Charley Shares His Two Most Important Flags

An amazing thing happened to me Tuesday evening here in the K99 studio's when Scott Carson paid me a visit. The fact that I am getting ready to hit the road for the 2013 Journey 4 Justice National Rally in Topeka is what makes this all very ironic. Here's the 'rest of the story.'

So to make this really long story, short and readable, Retired Marine Scott Carson paid a visit Tuesday with his son because he said he had something he wanted to give me.  I said sure, come on by, and to my surprise he gave me one of 7 flags (pictured below) he carried with him during 63 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm and also Operation Desert Shield.

I got a bit teary to be honest, and told him I didn't know how to say thanks and he replied with, "You already have."  Have you ever tried not to cry in front of a Marine and his son? It's not easy, especially when he informed me that it was his last flag that flew in combat.

When I got home last night, I showed my son Cade and he wanted to see a flag that another friend of mine, Mike Oldson - Active U.S. Air Force, gave me last year that also was flown in combat. That flag (in box with certificate) has been in storage since I am not sure what to do with it, until now.  As we opened the box and read the certificate, the date the flag was flown in Afghanistan looked familiar.  It immediately hit me that this flag was flying the exact same time I launched the initial FB page that started the whole Journey 4 Justice thing. It's just to ironic!

• Original ride to Topeka was on June 4/5, 2011
• Story was written on June 6 and published on June 7, 2011
• First official launch of the J4J group was around 11:00 PM, June 11, 2011

So, considering the time change, that flag could quite possibly have been flying on the AC-130H Spectre Gunship, "Grave Digger," during Operation Enduring Freedom that the very moment I published that first page.  Maybe it's just me but I find that very ironic...especially as I get ready to ride out again on behalf of Journey 4 Justice.

Both flags will be going to Topeka with me tomorrow and the larger flag will be flown wherever I go from now on.  As for the smaller flag that Scott gave me, I have a very special place for that but that story will have to wait.