THE LUNAR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
This works great on camping trips, especially at
the close of a campfire. Other suggested uses are Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Church
groups, Military groups, summer camp, or another nighttime activities or ceremonies.
The following reading should take approximately 3 - 5 minutes.
Since we have no flag out here
to salute or retire tonight, we are going to do something called The Lunar
Pledge of Allegiance. This is how it goes.
Would everyone please rise.
Options:
- A prearranged group may begin humming or singing softly "God Bless America,"
- Or,
- Begin playing a tape recording of the song.
On a, historic day in 1969, three great American astronauts, Neil Armstrong
(who is by the way an Eagle Scout), Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., and Michael Collins
took an unforgettable flight to the moon in a spacecraft called Apollo 11. After
entering lunar orbit, astronauts Aldrin and Armstrong transferred to the lunar
module, appropriately called The Eagle. The Eagle slowly descended to the surface
of the moon, and on July 20 it landed safely. A few hours later Nell Armstrong,
in his bulky suit, descended the ladder, stepped out onto the surface of the
moon (the firs man ever to do so), and said these historic words:
" That's one small step for
a man,
One giant leap for mankind."
He then proceeded to plant an American
flag on the moon and that very flag still stands there today, over 25 years
later. It is that great and proud flag that we salute tonight, the Stars
and Stripes. The 13 red and white stripes symbolizing the 13 colonies that
originally constituted the United States. The 50 white stars on a blue ground,
one for each state in the Union - states that our Founding Fathers guaranteed
us would be free and independent states. A flag that is an honored symbol of
our nation's unity. A flag that symbolizes the protection, under the Constitution,
of the rights and privileges of all Americans. It means that we have a duty
to serve when needed, and it allows us to speak freely. It means that government
will be of the people by the people, and for the people, it is a flag that assures
us of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. A flag that allows us to
secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our prosperity. A flag that
represents freedom for every American, liberty and justice for all. A flag that
means, from sea to shining sea, we are one nation under God.
So don't you trample on Old Glory. Don't you dare burn our flag. Treat
it with the respect it deserves. As citizens, our patriotism - the love, loyalty
and devotion for our country runs very deep. Many people have bravely fought
and died for our country, and we will continue to fight to keep our sacred honor.
Will everyone please look up into the sky, at the moon, and join me in paying
tribute and respect to those brave and courageous men, and to our United States
of America, the greatest country on God's green earth, the land of the free
and the home of the brave.
May God truly bless America, our home sweet home.
Will you please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.