Patriotism

Maryland school settles with student suspended for asking about American flag

Towson, Md. (WBFF) — It’s a story that grabbed national attention – a Maryland student, and prospective U.S. Marine, suspended while asking why classrooms in his high school did not contain American flags.

Project Baltimore first spoke with Parker Jensen in April. Soon after, he sued Baltimore County Public Schools. And now, that lawsuit has been settled.

It was just last month when Project Baltimore broke the news that Jensen, a Marine hopeful, was suspended from school for seven days, after he went to Baltimore County Public Schools headquarters to ask why some classrooms at Towson High were missing American flags. According to state law and BCPS school board policy, all classrooms must contain the flag.

Maryland school settles with student suspended for asking about American flag Read More »

Fighting for a country that doubted them—but never broke them

In his 99 years on the planet, Ken Akune has been sorted into many bins.

The first was Nisei, the term for second-generation Japanese Americans born in the United States. Akune had lived in both the United States and Japan and his family was divided between the two.

The second bin was “evacuee.”

That was the term given to 18-year-old Akune, his brother Harry and 7,000 other Japanese Americans shipped out to the Granada Relocation Center in Colorado at the start of World War II because of worries about their loyalty. Franklin Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 forcibly removed them from their home on the West Coast to a remote plain of sage and dust in southeastern Colorado, known simply as Amache.

Fighting for a country that doubted them—but never broke them Read More »

Hardin: Run for the Wall shows why patriotism still rides strong

Every May, the sound of motorcycles echoes across America—not for show, but for something much more meaningful. Run For The Wall is a cross-country ride that honors the fallen and brings healing to those still carrying the weight of war. It begins in California and ends in Washington, D.C. 

This year I had the privilege of joining the ride for part of its journey, riding the Central Route from Gallup, New Mexico, to Colorado.

We rolled out of Gallup with nearly 500 motorcycles, riding two-by-two in a tight, powerful formation. New Mexico State Police escorted us across the entire state, blocking every exit, every intersection.

Hardin: Run for the Wall shows why patriotism still rides strong Read More »

Memorial Day at Fort Carson reminds us what freedom truly costs

The first Fort Carson soldier to die in Iraq, Pfc. Jesse Givens, wrote those highly relatable words in his journal. And while his time in the Army was short, his sentiments resonate today, said Fort Carson’s Maj. Gen. David Doyle during a Thursday morning ceremony ahead of Memorial Day. 

“I took an oath to protect my country, not for the sake of saving the world, but for the hopes that my family wouldn’t have to live in a world filled with hate, fear or sadness, a world in which America can triumph,” Doyle said, quoting Givens’ journal. 

Givens died when his tank plunged into the Euphrates River, the general said. The soldier who had served for 15 months was recovered with a small pressed flower from Colorado with him.

Givens’ story is one of 407 represented by names on the memorial stones outside of Gate 1 — all died in the Global War on Terrorism from 2003 through 2019 from Fort Carson. Nationally, more than 7,000 service members died in the conflict. 

Doyle said he expects to spend the weekend remembering those he knew who died in the conflict and he encouraged others to take a moment to also reflect on the sacrifices of service members. 

“When I think about those soldiers that I served with who did not come home, I remember what made them excellent. I remember what made them the best in our country,” he said.

Memorial Day at Fort Carson reminds us what freedom truly costs Read More »

Alaskans outraged after crew reportedly prevented from flying U.S. flag at Denali National Park

A flag flap erupted at Denali National Park in Alaska following a report that the superintendent has banned construction workers from flying the stars and stripes. The National Park Service denies the claim.

Alaskans outraged after crew reportedly prevented from flying U.S. flag at Denali National Park Read More »