" I asked. "Does he have a firearm?"

"No, but I'm sure he could have brought you plenty," comes the reply.

I'm busy setting up for a ribbon cutting, so I say send 'em around to where I am. I wonder who it could be.

As I'm hauling trash cans out into the road to block parking spaces so I'll have room to take a picture, my cousin, his wife and his (OMG HOW TALL) kids round the corner. Except with my horrible eyesight I don't recognize 'em at first.

They get closer, I'm still moving garbage cans. I recognize 'em.

"Hey David! Hey Misty! Kids!"

They walk up. Hugs all around for the adults, handshake with David Jr, the sisters pretty much ignore me.

Sgt. David Bass is home for a while, permanently if the current president will live up to his campaign promises, from Afghanistan. Every time he comes home, he makes it a point to stop by and see me. I wrote a column a few years ago about one of these visits. The column has received awards. Not me, you understand, the column about David.

"I brought you something," he says as he opens and hands me a box.

Inside is a folded flag. Under the flag is a signed certificate.

The flag was flown at David's division's headquarters in Afghanistan.

Included in the box is a signed certificate, a picture of HQ with flags flying. It's signed by David and the local commander. The certificate says it was flown in my honor.

Dammitall.

"You can have this framed. Folded or open. It will cost more open," he said.

Like I care about the expense.

I sit here typing trying to hold back tears again. I didn't do any better during the ribbon cutting.

As I showed off the flag and certificate, I said "I can always buy a gun. You can't buy something like this."

There is no question, none whatsoever in my mind - I am not worthy of this.

David took time out of his schedule, made the arrangements to have the flag flown and the certificate made. Then he had to keep up with it while he was over there and all the way home.

He did this in the middle of Afghanistan, surrounded by people who want to kill him. He did this knowing he had a family back in the United States. He did this. He did this having been over there before and seen brothers in arms KIA - that means Killed in Action - and wounded.

No. I am not worthy.

"You are," he insisted. He's that kinda guy.

No. I am not worthy.


"You are always running stuff about the military and the people in service. You put the paper on the internet so I can read it when I'm over there," he said.

No. I am not worthy.

David has appeared in the paper several times. Other retired and active members of the military have also been in the paper. Any of them who want to be in the paper, all they have to do is call. I'll make room for their stories. They have far and away earned the right to have their story recorded in the official history book of my community. That I'm the guy putting it together is just an accident of circumstance.

I'm not worthy.

I am not worth of the sacrifice my cousin and all the other people in the military make on my behalf and on your behalf.

I have no idea why they think I am worthy.

When David first sat down for an interview with me, I told him I was not worthy then. Nothing has changed in that regard.

But, I have a flag flown in Afghanistan over a US base, done in my honor. Regardless of whether or not I feel like I deserve it, David Bass does. I'm gonna spend the rest of my life trying to live up to this honor.

And from now on when someone gets a flag, it won't just be another story and a picture. It will be something personal to me.