Gainesville — With Monday being Flag Day, it was more than appropriate to hear “Ragged Old Flag” at the family picnic and TEA party to celebrate patriotism in Heritage Park, with youth and families looking on.

Eleven-year-old Grant Wilson of Cooke County took the stage Monday with the red, white and blue blowing behind him to read the “Ragged Old Flag” lyrics written by country singer-songwriter Johnny Cash.

“This poem is mostly about Flag Day,” Wilson said prior to the start of the picnic. “If we didn’t have this flag, why would we be here? What’s the point of being here if we’re ruled under a king? But with that flag, it meant freedom.”

He summarized the lyrics, saying it tells about a town member and the pride he has for the old flag flying at the old county courthouse. He tells a critical visitor about how the flag came to its condition, because Washington took it across the Delaware River where it was fired upon and it became powder-burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it, and many other incidents that brought about its old ragged glory.

The song came to Wilson from Extension Agent and 4-H Leader Phyllis Griffin, who asked him to read it for the Medal of Honor recipients who visited Gainesville in April.

“I started crying because I really liked it,” Wilson said of his response when he first read the lyrics.

His presentation of Cash’s song for the Medal of Honor recipients is an experience that Wilson distinctly remembers.

“It was awesome,” he said. “I got to sit down with one of them, Richard Pittman. He talked to me about some of his childhood and what he did, what he liked.” Pittman gave Wilson one of his business cards and autographed it for him. One of the recipients gave him the Star Light chip he received during military service. Wilson framed both of them.

Wilson wears his patriotism “on his sleeve” and he enjoys sharing some of it through public readings. During a TEA Party gathering several months ago he read from Thomas Paine’s classic “Common Sense” on the steps of the Cooke County Courthouse.

He said he has always felt patriotic and when his sister Lacy Hogan joined the military six years ago, he started to read more about his country.

“When she went to the Air Force I really just wanted to be a part of it,” he noted. “That really got me thinking more and more about it.”

His grandfathers on both sides of his family also served in the military, one in World War II and one in the Vietnam War.

“I know it came from both of my grandfathers,” he added.

 He himself has definite plans to serve his country in the military.

“That has always been his plan,” his mother Kim Wilson interjected.

She said he plays military games, he writes his own stories and does research on military wars and history.

“First I would want to get some degrees,” he said. “Then I would like to go to the military.”

Right now, it doesn’t matter which branch of the service, he said.

Wilson comes from a family with seven siblings and his two brothers and four sisters range in ages from seven to 30. Three-and-a-half years ago they packed up and moved from Sacramento, Calif. to Cooke County and Wilson said he really likes being here. He said his family is very involved with the community.

“We know tons and tons and tons of people,” he said, “because of church, 4-H, Boy Scouts and home-schooling.”

Wilson is going into seventh grade in the fall and likes home-schooling.

“It’s better because we have more freedom,” he said.

His mom also answers all his questions and helps him with detail in his studies.

“It also helps him because he likes to do a lot of research and stuff,” mom added. “It helps him and he can work at his own pace, which is very fast.”

Wilson likes to research about towns, what’s going on, history and also information about wars.

In Boy Scouts, he is working to become one of the youngest in the state of Texas to be a senior patrol leader. He said he plans is to be one of the youngest to finish his Eagle project.

For hobbies he likes to play Internet and video war games.

“Tons of games,” he said.

He also likes to swim and read war books and Cam Jansen books. Jansen writes mysteries and stories with humor. Wilson’s “I’m grateful for” list includes country, family and friends.

His mom gets teary-eyed at times listening to her son speak about his life experiences and when sharing that her son has had patriotism “in his heart” since he was very young.

“His heart is America and the founding of America and especially anything that has to do with the flag,” she said. “He has always been like that. For some reason this has always been his match, caring about where his country has come from...It’s just who he has been. It’s nothing that we did, even when he was little he has just always exhibited this great love for country, serving people and love for God. He’s just a cool guy.”

“I’m proud of him,” said his dad Steve Wilson.