Patriotism, it's in the genes.

My mom could not have loved her country more. Daddy too, but Mom being the nurturer, taught us Patriotism 101 through post-grad school. Crazy since none of us graduated from college, if we even attended.  I can only speak for this particular Moore kid in this matter as I have not had much opportunity to observe my sibs as they taught their kids and so forth.
 I cannot remember the time line, but I do remember Julie was playing tee-ball  with the township recreation league and they walked in the North Hanover Memorial Day Parade. One year Monica rode in the back of a pickup truck and sang patriotic songs with Mrs. Nolan.  Eventually they each led Northern Burlington Regional's marching band along that route. And Andrew and Kelly followed in their footsteps.

I don't think the parade route is more than a mile and a half.  I recall all the participants would meet in the school parking lot, which was the end of the parade route. We were instructed to draw our attention to the municipal building where a ceremony would take place honoring service members who had died during wartime. The young marchers at this time would be released from their groups and handed over to their parents, or another responsible adult.  The township would have a sound system for the folks making speeches and announcements.

As I stood with my children, the two, three or four of them at any given time, trying to listen attentively, I was mortified, angered, frustrated; you get the picture.  We couldn't hear a word of what was being said. These responsible adults were not being very responsible.  Children were running around yelling at one another, adults were holding conversations with friends in their outside voices! Yes I know, we were outside, but the program deemed the respect of an inside program.

I understand the parade was 30 minutes of agonizing physical endurance. I understand that the free hotdogs cooking and waiting behind us were probably someone's only breakfast or lunch all week. But the ceremony was not more than a half-hour long, people!

I don't remember if I said anything aloud to anyone, but I did see a picture someone took of me and my children one year, and the look on my face and my body language said it all.  For the sake of not embarrassing me or my children, I'd like to say that I didn't speak out.

All that to say this. This first story I'm going to tell you displays my mom's patriotism and I remember it through the telling. As my mother liked to tell it, my sister, my mother and I were in a luncheonette, probably the one my mom worked in at the time.  Mom said the TV over the counter was tuned to a baseball game. Or maybe it was the radio, but the cute part of the story is still the same.  When the National Anthem came on at the beginning of the game my sister stood and made everyone else do the same.  Cute, huh? We'll I'm sure she would do the same thing today, maybe not as cute now.

This next story I remember by being there when I was about 10 years old. I know how old I was because we were at my cousin Nancy's high school graduation and she graduated exactly 10 years before I did. She graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in Trenton and the ceremony was held in the War Memorial Building. It is now and was then a very large ornate auditorium.  I remember we were sitting on the ground floor, about center.

When the processional started from the rear of the auditorium, the color guard came first carrying the American flag.  So my mother stood, as did we children, cause when Mom stands or sits so did we.

Well, no others in the crowd were standing. At last not quickly enough for my mother. She looked around and said, in her not-so-nice, outside voice, "Stand up!! What's the matter with you people, don't you stand for your flag?"

I've never forgotten, obviously.  So you'll see me rising "pdq" when the National Anthem is played and when the flag passes by. Sometimes I have a problem getting out of our driveway. I find it difficult to sit still in my car, as I can see our flag flying overhead.  I may even pop up off of the couch as a Philly's game gets underway. "Oh, I'm just heading to the bathroom before the game starts!" as I blush red, white and blue.