–by Blake Ringer

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It was she who bore his honor
and for whom he took up the sword:
McHenry’s defiant banner,
Suribachi’s triumphant lord.

Her mighty colors he upheld
and above her no standard flew.
His hat came off and his heart swelled
when before the Red, White, and Blue.

Then on that fateful day he fell.
In a breath everything would change.
She was on his arm, on his tail,
the moment honor rearranged.

Now thirteen bars flutter half-mast;
His enclosure swaddled in stars.
She deeply bows as He goes past,
saluting the column of cars.

Her stripes are folded, tucked away,
then abased before his mother.
Awestruck, we are compelled to say:
“Old Glory honors another.”

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Blake Ringer is a father, husband, and practicing attorney in Boise, Idaho. Early on in life he developed an intense interest in military history and has been an avid student ever since. “Honor Rearranged” was inspired by the July 4, 2020 funeral service for Air Force 1^st Lt. Kenneth Gary Allen, whose F-15C went down in the North Sea earlier that summer.

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