Flag Lapel Pin
One of the first memories I have of my grandfather is the American flag lapel pin he wore on his suit. My grandfather worked in insurance, and he was impeccably dressed Monday through Friday for every week of his career. His suit was always spotless and creased in just the right places; his shirt was perfectly starched with its collar folded exactly in half; his shoes were shined and free of any smears. And every day, in exactly the same place on his right lapel, sat his American flag lapel pin.
My grandfather fought with the US Army in World War II. He was an infantryman; any time you watch a World War II movie that dramatizes the horrific conditions that soldiers fought in, you probably witness something akin to what he experienced. He didn't talk much about the war, but I could tell that it had a profound affect on his outlook on life. It seemed as if everything he'd ever do was colored by those experiences. The way he walked. They way he spoke. The way he interacted with my grandmother and my mother. He was deeply impacted by those moments of his life, and he didn't like to talk about them.
But I also knew that his American flag lapel pin encapsulated everything I needed to know about his dedication to his country. It wasn't the physical pin that made the statement; it was the consistency with which he wore it. That pin defined my grandfather's experience.