Our American flag has flown over battlefields, hurricanes, terrorist attacks, floods, wildfires, and some of the hardest days this country has ever faced.
Through all of it, one lesson remains true: America's greatest strength has never been a building, a government agency, or a piece of equipment.
It's people.
The neighbors who check on each other. The volunteers who show up. The first responders who run toward danger. The communities that rebuild after disaster strikes.
It is choosing to be someone others can rely on when things go wrong.
And despite our disagreements, challenges, and imperfections, there is still much to be proud of. A nation built on the belief that people should be free. A nation that has repeatedly risen to meet extraordinary challenges. A nation whose strength is found not in its institutions alone, but in the character of its people.
That is worth remembering today.
Happy Flag Day!