Insulted to see North Korea’s flag flying next to the Stars and Stripes

As a Vietnam veteran, I lost a bit of my patriotism this week.

I will no longer look at the American flag the same way I looked at it before after seeing it displayed on stage in Singapore alongside the North Korean flag, as if they were equals.

I will no longer recite the Pledge of Allegiance with the same pride as before, and I will no longer stand for the national anthem with the same respect as I had before. And I will once again shed a tear for the 55,000 comrades who died defending the American flag in Vietnam.

I never thought that I would ever witness the desecration of our flag again as it was desecrated by Vietnam protesters. But at least the Vietnam protesters were doing it out of a belief of what was best for the country, not for a photo-op.

I would suggest that NFL fans take a page from the NFL players and take a knee during the playing of the national anthem this year. Not out of protest, but in prayer — prayer for our country and prayer for our flag.