[427TJ]

Good on you Rob. I got up at 0630 to put my flag out front.

I was in France two weeks ago with my family--they are on a two-month driving tour of Europe. I joined them for France and Belgium so I could finally see Omaha Beach and Flanders Field. At the American Cemetery above Omaha Beach we walked among the crosses (and Star of David) and read the names and I explained what the ranks and organizations/specialties of the particular service members meant. Signs say that you should use low voices and not run while on the cemetery grounds. At one point my 10-year old son ran after a bird (he's so 10) to make it fly away and my wife gently scolded him not to run. A couple minutes later he and I were walking toward the restrooms when he said he felt bad for running through the crosses. I explained it this way: "Well, you know, I think the boys resting here liked seeing a little boy running after a bird on such a nice sunny day. It hadn't been very long since those boys had been 10 years old when they died here and hearing your feet and seeing you run probably made them very happy. They died so you could come here 66 years later and run after a bird as a completely free American. Just between you and me I think it's okay and I'll bet the boys liked seeing you run." My son liked that but he didn't do any more running.