Ten Weeks of Summer

Ten Weeks of Summer Update

2010-08-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

My Dad and I have completed eleven weeks of this blog! We have caught the "blogger bug" and plan to continue the blog in a few weeks. It will be new and improved! Can't wait!

Great Speeches - Calvin Coolidge

2010-08-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

Today's great speech comes from "Silent Cal" Coolidge, a greatly underestimated President. His Inaugural Address from March 4th, 1925, provides a blueprint for limited government as prescribed by our Constititution. Coolidge's critics are those who believe that a government should play a strong role in the regulation and control of a nation's economy. His admirers are those who have read, understood and believe in the Constitution. Guess what side Harry Reid is on. His reputation made a strong comeback during the Reagan administration. No surprise there. Here is one of my favorite parts of the speech: The wisest and soundest method of solving our tax problem is through economy. Fortunately, of all the great nations this country is best in a position to adopt that simple remedy. We do not any longer need wartime revenues. The collection of any taxes which are not absolutely required, which do not beyond reasonable doubt contribute to the public welfare, is only a species of legalized larceny. Under this republic the rewards of industry belong to those who earn them. The only constitutional tax is the tax which ministers to public necessity. The property of the country belongs to the people of the country. Their title is absolute.

You can read all of it here: http://www.famousquotes.me.uk/speeches/presidential-speeches/presidential-speech-calvin-coolidge.htm

Please feel free to pass it on to your liberal friends.

Great American Literature- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

2010-08-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was a regular guy who wrote great poetry that appealed to the average people like himself, but also to a refined and highly educated audience. He was a child prodigy and published his first poem at the young age of thirteen. He was privately educated and later attended Bowdoin College, where he was told that he should teach if he was able to gain cultural finesse. So, he traveled to Europe where he learned French, German, and Italian. He then taught at Bowdoin and in later years, at Harvard. Voices of the Night and Ballads and Other Poems were Longfellow's first main poetry collections. Longfellow's poetry became widely recognized and his poems were quoted not only in the states, but overseas too. Longfellow's most well-known poem (though many may not know that he is the author) is Paul Revere's Ride.

This is a small excerpt from the poem. To read it in its entirety go here.

A hurry of hoofs in a village street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark
Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet;
That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,
The fate of a nation was riding that night;
And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,
Kindled the land into flame with its heat.
He has left the village and mounted the steep,
And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep,
Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides;
And under the alders that skirt its edge,
Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge,
Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.

Great Moments in American Sports- The Greatest Presidential First Pitch in History

2010-08-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

In the wake of the attacks (by Islamofascists) against our Nation on 11 September 2001, President George W. Bush traveled to New York City for Game 3 of the World Series between the Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks. He strode confidently from the Yankees dugout in a sweatshirt emblazoned with FDNY, a tribute to the great heroes of the New York Fire Department, gave the fans a thumbs up from the mound and then fired a perfect strike to Yankees' catcher Todd Greene. As he left the mound, the fans chanted "USA, USA." Even Rosie O'Donnell, noted overweight loudmouth and leftist, expressed pride and admiration for her country and President on that day. What a moment, what a man!

Great American Artists - Frederic Remington

2010-08-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

Frederic Remington was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor and writer whose favorite subject was the old American west, including cowboys, indians and the U.S Cavalry. Remington was the son of a U.S Army Colonel from the Civil War. His father had great hopes that his son would attend West Point and follow in his footsteps as a soldier, but Frederic new from an early age that this was not the life for him. He was very interested in illustrating and painting from his early school days and he was not a particularly industrious or motivated young man. He did, however, venture out west and experienced the life of a settler firsthand. He even tried his hand at ranching for a time, but found it to be uninspiring, boring and a bit rough for his tastes. He did have, obviously, a great eye for the ways of the west and a unique ability to depict it in paintings and stories and then later in sculptures. In his career he covered the U.S. Government's war against Geronimo, illustrated a book by Teddy Roosevelt and was a war correspondent and illustrator during the Spanish-American War in 1898 and witnessed the assault by the Rough Riders on San Juan Hill.
When the Rough Riders returned to the U.S., they presented their courageous leader Roosevelt with Remington’s bronze statuette, The Broncho Buster, which is pictured above. In
1888, he had two of his paintings used for reproduction on U. S. Postal stamps.

Great American Heroes- John Fremont

2010-08-10T16:08:00.000-07:00

John Fremont is known for many things. He was a military officer, an explorer, and a politician. During the Civil War he was given command of armies in the west but was released due to some hasty decisions that he made. As an explorer, he followed Lewis and Clarke into the American frontier, in the late 1830s and early 1840s. Fremont explored the west, mainly the Oregon Trail. He discovered many new plants during his explorations and the genus of the California Flannelbush is named for him. He is commonly known as "The Man who Mapped the West." He became prosperous during the California Gold Rush of 1848. In 1850, he became one of California's first two senators. In 1856 he was the Republican Party's first ever candidate. He ran again four years later, but withdrew so that Abraham Lincoln would receive the Republican nomination.

This Week in American History- Japan agrees to unconditional surrender

2010-08-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

On August 10, 1945, Emeror Hirohito announced to the Japanese people in a radio broadcast that their country had agreed to terms of unconditional surrender in World War II. In doing so, the Emperor had agreed to terms that had been offered as an ultimatum to the Japanese government in late July following the Potsdam conference. The ultimatum offered the choice between total and unconditional surrender or total annihilation. In their initial reply, the Japanese did not capitulate completely. On August 6, the Enola Gay (a B-29 bomber) dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. Three days later, as Japan still defied the ultimatum, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. In the face of threats of further such attacks, the Emperor, who had previously rubber-stamped all of the war decisions by his military leaders, stepped up and made the decision to submit unconditional surrender.

There has been much cringing and hand-wringing in recent years over President Truman's decision to employ the atomic bombs, but I think a very strong case, even an inarguable case, can be made in support of the decision. Here is Victor Davis Hanson in a 2005 National Review Online article. "The truth, as we are reminded so often in this present conflict, is that usually in war there are no good alternatives, and leaders must select between a very bad and even worse choice. Hiroshima was the most awful option imaginable, but the other scenarios would have probably turned out even worse."

The whole article can be read here: http://old.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson200508050714.asp

Great Speeches - Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

2010-08-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

As Abraham Lincoln delivered his second Inaugural Address, the Civil War was drawing to a close and to victory for the Union forces. Grant's Army was pushing Robert E. Lee back toward Richmond and Sherman had stormed through Georgia. In the days leading up to the election of 1864, Lincoln's re-election chances had appeared bleak. Now, as he stepped to the podium to take his second Oath of Office, anticipation was high. What would he say? What would be his tone? Would it be a victory speech? What followed surprised most, angered many and eventually became recognized as, perhaps, his greatest speech. At 703 words, it was the second shortest Inaugural speech. In the speech, Lincoln invoked the name of God 14 times, quoted scripture 4 times (only the second time that scripture had been quoted in an Inaugural speech) and mentioned prayer 4 times. Frederick Douglass, the Abolitionist leader who was in attendance, wrote in his journal that the speech sounded more like a sermon than a state paper. Lincoln suggested that the war was God's will and that both sides were to blame for the sin of slavery and, most importantly, that the war was a way to purge the nation of this sin. The first sentence of the last paragraph provide the speech's most memorable line and the overarching theme, that of reconciliation: "With malice toward none, with charity for all." As the war came to an end, President Lincoln understood that reconciliation was necessary in order to accomplish the goal of saving the Union.

Read the speech in its entirety below.

Fellow countrymen:
At this second appearing to take the oath of the presidential office, there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first. Then a statement somewhat in detail of a course to be pursued seemed fitting and proper. Now, at the expiration of four years, during which public declarations have been constantly called forth on every point and phase of the great contest which still absorbs the attention and engrosses the energies of the nation, little that is new could be presented. The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself, and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.
On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago, all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it, all sought to avert it. While the inaugural address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war—seeking to disolve the Union and divide effects by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish, and the war came.
One-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union even by war, while the government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it. Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with or even before the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh." If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said, "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."
With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

Great American Literature - Herman Melville

2010-08-07T09:11:00.000-07:00

Call me Ishmael.

Those are the first words of Herman Melville’s classic novel, Moby Dick. Most people with a legitimate High School education can quote them, but very few have actually read the novel that many consider to be the greatest American novel and certainly a masterpiece of world literature. I can honestly say that I did read it and found it to be fantastic at times and extremely tedious at other times. Even at its most tedious, it’s time better spent than watching just about anything on the tube. Melville was an American novelist (obviously), a short story writer an essayist and a poet. He is best known for the aforementioned Moby Dick and the novella Billy Budd. He and his early work (which did not include either Moby Dick or Billy Budd) were very popular during the mid-19th century, but his popularity declined from the 1850’s until his death. He was never successful by monetary standards and he was actually considered to be only a minor American literary figure at the time of his death in 1891. His work enjoyed a revival in the early 20th century and he became the first writer to have his works collected and published by the Library of America. Moby Dick was inspired by his voyage on the whaler Acushnet out of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Just recently it was announced that a new species of extinct giant sperm whale (how do you like that – new species of extinct giant sperm whale?), Leviathan melvillei was named in honor of Melville. Quite a legacy, that.

Great Moments in American Sports - Doug Flutie's Hail Mary Pass

2010-08-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

Doug Flutie's Hail Mary pass happened in a college football game between Boston College and the University of Miami on November 23, 1984. Miami was the defending national champ ranked 12th in the nation. Boston College was ranked 10th with a record of 8-2 and was headed to the Cotton Bowl. It was a tremendous football game even before the last second heroics. The game is most notable for a last-second Hail Mary pass from quarterback Doug Flutie to wide receiver Gerard Phelan to give Boston College the win. The game capped a Heisman Trophy season for Flutie. He later lost his mind and supported Hillary Clinton for U.S. Senate and in her Presidential campaign - but this is about the moment.
Read an account of the game below from ESPN.COM and then watch the video.

THE MOMENT
It's November 23, 1984, and the soldout crowd at the Orange Bowl has seen an electrifying shootout. Each team plays the entire 3-hour, 43-minutes marathon like a two-minute drill. There are 15 scoring drives, none less than 55 yards, five drives of 80 or more, and 1,273 yards produced by both teams combined.

At halftime, it's 28-21, B.C. While the teams rest and strategize in their locker rooms, a driving tropical rainstorm arrives. Snubbing the storm, Miami opens the third quarter with a 96-yard drive to tie the game at 28. The game remains tied at 31 entering the final quarter. Boston College snaps the stalemate with a field goal, but Miami regains the lead as Melvin Bratton comes right back with a dazzling 52-yard scoring run. With 3:50 remaining, B.C. completes an 82-yard drive to go back up, 41-38.

With 2:30 left, Miami is buried deep on its own 10 facing a third-and-21. Kosar scrambles back to his own goal line, is nearly tackled twice and unloads a pass to Darryl Oliver for a first down. The Hurricanes later make a first down on fourth-and-one and then Bratton scores his fourth TD of the game for a 45-41 lead.

The Hurricanes go wild on their sideline, celebrating what they believe is a landmark victory. Only 28 seconds remain. "I thought we had it won," Miami center Ian Sinclair would tell the media later. "We all did."

"I assumed we had lost," B.C. coach Jack Bicknell told the press. "I'm thinking, 'What am I going to tell these guys in the locker room?' They just played a great game."

Flutie isn't thinking only of the plays he's going to run on the game's final series. "We've got time for at least four plays," Flutie says to himself as he watches the kickoff. He runs through the Eagles' playbook in his mind. His plan is to get the ball near midfield with his first two passes, and then put one up into the end zone. Perhaps two, if there's time.

As the Eagles huddle up following the kickoff, Flutie yells, "OK, let's get near midfield. If we can get it there, we have a 50-50 chance of scoring."

Starting at the 20, Flutie gets 19 yards on his first play, a completion to Troy Stradford. Then, he gets 13 more on a completion to Scott Gieselman, getting the ball into Miami territory. Ten seconds remain. Flutie's next pass is incomplete. Six seconds remain -- and 48 yards to cover.

"OK, 'Flood Tip' on two," Flutie calls. Flood Tip is a play in which three receivers race downfield, flooding one area in the end zone and wait for Flutie's bomb to fall from the heavens. The play is specifically designed for Gerry Phelan at the goal line. If Phelan is unable to catch the ball, he is supposed to try to tip it to the two other receivers.

B.C. has tried "Flood Tip" three times in the previous two seasons and it worked once -- against Temple, earlier in the season, at the close of the first half. And it was Phelan who caught the touchdown pass.

Flutie takes the snap and darts backward. All-American lineman Jerome Brown chases Flutie out of the pocket. Staring straight into a 30-mile-per-hour wind, and with Miami's Willie Lee Broughton heading straight for him, Flutie heaves a bomb from his own 37, a bomb that sails ... and sails ... 60 yards through the evening sky.

Miami is in its prevent defense with three defensive backs assigned to the end zone. They plant themselves near the 10-yard line. They are unaware that Flutie can throw the ball 60 yards. As a result, they inexplicably allow Phelan to slip behind them, right at the cusp of the end zone.

"I didn't know Phelan was behind us," Darrell Fullington would tell the media later. "I took my eye away from him for just one second to see where Flutie was, and it was too late. I looked back, and the ball was in the air, and Phelan was past me. I jumped as hard as I could, but ..."

As the pass sails through the wet evening air, Fullington tries to recover. He scrambles backwards toward the goal line. He collides with teammate Reggie Sutton. With Fullington and Sutton off-balance at the 3, the ball begins to descend over their heads. They leap, but the ball sails right between their arms, just past the tips of their fingernails, and it falls right behind them ... right into Phelan's arms.

At the other end of the field, Flutie is lying on the ground, the aftermath of getting slammed by Broughton. As Flutie rises to his feet, he is unaware that Phelan is cradling the ball -- his 11th catch of the game for 226 yards -- as if it is "my first-born," he would say.

Flutie realizes what has transpired, that someone, somehow, caught the ball. Flutie begins running toward the end zone, his arms waving and flapping and whirling. "I thought the pass fell incomplete," he would say later. "When I saw the referee's arms go up in the air for a touchdown, I could not believe it."

"We flooded the area," Bicknell would say later with a laugh, referring to the name of the play, Flood Tip. "But nobody tipped it."

The B.C. players race jubilantly off the sideline, onto the field, toward the end zone, where Phelan is buried under a pile of wild, ecstatic players.

Great American Artists - Georgia O'Keeffe

2010-08-04T20:30:00.000-07:00

Georgia Totto O'Keeffe was a major figure in American art from the 1920s. She is mainly known for paintings of flowers, rocks, shells, animal bones, and landscapes in which she "synthesized abstraction and representation". What this means, I guess, is that she took real subject matter and transformed it into abstract images. She is also credited with bringing an American style of art to Europe during a period when most influence came from Europe to America - so I like her, at least, for that.

She found much of her inspiration in the Southwest, and particularly in New Mexico, where she lived.

In January 1977, President Gerald R. Ford presented O'Keeffe with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and in 1985, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts.

The two paintings above are examples of her work. Not sure if they are among her most famous, but I recognize them as her work. Kind of weird, huh?

Great American Heroes-Whittaker Chambers

2010-08-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

Whittaker Chambers was an American writer and editor who stood athwart history with William F. Buckley yelling stop in creating The National Review, the highly influential conservative journal. While this is a significant enough accomplishment to make him a hero in my book, he is best known and most worthy of designation as a hero for his part in the trial and conviction on charges of perjury of Alger Hiss. Hiss, a former State Department official was a highly respected figure in Washington D.C. political circles and had been a central player in America's wartime diplomacy and attended both the Yalta and Potsdam conferences as an American representative. He later served as president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. In other words, he was one of the "ruling class" (spoken with a sneer). Chambers on the other hand was a former Communist Party member who had admitted to serving as a spy for the Soviet Union. He left the Communist Party in 1938 and offered his services to the FBI as an informant on Communist activities in the U.S. He credits his embrace of Christianity as his principal motivation for leaving the Communist Party. He was decidedly not a member of the "ruling class." On August 3, 1948, in testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee, Chambers accused Hiss of being a Soviet spy and member of the Communist Party. Hiss, of course, vehemently denied the charges, claiming that he did not even know Chambers. He had the backing of the political elite including President Truman who called the charges a "red herring." Despite countercharges of slander and vicious personal attacks against him, Chambers persisted in his accusations against Hiss and eventually was vindicated after producing evidence in the form of micro-film of classified State Department documents that he had kept stored in hollowed out pumpkins on his farm. These so-called "Pumpkin Papers" were used to support his claim that Hiss had passed the documents to him for delivery to the Soviet Union. The end result of the trial was that Hiss served 44 months in prison for perjury. He was not convicted of espionage because the statute of limitations had expired on those activities. Hiss claimed his innocence until his death, but more evidence has surfaced in recent years which leave little doubt that he was guilty. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan posthumously awarded Chambers the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contribution to "the century's epic struggle between freedom and totalitarianism."

This Week in American History- The Battle of Mobile Bay

2010-08-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!

On August 5th, 1864, a Union Fleet commanded by Rear Admiral David Farragut attacked a Confederate Fleet, commanded by Admiral Franklin Buchanan, and three Confederate forts at the mouth of Mobile Bay. The Battle was marked by Farragut's audacious run through a minefield that had just sunk one of his ironclad ships and will be forever remembered by Farragut's battle cry at the beginning of the post. His bold move enabled his fleet to get beyond the range of the shore batteries and to batter the Confederate fleet mercilessly. With no naval support, the forts were unable to resist the Union fleet and they soon also fell to Farragut. This victory gave the Union forces control of the Mississippi and enabled them to complete the blockade of the region. It was also important in that it gave a boost to Abraham Lincoln's re-election campaign....and elections, of course, have consequences!

Great Speeches - Alexis de Tocqueville

2010-08-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

This is a departure from the regular Saturday post in that it is not Saturday, it is not a speech and it does not come from an American - in fact, oh, the horror, it comes from a French political thinker and historian who also happened to be a very astute observer of American society in the 19th century. He published Democracy in America in two volumes in the mid-1800's (Volume 1 in 1835 and 2 in 1840). The below comment is from an unpublished scrap of paper in his notes and describes the moral strength that comes from limited government.

One of the happiest consequences of the absence of government (when a people is fortunate enough to be able to do without it, which is rare) is the development of individual strength that inevitably follows from it. Each man learns to think, to act for himself, without counting on the support of an outside force which, however vigilant one supposes it to be, can never answer all social needs. Man, thus accustomed to seek his well-being only through his own efforts, raises himself in his own opinion as he does in the opinion of others; his soul becomes larger and stronger at the same time.

WOW! That sounds like it could have come from a Ronald Reagan speech.

Great American Literature- Robert Frost

2010-07-31T09:04:00.000-07:00

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life – It goes on” – Robert Frost

Robert Frost (1874-1963) was born in San Francisco, California but spent the majority of his life living and working in New England. He was a man whose family was challenged by mental illness and disease and who was unable to complete his college education despite many attempts. Yet, he married his love, Elinor, fathered six children and received over 40 honorary degrees, including ones from Princeton, Oxford and Cambridge universities; and he was the only person to receive two honorary degrees from Dartmouth College. At the age of 86 he spoke and performed a reading of his poetry at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy. He was honored with four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry.

Though Frost tried his hands at many things including farming to support his family, it was always the writing of poetry that called to him. In 1894 he sold his first poem, "My Butterfly: An Elegy" (published in the November 8, 1894 edition of the New York Independent) for fifteen dollars. Of his collection of well over a hundred poems, many easily recall “The Road Not Taken” (often referenced as The Road Less Traveled.) However, it was “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” that Frost himself felt was his “best bid for remembrance.” He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. Frost continues to be a popular and often-quoted American poet as his contribution to American poetry is like the road chosen to be travelled. It “has made all the difference.”

Great Moments in American Sports - Billy Mills

2010-07-31T07:37:00.000-07:00

Billy Mills was an American Indian of the Sioux tribe, born on June 30th, 1938, in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. He was orphaned at the age of 13. He took up running and boxing while attending the Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. He attended the University of Kansas on an Athletic scholarship and became an All American Cross Country runner three times and a member of two Outdoor Track National Championship teams. He was commissioned as an officer in the Marine Corps upon graduation from Kansas and was a First Lieutenant in the USMC Reserves when he ran in the 1964 Olympics.

In the 1964 Olympics he became the only U.S. runner to ever win the Gold Medal in the 10,000 meters run. It was one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history. Mills, who placed second in the U.S. Olympics trial was a virtual unknown and not considered to be a factor in the race for a medal. The favorite was an Australian named Ron Clarke, who held the world record. Mills' time in the preliminary race was a full minute behind Clarke's. As expected, Clarke set the early pace and at the halfway mark only five runners were still in contention. With two laps left, only Clarke, Mills and Mohammed Gammoudi of Tunisia were left. It seemed to be falling into place for the world record holder, Clarke. Gammoudi took the lead going into the final stretch and Clarke gave chase. Mills appeared to be out of it. Clarke could not catch Gammoudi, but Mills miraculously sprinted past both of them to win the race in Olympic record time and 50 seconds faster than he had ever run before. I've always thought that the mark of a true champion is to save your best performance for your most important game or race. That certainly applies to Billy Mills! Billy was inducted into the United States National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1976 and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 1984. He is the subject of the 1984 movie Running Brave starring Robbie Benson.

Great American Artists - Edward Hopper

2010-07-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

Edward Hopper was born in upstate New York in 1882 to a middle class family. He knew from early on that he wanted to earn his living as an artist. His family encouraged him but wanted him to study commercial illustration as it offered a more secure and stable way of life. He studied for a time in Europe and was most impressed by Rembrandt's The Night Watch. He first enjoyed commercial success in 1924 at a sell out show of his work in New York City. He became best known as a realist and his paintings were known for their starkness and loneliness. His most famous works were oil paintings, but he was also accomplished as a printmaker and water colorist. Two of his most recognizable paintings are featured above: Nighthawks and Gas. His style as you can see is unmistakeable.

This Week in American History- The Fourteenth Amendment

2010-07-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

On July 28th, 1868 following ratification by the necessary three-quarters of U.S. states, the 14th Amendment, which guaranteed to black Americans citizenship and all its privileges, was officially adopted into the U.S. Constitution. The amendment stated that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States...are citizens of the United States and of the state in which they reside." The amendment then reaffirmed the privileges and rights of all citizens, and granted all these citizens the "equal protection of the laws." Our great Nation has not always been perfect, but it has always recognized its flaws and, over time, has corrected them. It is important when studying history and when teaching it to our children to focus on that fact and not on the flaws.

Great American Heroes - Rush Limbaugh

2010-07-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

This may be my most controversial post of the summer, but only because I am writing about the most vilified, misunderstood and misrepresented man on the U.S. political scene. Rush Limbaugh is a Conservative radio talk show host and the brains and driving force behind the Conservative movement. He is on every liberal/marxist/socialist enemies list and that is reason enough to admire him. He is a staunch defender of our Constitution, our Exceptionalism and our traditions, culture and storied history. He has been influential on the political scene for 22 years now, but never more important than at the present. He is often criticized by those who fear him - and they fear him because he is a threat to their agenda, which is more often than not anti-Constitution, anti-American Exceptionalism and anti-tradition, culture and storied history. His critics call him racist, sexist, and homophobic, but he is really none of those things. These are just the typical ad hominem attacks made by those who have no good arguments for their positions. Zev Chafets just wrote and published a biography of Rush. Chafets is not a card carrying member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. In fact, he probably leans left. His admiration for Rush, however, comes across loud and clear in the pages of the book. Here is an excerpt: "People who dismiss Rush as an entertainer, a pitchman, or a hot air balloon are very wrong. He is a passionate and tenacious advocate, a major political and cultural force who can't be wished away or shouted down or sniffed into irrelevance. Smart liberals will listen to his show, even if they hate what he has to say. The easily outraged will be. Those with a sense of humor will find themselves laughing despite themselves. But nobody will fully understand American politics and media culture until they get who Rush Limbaugh really is, what he does and how he does it." Too many people on the right are afraid to admit that they are fans of Rush, "Ditto-heads" as they are known. I am not. I consider him an American Hero!

Great Speeches - Lou Gehrig

2010-07-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

One of the most memorable speeches of all time. Most of you can probably quote the most famous line from the speech - Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth - but you probably don't know that there was only a few more lines to the entire speech. It is considered a great speech because it was given by a beloved and humble man on a momentous, life-changing occasion and it was spoken with grace and dignity.

Great American Literature- Kurt Vonnegut

2010-07-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

I can't actually say that I am a great fan of either Vonnegut's writing or his politics (certainly not his politics), but he was a very well known and influential American novelist and a veteran of World War II. As a Private with the 106th Infantry Division, he was captured in December of 1944 at the Battle of the Bulge and remained a POW in Dresden until May 1945. His experiences as a soldier and as a POW shaped his political opinions and his writing. He was also influenced by early socialist labor leaders and was a lifetime member of the ACLU. The main reason I am featuring Vonnegut today is his outstanding short story Harrison Bergeron, which surprisingly enough, given his political leanings, is an indictment of egalitarianism and totalitarianism. You can (and should) read it in its entirety here. http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/harrison.html

Great Moments in American Sports - Tour de France 2001

2010-07-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

In keeping with this week's theme, the subject of today's post is someone named Armstrong. On a Sunday in July 2001, my family and I were fortunate enough to be standing on the Champs Elysee in Paris, France, on the last day of the 2001 Tour de France. We were treated to the sight of Lance Armstrong, one of the greatest Bicycle racers of all time and an American, riding his victory laps for his 3rd Tour victory holding, alternately, a Texas flag and an American flag. Our President at the time was George W. Bush, a Texan. What a great moment for a patriotic American family traveling in France!

For those of you who are not familiar with Lance Armstrong's story, he is a cancer survivor who later went on to win seven consecutive Tours de France. He is currently wrapping up his last Tour and has said he will retire. He is also currently in the news facing accusations of fraud and doping violations. I certainly hope for his sake the allegations prove to be false. If he is guilty, it would also be a black eye for the United States, unfortunately.

Great American Artists - Louis (Satchmo) Armstrong

2010-07-21T15:27:00.000-07:00

"I see trees of green... red roses too

I see 'em bloom...for me and for you

And I think to myself... what a wonderful world"

Louis Armstrong, also known by the names of Satchmo and Pops, was a jazz trumpeter and singer who rose to prominence in the Roaring 20's. He had a great impact on the jazz music scene and was also an influential singer, well known for his gravelly voice and deftness as an improviser. He was also able to bend the melody and lyrics of a song and was excellent at scat singing. He was a charming and captivating performer who was very popular and highly regarded throughout his career which ended in the 1960's.

Please enjoy the videos of two of Louis Armstrong's most popular songs, "What a Wonderful World" and "When the Saints Go Marching In."

Great American Heroes - Neil Armstrong

2010-07-20T17:28:00.000-07:00

Neil Armstrong, most renowned for being the first man to set foot on the moon, was also a test pilot, aerospace engineer, university professor, and United States Naval Aviator. As a Naval Aviator, he flew combat missions in the Korean War. His first time in space he was the command pilot of the Gemini 8. During this mission, he was involved in the first docking of two spacecraft together. He was commander of Apollo 11 for his second and final spaceflight, which was the topic of yesterday's post. Armstrong also received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. And, unlike Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong did not embarrass himself on Dancing with the Stars.

This Week in American History- The First Man on the Moon

2010-07-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

On July 20th in the year 1969, at 10:56 at night a man 240,000 miles from earth uttered unforgettable words as he took an unforgettable step. Neil Armstrong, an American, became the first man to set foot on the moon. Over a billion people, across the world, listened as he spoke the words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

The desire to send astronauts to the moon began when John F. Kennedy delivered the Man on the Moon speech. At the time of his speech, the Soviet Union was more advanced in space technology Americans, living in the Cold War era, were excited about Kennedy's idea.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (a.k.a NASA) conducted several missions, manned and unmanned, beginning in 1966. Finally, on July 16th, at 9:32 a.m. Apollo 11, with astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin Jr., and Michael Collins on board, took off from Kennedy Space Center. Armstrong was the commander of the mission. Within seventy-six hours (July 19th) Apollo 11 had traveled 240,000 miles and entered into a lunar orbit.

On July 20th, at 1:46 p.m., the lunar module Eagle dispatched from the command module, where only Collins remained. The Eagle began its descent to the lunar surface two hours later. At 4:18 p.m. the Eagle touched down on the southwestern edge of the Sea of Tranquility. Armstrong radioed the now famous message, "The Eagle has landed" to the Mission Control in Houston, Texas. Then, at 10:39 p.m., five hours ahead of schedule, Armstrong stepped out of the lunar module and made his descent to the gray, powdery surface of the moon. At 10:56, Armstrong's foot was printed into the large sphere that we see at night. At 11:11 p.m. Aldrin joined Armstrong on the moon. The two took photos, ran scientific tests, and planted an American flag on the surface of the moon. They also spoke with President Richard M. Nixon. By 1:11 a.m. on July 21st, the two had retreated to the lunar module, where they spent the night. Besides the American flag, a plaque reading "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon--July 1969 A.D--We came in peace for all mankind" was left on the moon.

BE SURE TO WATCH THE VIDEO!

Great Speeches - A Man on the Moon

2010-07-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

This speech was given in a different era... An era when our country aspired to greatness in all things, including having the tallest buildings, strongest military, and being the first to put a man on the moon. Let's hope that that spirit and pride is once again roused in all Americans and that we will cease bowing down and apologizing to other countries.

Here is the speech:

Great American Literature- Flannery O'Connor

2010-07-16T17:57:00.000-07:00

Flannery O’Connor was born on March 25, 1925, to Edward and Regina (Cline) O’Connor. Her childhood home stood in the presence of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia. Her life began to form, literally, with the constant impression and presence of Catholicism. Her parents were parishioners of St. John the Baptist and she attended parochial schools at St. Vincent’s Grammar School and Sacred Heart. Edward O’Connor was a realtor owner and Regina was the daughter of a prominent Georgian family. Flannery was their only child. Flannery and her family returned to her mother’s birthplace in Milledgeville, Georgia when she was 12. She later attended Peabody High School and the Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville. Flannery was a child who would rather draw and write than do most anything else. From the time she was small, she had affection for her fine-feathered friends, keeping chickens, peafowl, ducks and geese for company. Nine years after moving to Milledgeville, O’Connor was accepted into the University of Iowa’s writer’s workshops conducted by Paul Engle. In 1949 she met Robert and Sally Fitzgerald, fellow Catholic writers with whom she commenced a life-long friendship. She lived with them for many months and worked on her writing in their secluded Redding, Connecticut home. In 1951, she was diagnosed with disseminated lupus, the same disease that claimed her father’s life, and was forced to return to her ancestral farm, Andalusia, in Milledgeville. She spent the remaining years of her life on the farm.

Known in literary circles simply as “Flannery,” O’ Connor has authored two novels, 32 short stories and hundreds of personal letters. She was the epitome of a fine southern lady, yet as a Roman Catholic, she veered from the Southern Baptist culture that surrounded her. For her writings, O’Connor relied heavily on her regional surroundings but not on the sentiments of the “Bible Belt.” Indeed, it was O’Connor’s fervent Roman Catholic faith that was the basis for all she thought, all she said, all she did, and all she wrote. She believed that the reason for her being was to reveal the grace of God in everyday life. While her writings may seem to be full of grotesque characters that commit evil acts, they serve the purpose of supporting her approach to life and death and uncovering the recurrent themes of death, morality, religion and God in her work. It is because of and not in spite of the fact that Flannery O’Connor was “such a Roman Catholic” that her life and her work existed in complete harmony.

If you would like to read more about Flannery O’Connor and her many wonderful works, visit Comforts of Home, The Flannery O'Connor Repository at http://mediaspecialist.org.

Great Moments in American Sports - Jim Abbott

2010-07-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

Jim Abbott was a baseball pitcher, who played for eleven years in the majors despite having been born without a right hand. He played for the California Angels, the New York Yankees, the Chicago White Sox, and the Milwaukee Brewers, from 1989 to 1999. He played his college ball for the University of Michigan and became the first baseball player to win the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation's best amateur athlete in 1987. He followed that up with a gold medal in the demonstration event at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He was then drafted in the first round of the 1988 Major League Baseball Draft and reached the Majors the next year.

It was an amazing thing to watch him pitch and even more amazing to watch him field. Many teams tried to exploit his handicap by bunting on him. This tactic never worked as he was quite a proficient fielder. When preparing to pitch the ball, Abbott would rest a right-handed thrower's glove on the end of his right forearm. After releasing the pitch, he would quickly slip his hand into the glove, and be ready for balls hit back up the middle. After fielding the ball, he would remove the glove by holding it between his right forearm and chest, slip his hand out of the glove, and take the ball from the glove, usually in time to throw out the runner and sometimes even start double plays. It was almost magical and certainly inspirational to behold. When your kids say I can't, show them a youtube video of Jim Abbott and tell them that "can't means won't" as my Dad used to tell me.

Abbott had many great moments that I could share, but perhaps his greatest was on September 4th, 1993. While pitching for the New York Yankees, Abbott pitched a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians. Imagine that, a guy who was born with only one hand in the NY Yankees pinstripes, pitching a no-hitter. That would seem a bit unrealistic even in Hollywood, but it really happened. You could look it up! Or just take a moment and watch the video.

Great American Artists - Glenn Miller

2010-07-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

Glenn Miller was an American Jazz musician, arranger, composer and bandleader in the swing era. He was a best-selling artist and leader of one of the most popular "big bands" in the late 1930s and early 1940s. In 1942, at the height of his popularity as a musician he decided to join the war effort. At 38, he was too old to be drafted so he volunteered. He first tried to join the Navy but was told that his services were not needed. He used his gift of persuasion to convince the Army to take him on so he could lead an Army band. He was later transferred to the Army Air Force where he was permitted to form a 50 piece Army Air Force Band. He took this band to England in the summer of 1944 and gave over 800 performances. General Jimmy Doolittle praised Miller's military contributions by saying “next to a letter from home, that organization was the greatest morale builder in the European Theater of Operations." On December 15, 1944, Glenn Miller and his Band were flying from England to France to play for Allied forces there. The plane disappeared over the English Channel and no traces of the plane, crew or passengers have ever been discovered. Miller's status is still missing in action. His wife, Helen, accepted the Bronze Star medal for him in February 1945.

He is best known for his Jazz recordings including Moonlight Serenade, In the Mood and Tuxedo Junction. Listen to Moonlight Serenade below.

Great American Heroes - General Doolittle

2010-07-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

General Jimmy Doolittle was a Brigadier General, Major General, and Lieutenant General during World War II. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor- the highest award one can receive in the military- for his gallantry and great leadership during the Doolittle Raid. With the intention of striking a major blow to Japan, physically and mentally, and raising the spirits and hope of the United States, the Doolittle Raid took place on April 18, 1942. It was the first time the U.S. had attacked the Japanese home islands, by air, in World War II. Sixteen U.S. Army Air Forces B-25B Mitchell medium bombers made their first ever take-off from a carrier from the U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier USS Hornet. They succeeded in bombing military targets in Japan and continued their flight into what was then "friendly China." Every aircraft was damaged beyond repair and eleven crewmen were killed or captured by the Japanese Army in China. One of the B-25's landed in the Soviet Union, and it, along with its crew, were seized. The crew was imprisoned for over a year. A total of thirteen entire crews and all but one of a fourteenth returned to the U.S. Japan did not suffer much damage, but their morale took a dive and they withdrew their mighty aircraft carrier force from the Indian Ocean to defend their home islands. Please watch the short youtube clip below.

This Week in American History- The Duel

2010-07-12T16:16:00.000-07:00

Even in our greatest scandals we are exceptional. Alexander Hamilton was one of our most important Founding Fathers - George Washington's Aide-de-camp and a Revolutionary War hero, our First Secretary of the Treasury and, thus, the savior and architect of America's political economy and one of the framers of the Constitution. Aaron Burr was a scoundrel and a rogue, but also the Vice President during Thomas Jefferson's first term and very nearly the President as he and Jefferson finished in a dead heat during the Presidential election. He was also a Revolutionary War hero. When he was ousted from the Jefferson administration for the second term, he joined forces with a group whose goal was secession from the union of the New England states. To carry out this plan, Burr needed to win the Governorship of the State of New York. To make a long story short, Hamilton was the leader of a group who foiled this attempt. He called Burr "a dangerous man and one who ought not to be trusted with the reins of the government." These remarks somehow got into print and Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel at Weehawken, New Jersey. Hamilton strongly disapproved of dueling but felt he could not in honor decline the challenge. Hamilton's supporters claim that his honor also forbade him to shoot and they claimed that he fired his shot into the air. Burr, however, shot straight and hit Hamilton, who died 30 hours later. Burr became a fugitive and traitor, but that is a story for another day.

Great Speeches - The Evil Empire

2010-07-10T17:55:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of partial to speeches by President Ronald Reagan because I like plain talk and someone who calls a spade a spade. Nobody did that better than Ronaldus Maximus (as Rush Limbaugh calls him). Some people incorrectly refer to a June 1982 speech to the British House of Commons as the "Evil Empire" speech, but while Reagan twice mentioned totalitarianism in that speech, the words "evil empire" were not actually used in a speech until later in his Presidency. On March 8, 1983 in a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals in Orlando, Florida, Reagan said:

In your discussions of the nuclear freeze proposals, I urge you to beware the temptation of pride, the temptation of blithely declaring yourselves above it all and label both sides equally at fault, to ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire, to simply call the arms race a giant misunderstanding and thereby remove yourself from the struggle between right and wrong and good and evil.

In this speech, Reagan made the case for deploying NATO nuclear armed missiles in Western Europe to counter the Soviets installing new nuclear armed missiles in Eastern Europe. Eventually, the NATO missiles were set up and used as bargaining chips in arms talks with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who took office in 1985. The phrase also proved useful to Western anti-Communists in justifying a significantly more forceful defense and foreign policy stand against the Soviets. In addition to using the phrase "evil empire," Reagan described the Soviet Union as a "totalitarian" regime. His message resonates still today in an age when so-called leaders of our great country are very willing to resort to moral relativism in assigning equal blame to the good guys (us) in the current struggle between good and evil. Here is Reagan's message to us: Make no mistake about it, we are the good guys and the Islamofascists are the bad guys. If we stick to our guns, we will prevail because we are on the side of the good. If that is too simplified for you, you probably should try another blog.

Here is a link to the written speech and audio and video clips: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ronaldreaganevilempire.htm

Great American Literature- Louis L'Amour

2010-07-09T18:03:00.000-07:00

No favorite of your average college professor or community organizer, Louis L'Amour was nonetheless one of the greatest American storytellers and authors. At the time of his death in 1988, all 105 of his existing works were in print. This included 89 novels, 14 short-story collections, and two full-length works of nonfiction. He wrote mainly adventure stories and, most prominently, heroic tales of the west. His works of fiction typically pitted good guys in white hats versus bad guys in black hats and included none of the nuance favored by the aforementioned "intellectual" crowd. His personal life provided much of the inspiration for his writing. He grew up in North Dakota in the fading days of the American frontier and throughout his early life lived a somewhat itinerant life. He worked on ranches, in mines, sawmills and lumberyards and was also an accomplished prizefighter and fight trainer. He traveled around the country by rail with hoboes and sailed around the world on freighters as a merchant seaman. His short stories recount many of these adventures. In World War II, he served in Europe as an Army Officer in the Transportation Corps. Many of his books were made into movies and starred some of the greatest film cowboys including John Wayne, Sam Elliott and Tom Selleck. L'Amour was a favorite of President Ronald Reagan (no surprise there) who awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984. I would hazard a guess that he was also a favorite of W.

Great Moments in American Sports - Hank Aaron

2010-07-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

On April 8, 1974, Hammerin' Hank Aaron stepped to the plate in the 4th inning in a home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Al Downing was on the mound for the Dodgers and had said before the game that he would not pitch any different than he always did. His first pitch was in the dirt in front of home plate. His second pitch was a fastball over the middle of the plate. Hank drove it into the Braves' bullpen in left center field about 395 feet from homeplate. It was his 715th career home run and he had just overtaken Babe Ruth as the greatest home run hitter in the history of Major League baseball. He finished his career with a total of 755 home runs making him, in my mind, the career leader still. Barry Bonds surpassed Hank's record, but his record is tainted by the use of steroids. Cheaters don't qualify for records in my book.

Great American Heroes-Lewis and Clark

2010-07-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson commissioned an expedition to explore overland routes to the Pacific coast. He chose his friend, Meriweather Lewis, an Army Captain, to lead this expedition. Lewis selected William Clark as his partner. The two Captains, with a party of thirty four soldiers and ten civilians, departed St. Louis in May 1804 for what was to be a two year and four month journey of exploration. Thanks, in part, to a Shoshone Indian woman named Sacajawea who acted as their guide and interpreter, they made it across the Continental Divide safely, found the Columbia River and reached the Pacific Ocean in November 1805. They divided their party for the trip back, Lewis retracing their route and Clark returning by way of the Yellowstone. They re-joined at the junction of the Missouri and the Yellowstone and followed the Missouri back to St. Louis. Their report to Jefferson read as follows: "In obedience to your orders we have penetrated the Continent of north America to the Pacific Ocean, and sufficiently explored the interior of the country to affirm with confidence that we have discovered the most practicable route which does exist across the Continent by means of the navigable branches of the Missouri and the Columbia rivers." It was perhaps the most successful and influential geographical expedition ever undertaken and truly the beginning of our great westward expansion.

Great American Artists - Norman Rockwell

2010-07-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

Norman Rockwell, born in 1894, was an illustrator and painter. He is most well known for The Saturday Evening Post cover illustrations. He produced 321 of these covers which depicted sentimental scenes of American life. Mainly due to the idealistic nature of his paintings, snobbish art critics refused to give him due credit for his great talent. He was not considered to be a "serious" painter by the "intelligentsia" (spoken with a sneer). Only later in his career when be began to demonstrate a "social conscience" with paintings on subjects like racism did he gain respect from the contemporary artists - who were probably also big fans of the National Endowment for the Arts. Needless to say, I am more of a fan of his idealistic and sentimental portrayals of American families and his patriotic work during World War I and II. Samples appear below. His life work included over 4,000 original works, including commissioned portraits of four U.S. Presidents.

This Week in American History- The Signing of the Declaration

2010-07-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
On July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the document that proclaimed the thirteen colonies' independence from Great Britain was adopted. The main author of the Declaration of Independence was Thomas Jefferson. Fifty-six delegates, each representing one of the thirteen colonies, signed this great document. The declaration came 442 days after the start of the Revolutionary war. In honor of this momentous occasion, please take the time to read it in its entirety. The text is below.
When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.
He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.
He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.
He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:
For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing taxes on us without our consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:
For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:
For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:
For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.
We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

Great Speeches - The Gettysburg Address

2010-07-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

In an age where "great orators" have to use a teleprompter and believe that they must speak for an exhausting amount of time, this short and sweet speech by one of our greatest Presidents serves as a true example of greatness.

Here it is:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met here on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But in a larger sense we can not dedicate - we can not consecrate - we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled, here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but can never forget what they did here.*

It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

*Note the irony in the speech. The world has long remembered what many consider to be the greatest speech ever.

This audio version of the Gettysburg Address (below) is delivered by actor, Jeff Daniels, who coincidentally starred as General Joshua Chamberlain in the movie Gettysburg.

Great American Literature- Mark Twain

2010-07-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

Samuel Clemens, better known by his pen name, Mark Twain, was born in 1835 in Florida, Missouri. He is most renowned for his novels, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was based on Twain's childhood in Hannibal and Tom was founded on Twain as a boy. Twain used the dialect of people living along the Mississippi River to capture the essence of living in that area.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been dubbed the Great American Novel. This book was an offshoot of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but was written with a more solemn tone. The foundation of the story is Huck Finn's belief that, in spite of what other's think, one should do what is right. This book truly established Twain as a great American author.

Twain's first distinguished writing was a short story, published in the New York Saturday Press, entitled The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. To read the story go here.

Twain was a very admired writer and still is today. After his death, William Faulkner praised him as "the father of American literature."

Great Moments in American Sports - Rafer Johnson

2010-07-01T16:50:00.000-07:00

Rafer Lewis Johnson was born on August 18, 1935 in Hillsboro, Texas. He lived in texas for the first nine years of his life and then his family moved to Kingsburg, California. In high school, Rafer was an all-around athlete, playing on the school's football, basketball, and baseball teams. Upon seeing double Olympic champion Bob Mathias compete, Rafer became interested in the decathlon.

Rafer attended UCLA where he was a starter on the men's basketball team under Coach John Wooden. In 1954, as a freshman, he competed in his first decathlon. He broke the world record in only his fourth competition. In Mexico City in 1955 Rafer won the title at the Pan American Games. He qualified for the decathlon and the long jump events 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. He suffered an injury and had to pull out of the long jump event, but he was still able to win silver in the decathlon, just behind Milt Campbell.

Rafer missed the 1957 season as a result of injury and he had to skip the 1959 season due to injuries acquired from a car accident. In 1958 and 1960, however, he broke his own world record improving the time twice.

The peak of his career was at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. His main challenger, Yang Chuang-Kwang from Taiwan, was actually a crony of his. Yang also attended UCLA and trained with Rafer under UCLA track coach Elvin C. Drake. The two were neck in neck throughout the entire event. When one would win one of the events, the other would return the favor with a victory in the next event. With only one event to go, Rafer lead Yang, but if Yang beat Rafer by ten seconds in the final event, the 1500 meter run, Yang would win the gold. Rafer Johnson was able to hang with Yang Chuang-Kwang, however, running his fastest 1500-meters ever. He won the gold.

Sports Illustrated named Rafer "Sportsman of the Year" in 1958. He also received the James E. Sullivan award as the top amateur athlete in the U.S., in 1960. He was elected into the first class of the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame in 1994. ESPN named Rafer one of the 100 Greatest North American Athletes of the 20th Century, in 1998. The NCAA named him one of the 100 Most Influential Student Athletes of the past 100 years, in 2006.

After winning gold in the 1960 Olympics, Johnson began working as a sportscaster and actor. In 1968, he worked on the presidential election campaign of Robert F. Kennedy. Johnson lit the Olympic Flame at the opening ceremony of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Great American Artists - Irving Berlin

2010-06-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

Irving Berlin was born as Israel Baline in Russia in 1888. In 1893, Mr. Baline relocated his eight children and wife to New York City. Irving's father died when he was eight and the entire family went to work, in order to support each other. Irving became a newspaper boy and received a small amount of extra money from passers-by that enjoyed his singing on the paper route. On his first day as a newspaper boy, Irving found himself captivated by a large ship leaving for China. He was so enthralled by the sight that he was not aware of a swinging crane. The crane knocked the oblivious boy into the water. He was fished out of the water and, despite the frightening experience, he was still clinging tight to the five pennies in his hand from that day's wages.

Eventually, Irving joined a group of nomad singers. The young group of boys visited the saloons and sang to the customers with the hope that a few pennies would be tossed their way. At the age of eighteen, he received a job as a singer waiter at the Pelham Cafe in Chinatown. The boy made up spoofs of popular songs to amuse the customers. In his free time, he attempted to teach himself how to play the piano. He also made an effort at songwriting with the restaurant's regular piano player. Around this time, he began to use the pseudonym Irving Berlin because it was easier for people to remember. One night at a saloon Berlin sang "Yankee Doodle Boy." At the end of his performance, the entire joint burst into applause at the Jewish immigrant that was showing his pride of being American.

In 1908, when he was twenty, Irving found a job in the Union Square neighborhood at a saloon. At that job, he was able to work in partnership with other songwriters including Ted Snyder, George A. Whiting, and Edgar Leslie. In 1909, he received a job as a staff lyricist with the Ted Snyder company.

Irving's first hit song was entitled "Alexander's Ragtime Band". It was, at first, a failure. It was performed a number of times as an instrumental and the audiences didn't respond to it. However, when Irving added lyrics to the song, it was played in another Broadway Review and Variety news weekly declared it "the musical sensation of the decade." "Alexander's Ragtime Band" gave new life to ragtime music and inspired a national dance fad.

Berlin wrote songs that appealed to the average American. He used uncomplicated, simple, and direct lyrics. He also wrote songs out of his own sadness. For example, he wrote the ballad "When I Lost You" about his wife that died of typhoid fever. By 1918 Irving had written hundreds of songs and was producing a few new hits each week!

He was drafted into the army in 1917, at the start of World War I. The army employed Berlin to write patriotic songs. While at Camp Upton in New York he wrote the musical "Yip Yip Yaphank" that paid tribute to the United States Army. The show was on Broadway by the following summer and Berlin himself even performed in it!

In 1921, after the war, Berlin, in partnership with Sam Harris, built the Music Box Theater.

Berlin had many, many hits throughout the years including, "Blue Skies", "Puttin' on the Ritz", and "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm", but his biggest hit was "God Bless America." The title was a phrase taken from his mother. In 1938, Katie Smith's manager asked Berlin if he had any patriotic songs that Katie could sing to mark the 20th Anniversary of Armistice Day. The great song became like a second national anthem, especially with the onset of World War II.

Berlin wrote many patriotic songs during World War II, just like he had during the first World War. He wrote another stage show called "This is the Army." It was shown in Broadway and Washington D.C. and later on military bases throughout the world. He gave all profits to the Army Emergency Relief Fund. In 1943, the play was adapted into a movie, starring Ronald Reagan and Joan Leslie.

After the show, he returned home in need of rest but instead took on writing the music and lyrics for the show "Annie Get Your Gun."

Berlin produced a few more shows after this and then retired from songwriting a few years later. He definitely had great love for this country!

Great American Heroes - The Angel of the Battlefield

2010-06-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

Clara Barton, also known as the Angel of the Battlefield, was born on Christmas day in 1821, in Oxford Massachusetts. Her father was a farmer and her mother, a stay-at-home mom. Clara was the youngest of five siblings, all of whom helped with her education. When she was eleven, Clara's brother David fell from a rafter of the family's unfinished barn. He became her first patient. She stayed by his side for quite some time and even administered him his medicines.

At age seventeen, Clara became a teacher. Six years later, she founded her own school. After ten years of teaching Clara began to feel restless and wanted to change the course of her career. She attended the Liberal Institute in New York where she turned her focus to writing and languages. A year later, she accepted a teaching position in New Jersey. Soon after that she opened a free school in Bordentown, New Jersey. Under Barton's guidance the attendance grew to six hundred students, but instead of being offered the job as head of the school, the board appointed a man. Aggravated, she left New Jersey and found a job as a clerk in the U.S. Patent Office in Washington D.C. At the onset of the Civil War Barton recalled her father's final advice to her, before he died, to serve her country with all she had. She began to work as a volunteer, gathering supplies for the soldiers.

In 1862, despite previous refusals, Barton was granted permission to deliver supplies directly to the front lines and to help the wounded. She eventually earned herself the nickname "The Angel of the Battlefield." She was given the rank of superintendent of Union nurses in 1864. Subsequent to the war, President Lincoln bestowed on her the ability to begin a letter writing operation to search for missing soldiers through the Office of Correspondence.

In 1869, Barton, under orders of her doctor, traveled to Europe for rest. There, she learned of the Red Cross, as sketched out in the Treaty of Geneva which twelve nations had signed, but the United States had not. The treaty provided relief for sick and wounded soldiers. She was further educated about the treaty while traveling with volunteers in the Franco-Prussian War. Upon her return to the U.S., Barton began a crusade to get the U.S. to sign the treaty. She also developed the idea of the Red Cross to include providing relief for any great national disaster. The United States signed the Geneva Agreement in 1882. Clara Barton was the president of the American National Red Cross for twenty-two years. Under her leadership, the Red Cross's work included helping out victims and workers in the floods of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers in 1882 and 1884, the Texas famine of 1886, the Florida yellow fever epidemic in 1887, an earthquake in Illinois in 1888, and the 1889 Johnstown, Pennsylvania disaster/flood. The first time the Red Cross assisted in wartime was during the Spanish-American War in 1898. She retired as President of the Red Cross at the age of eighty-three and died in 1912, at the age of ninety. Her wartime heroics are certainly not forgotten, though.

This Week in American History- The Battle of Gettysburg

2010-06-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

The Battle of Gettysburg, fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is considered the Civil War's turning point. This battle claimed the largest number of casualties of the war. The battle began on July 1, 1863. The Confederates heavily attacked the hastily put-together Union lines. The Union lines crumbled and retreated through the streets of Gettysburg. On the second day, the majority of both armies had gathered. The Union troops were arranged in a defensive formation shaped like a fishhook. Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general, instigated heavy attacks on the Union's left flank and intense fighting ensued at Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, Devil's Den, and the Peach Orchard. On the Union's right flank there were attacks on Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill. All across the battleground the Union defenders held their lines, regardless of considerable losses. On July 3rd, the third day of battle, fighting continued on Culp's Hill and cavalry battles commenced to the east and south. The pinnacle of the battle, however, was a charge by 12,500 Confederates against the midpoint of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge. This assault is now known as Pickett's Charge. The charge was fended off by Union artillery and rifle fire, resulting in great losses on the Confederate side. General Lee directed his troops to retreat back to Virginia. All together, approximately 50,000 American lives were lost during the three-day battle. That November, President Lincoln delivered an empowering speech- the Gettysburg Address, honoring the fallen, at the dedication ceremony for the Gettysburg National Cemetery.

Great Speeches - Duty, Honor, Country

2010-06-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

It would benefit us all (some more than others, of course) to reflect on the words of General Douglas MacArthur in his speech to the cadets at the U.S. Military Academy on May 12, 1962. He was there to accept the Sylvanus Thayer Award. The speech has become known as his "Duty, Honor, Country" address. Please take the time to read it in its entirety. You can also listen to an excerpt of his address at the bottom.

General Westmoreland, General Grove, distinguished guests, and gentlemen of the Corps!

As I was leaving the hotel this morning, a doorman asked me, "Where are you bound for, General?" And when I replied, "West Point," he remarked, "Beautiful place. Have you ever been there before?"

No human being could fail to be deeply moved by such a tribute as this [Thayer Award]. Coming from a profession I have served so long, and a people I have loved so well, it fills me with an emotion I cannot express. But this award is not intended primarily to honor a personality, but to symbolize a great moral code -- the code of conduct and chivalry of those who guard this beloved land of culture and ancient descent. That is the animation of this medallion. For all eyes and for all time, it is an expression of the ethics of the American soldier. That I should be integrated in this way with so noble an ideal arouses a sense of pride and yet of humility which will be with me always

Duty, Honor, Country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.

Unhappily, I possess neither that eloquence of diction, that poetry of imagination, nor that brilliance of metaphor to tell you all that they mean.

The unbelievers will say they are but words, but a slogan, but a flamboyant phrase. Every pedant, every demagogue, every cynic, every hypocrite, every troublemaker, and I am sorry to say, some others of an entirely different character, will try to downgrade them even to the extent of mockery and ridicule.

But these are some of the things they do. They build your basic character. They mold you for your future roles as the custodians of the nation's defense. They make you strong enough to know when you are weak, and brave enough to face yourself when you are afraid. They teach you to be proud and unbending in honest failure, but humble and gentle in success; not to substitute words for actions, not to seek the path of comfort, but to face the stress and spur of difficulty and challenge; to learn to stand up in the storm but to have compassion on those who fall; to master yourself before you seek to master others; to have a heart that is clean, a goal that is high; to learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; to reach into the future yet never neglect the past; to be serious yet never to take yourself too seriously; to be modest so that you will remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength. They give you a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions, a freshness of the deep springs of life, a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of an appetite for adventure over love of ease. They create in your heart the sense of wonder, the unfailing hope of what next, and the joy and inspiration of life. They teach you in this way to be an officer and a gentleman.

And what sort of soldiers are those you are to lead? Are they reliable? Are they brave? Are they capable of victory? Their story is known to all of you. It is the story of the American man-at-arms. My estimate of him was formed on the battlefield many, many years ago, and has never changed. I regarded him then as I regard him now -- as one of the world's noblest figures, not only as one of the finest military characters, but also as one of the most stainless. His name and fame are the birthright of every American citizen. In his youth and strength, his love and loyalty, he gave all that mortality can give.

He needs no eulogy from me or from any other man. He has written his own history and written it in red on his enemy's breast. But when I think of his patience under adversity, of his courage under fire, and of his modesty in victory, I am filled with an emotion of admiration I cannot put into words. He belongs to history as furnishing one of the greatest examples of successful patriotism. He belongs to posterity as the instructor of future generations in the principles of liberty and freedom. He belongs to the present, to us, by his virtues and by his achievements. In 20 campaigns, on a hundred battlefields, around a thousand campfires, I have witnessed that enduring fortitude, that patriotic self-abnegation, and that invincible determination which have carved his statue in the hearts of his people. From one end of the world to the other he has drained deep the chalice of courage.

As I listened to those songs [of the glee club], in memory's eye I could see those staggering columns of the First World War, bending under soggy packs, on many a weary march from dripping dusk to drizzling dawn, slogging ankle-deep through the mire of shell-shocked roads, to form grimly for the attack, blue-lipped, covered with sludge and mud, chilled by the wind and rain, driving home to their objective, and for many, to the judgment seat of God.

I do not know the dignity of their birth, but I do know the glory of their death. They died unquestioning, uncomplaining, with faith in their hearts, and on their lips the hope that we would go on to victory. Always, for them:Duty, Honor, Country; always their blood and sweat and tears, as we sought the way and the light and the truth.

And 20 years after, on the other side of the globe, again the filth of murky foxholes, the stench of ghostly trenches, the slime of dripping dugouts; those boiling suns of relentless heat, those torrential rains of devastating storms; the loneliness and utter desolation of jungle trails; the bitterness of long separation from those they loved and cherished; the deadly pestilence of tropical disease; the horror of stricken areas of war; their resolute and determined defense, their swift and sure attack, their indomitable purpose, their complete and decisive victory -- always victory. Always through the bloody haze of their last reverberating shot, the vision of gaunt, ghastly men reverently following your password of: Duty, Honor, Country.

The code which those words perpetuate embraces the highest moral laws and will stand the test of any ethics or philosophies ever promulgated for the uplift of mankind. Its requirements are for the things that are right, and its restraints are from the things that are wrong.

The soldier, above all other men, is required to practice the greatest act of religious training -- sacrifice.

In battle and in the face of danger and death, he discloses those divine attributes which his Maker gave when he created man in his own image. No physical courage and no brute instinct can take the place of the Divine help which alone can sustain him.

However horrible the incidents of war may be, the soldier who is called upon to offer and to give his life for his country is the noblest development of mankind.

You now face a new world -- a world of change. The thrust into outer space of the satellite, spheres, and missiles mark the beginning of another epoch in the long story of mankind. In the five or more billions of years the scientists tell us it has taken to form the earth, in the three or more billion years of development of the human race, there has never been a more abrupt or staggering evolution. We deal now not with things of this world alone, but with the illimitable distances and as yet unfathomed mysteries of the universe. We are reaching out for a new and boundless frontier.

We speak in strange terms: of harnessing the cosmic energy; of making winds and tides work for us; of creating unheard synthetic materials to supplement or even replace our old standard basics; to purify sea water for our drink; of mining ocean floors for new fields of wealth and food; of disease preventatives to expand life into the hundreds of years; of controlling the weather for a more equitable distribution of heat and cold, of rain and shine; of space ships to the moon; of the primary target in war, no longer limited to the armed forces of an enemy, but instead to include his civil populations; of ultimate conflict between a united human race and the sinister forces of some other planetary galaxy; of such dreams and fantasies as to make life the most exciting of all time.

And through all this welter of change and development, your mission remains fixed, determined, inviolable: it is to win our wars.

Everything else in your professional career is but corollary to this vital dedication. All other public purposes, all other public projects, all other public needs, great or small, will find others for their accomplishment. But you are the ones who are trained to fight. Yours is the profession of arms, the will to win, the sure knowledge that in war there is no substitute for victory; that if you lose, the nation will be destroyed; that the very obsession of your public service must be: Duty, Honor, Country.

Others will debate the controversial issues, national and international, which divide men's minds; but serene, calm, aloof, you stand as the Nation's war-guardian, as its lifeguard from the raging tides of international conflict, as its gladiator in the arena of battle. For a century and a half you have defended, guarded, and protected its hallowed traditions of liberty and freedom, of right and justice.

Let civilian voices argue the merits or demerits of our processes of government; whether our strength is being sapped by deficit financing, indulged in too long, by federal paternalism grown too mighty, by power groups grown too arrogant, by politics grown too corrupt, by crime grown too rampant, by morals grown too low, by taxes grown too high, by extremists grown too violent; whether our personal liberties are as thorough and complete as they should be. These great national problems are not for your professional participation or military solution. Your guidepost stands out like a ten-fold beacon in the night: Duty, Honor, Country.

You are the leaven which binds together the entire fabric of our national system of defense. From your ranks come the great captains who hold the nation's destiny in their hands the moment the war tocsin sounds. The Long Gray Line has never failed us. Were you to do so, a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray, would rise from their white crosses thundering those magic words: Duty, Honor, Country.

This does not mean that you are war mongers.

On the contrary, the soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.

But always in our ears ring the ominous words of Plato, that wisest of all philosophers: "Only the dead have seen the end of war."

The shadows are lengthening for me. The twilight is here. My days of old have vanished, tone and tint. They have gone glimmering through the dreams of things that were. Their memory is one of wondrous beauty, watered by tears, and coaxed and caressed by the smiles of yesterday. I listen vainly, but with thirsty ears, for the witching melody of faint bugles blowing reveille, of far drums beating the long roll. In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield.

But in the evening of my memory, always I come back to West Point.

Always there echoes and re-echoes: Duty, Honor, Country.

Today marks my final roll call with you, but I want you to know that when I cross the river my last conscious thoughts will be of The Corps, and The Corps, and The Corps.

I bid you farewell.

Great American Literature- Edgar Allan Poe

2010-06-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

Considered the inventor of the detective-fiction genre and best known for his stories of mystery and macabre, Edgar Poe (later Edgar Allan Poe) was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1809. He was orphaned as a young boy and taken under the wing of John and Frances Allan, though they never formally adopted him. Poe attended the University of Virginia for a semester but did not finish his education there due to the expense of it. In 1827, Poe enlisted in the Army so he could support himself. About two years later, he ended his five-year enlistment early, in order to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point. In 1831, after being disowned by John Allan, Poe decided to leave the Academy by purposely getting court-martialed. He moved to New York and published a book of poems, paid for partly by his fellow cadets at the Academy. He began to make more earnest efforts at making a living as a writer, but that was very difficult, especially during that time in America. There was not an international copyright law, which allowed publishers to pirate British works, instead of paying Americans for new work. Poe often had to resort to begging to supplement his meager income. Eventually, he turned to writing prose. Poe was recognized for a few of his stories and landed a job as assistant editor of the Southern Literary Messenger journal in Richmond. He later became the assistant editor of Burton's Gentlemen's Magazine. He published many reviews, articles, and stories, widening his reputation. After about a year working for Burton's Gentlemen's Magazine, he found work as assistant at Graham's Magazine. He worked for other journals and magazines and eventually ended up at the Evening Mirror, in New York, where he published his poem "The Raven." He became instantly popular for this poem, but received only a small payment for its publication. Poe died a few years later on October 7, 1849. The cause of his death remains a mystery, though many speculations have been made. He had planned to publish his own journal, The Penn (later called The Stylus), but it was not produced before his death. Though he struggled as a writer in his lifetime, Poe's works have become very influential to American literature and many of his works appear in literature, music, films, and television today.

Here is his poem, The Raven:

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore--
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door--
Only this and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;--vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow--sorrow for the lost Lenore--
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore--
Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me--filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
"'Tis some visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door--
Some late visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door;
This it is and nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"--here I opened wide the door--
Darkness there and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore?"
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"--
Merely this and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my sour within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping something louder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what thereat is and this mystery explore--
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;--
'Tis the wind and nothing more.

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he,
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door--
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door--
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then the ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore--
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning--little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door--
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as "Nevermore."

But the Raven, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if its soul in that one word he did outpour
Nothing farther then he uttered; not a feather then he fluttered--
Till I scarcely more than muttered: "Other friends have flown before--
On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before."
Then the bird said "Nevermore."

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore--
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Never--nevermore.'"

But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore--
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er
She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee--by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite--respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!--prophet still, if bird or devil!--
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate, yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted--
On this home by Horror haunted--tell me truly, I implore--
Is there--is there balm in Gilead?--tell me--tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!--prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us--by that God we both adore--
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore--
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting--
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul has spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!--quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadows on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted--nevermore!

Great Moments in American Sports - Joan Benoit

2010-06-24T17:36:00.000-07:00

The women's marathon was first introduced at the 1984 summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Joan Benoit Samuelson was the first gold medalist of this event. Born in Cape Elizabeth, Maine in 1957, Joan's first sports passion was skiing. Her father who was an army skier during World War II instilled this passion in her, and taught her the sport. In her sophomore year of high school, however, Joan broke her leg on the slopes. When recovering from her injury, she began running. She soon realized that she took as much pleasure in running as in skiing. Joan attended Bowdoin College, where she played field hockey and continued to run. One day she showed up to field hockey practice sore from a long run the day before. Her coach made her sit out for the remainder of the season, so Joan quit the team and started running full time. As a senior in college, she entered the Boston Marathon. Despite it being only her second marathon, she won the women's division and set an American record. Out of college, she worked as the coach for the women's track and cross country teams at Boston College. She also continued to train herself, totaling one hundred miles a week. She was determined to be in peak form for the Olympics. However, seventeen days before the Olympic trials, Joan underwent knee surgery. Fortunately, she recovered quickly and won the qualifying race to obtain a spot on the American team. On August 5th, Joan was the last runner to parade into the stadium, seeing that the teams were arranged in height order and she was the shortest. There was a total of fifty women, from twenty-eight different countries, in the race. The runners departed from Santa Monica College and made their way through the humid, twenty-six mile course in Los Angeles. About fourteen minutes into the race, Joan, deciding the pace was too slow, took the lead and continued to widen her lead throughout the rest of the race. At the nineteen-mile mark, her lead had extended to two minutes. She entered the Los Angeles Coliseum, greeted by the roar of 77,000 fans. She finished the marathon with a time of 2:24:52. It was the third fastest women's marathon time and a time that would have won thirteen of the twenty previous men's Olympic marathons. She instantly became an idol to all women runners and inspired many other women to run. Even after retiring from competitive running, she continues to make her presence known in the running world. She has written books, opened a running clinic, coached many teams, and founded a road race.

Great American Artists- Mary Cassatt

2010-06-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

The Bath

Mary Cassatt, born in Pennsylvania in 1844, was an American painter and printmaker who often portrayed the bonds between child and mother in her paintings. She was born into a wealthy family and was able to travel to many different countries in Europe. In Europe, Cassatt first took drawing lessons. She was also exposed to French painting. At the age of fifteen, Mary began studying painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, despite her family's objections. She was not pleased with the teaching at the Academy, so she began to study the old masters on her own. In 1866, once she convinced her father, Cassatt moved to Paris. She was accepted to study with Jean-Leon Gerome, a well-known and revered teacher. She took lessons from Charles Chaplin, a noted genre artist, towards the end of 1866. Cassatt returned to the U.S. in the summer of 1870. Her father still did not support her decision to make a living as an artist, so, for some time, she gave up painting. She traveled to Chicago in search of employment, but lost most of her paintings in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Her work did catch the eye of the Archbishop of Pittsburgh and he requested that she paint two copies of paintings by Correggio in Parma, Italy. This work supplied her with enough money to travel back to Europe. She began to gain renown and to sell her work. In 1874, she decided to live in France. In 1877, Cassatt hit a low point; she was not selling any of her paintings and her works were rejected. At this time, Edgar Degas, who Cassatt highly regarded, invited her to show her works with the Impressionists. Cassatt eagerly accepted Degas' invitation and began preparing paintings for the next Impressionist show in 1878. Degas had a great impact on Cassatt's work. The two gained popularity and Cassatt was able to sell many of her paintings at the Impressionist shows. Eventually Cassatt's style changed and she moved away from impressionism. She entered many paintings in New York galleries. She also began to solely paint mother and child pictures, which she is now most famous for.

Great American Heroes-The Wizard of Menlo Park

2010-06-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

"Be courageous! Whatever setbacks America has encountered, it has always emerged as a stronger and more prosperous nation...." -Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison, born in Milan, Ohio in the year 1847, was an American inventor, scientist, and businessman. Edison was not the best student and was, according to his teacher, "addled." Because of this, he only attended school for three months and was then home-schooled by his mother. In 1854, the Edison family, consisting of seven children and Mr. and Mrs. Edison, moved to Port Huron, Michigan. In Port Huron Thomas sold candy, newspapers, and vegetables. It was at that time that Thomas discovered his aptitude as a businessman. This talent eventually led him to found fourteen companies, including General Electric. Later, Thomas worked as a telegraph operator. In his free time at work he was able to engage in his two favorite hobbies--- reading and experimenting. His experiments later cost him his job, when he spilled sulfuric acid on the floor and his boss's desk.

Thomas began his profession as an inventor in Newark, New Jersey. He first gained renown as an inventor in 1877 with the invention of the phonograph. This creation seemed so magical to people that Edison earned himself the nickname "The Wizard of Menlo Park" (the place in which he lived). His "magic" did not end at the phonograph. He also created the electric vote recorder, light bulb, quadruplex, sextuplex and multiplex telegraphs, electricity distribution system, the first industrial research lab, motion picture camera, and many more wonderful inventions. Edison holds 1,093 U.S. patents in his name! He has truly contributed to the advancement of the United States and the world.

This Week in American History- The Great Seal is Adopted

2010-06-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

Above: Top- The original sketch by Charles Thomson/ Middle- Seal's Reverse Side/ Bottom- Front of the Great Seal

On July 4th, 1776 the decision to adopt a national seal was made. The original purpose of a national seal was simply to mark our supremacy. It, however, became a reflection of our beliefs and ideals. Three committees, fourteen men, and six years later, our seal was born. The final design was mainly inspired by the sketch done by Congressional Secretary Charles Thomson. It was adopted by Congress on June 20, 1782.

How do we interpret the many symbols on this Great Seal?

The bald eagle is a symbol of independence and liberty.

The thirteen arrows in the eagle's left talon represent the vigilance of our military.

The olive branch in the right talon signifies peace.

The shield and arrows and the olive branch together represent our idea of preserving our freedom, through the strength of our military--- or peace, through strength.

The number thirteen, seen throughout, denotes the unity of the original thirteen states.

The seal's reverse side depicts a incomplete pyramid, consisting of thirteen levels. According to the artist, Charles Thomson, the "pyramid signifies Strength and Duration... The date underneath is that of the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the words under it (novus ordo seclorum) signify the beginning of the new American Era, which commences from that date."

The pyramid's incompletion shows that America was incomplete; more states would be added to our nation and liberty for more people would be created.

The "new American Era" describes a new age where freedom was honored over oppression, self-determination over dependency on the govenment, and virtue over power.

Above the pyramid is a great eye, with the Latin phrase "annuit coeptis", which translates to "God approves." It signified God's divine providence, which lead to the founding of this great nation. The representatives in Congress wanted to represent, on the Great Seal, the presence of a higher power to which individuals, politics, and states are accountable. As Ronald Reagan said, "If we ever forget that we are One Nation, Under God, then we will be a nation gone under."

The Great Seal, seen on passports, military insignia, the one-dollar bill, and other official government documents, is a reminder of the essence of this great nation, founded in favor of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Great Speeches - The Speech

2010-06-19T14:13:00.000-07:00

Ronald Reagan's A Time for Choosing speech, also known as The Speech, was delivered in 1964 in support of Republican Barry Goldwater's candidacy. Although its purpose was to endorse Goldwater, this speech laid the groundwork for Reagan's political career. Though the speech wasn't enough to convince the American people to vote for Goldwater, it stuck with them and later, perhaps, contributed to Ronald Reagan's victories and the "Reagan Revolution." We could use a man (or woman) like Ronald Reagan again! Take a few minutes and read the speech in its entirety. You'll probably find yourself saying "uh huh" throughout.

Here is the speech:

Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you and good evening. The sponsor has been identified, but unlike most television programs, the performer hasn't been provided with a script. As a matter of fact, I have been permitted to choose my own words and discuss my own ideas regarding the choice that we face in the next few weeks.

I have spent most of my life as a Democrat. I recently have seen fit to follow another course. I believe that the issues confronting us cross party lines. Now, one side in this campaign has been telling us that the issues of this election are the maintenance of peace and prosperity. The line has been used, "We've never had it so good."

But I have an uncomfortable feeling that this prosperity isn't something on which we can base our hopes for the future. No nation in history has ever survived a tax burden that reached a third of its national income. Today, 37 cents out of every dollar earned in this country is the tax collector's share, and yet our government continues to spend 17 million dollars a day more than the government takes in. We haven't balanced our budget 28 out of the last 34 years. We've raised our debt limit three times in the last twelve months, and now our national debt is one and a half times bigger than all the combined debts of all the nations of the world. We have 15 billion dollars in gold in our treasury; we don't own an ounce. Foreign dollar claims are 27.3 billion dollars. And we've just had announced that the dollar of 1939 will now purchase 45 cents in its total value.

As for the peace that we would preserve, I wonder who among us would like to approach the wife or mother whose husband or son has died in

South Vietnam

and ask them if they think this is a peace that should be maintained indefinitely. Do they mean peace, or do they mean we just want to be left in peace? There can be no real peace while one American is dying some place in the world for the rest of us. We're at war with the most dangerous enemy that has ever faced mankind in his long climb from the swamp to the stars, and it's been said if we lose that war, and in so doing lose this way of freedom of ours, history will record with the greatest astonishment that those who had the most to lose did the least to prevent its happening. Well I think it's time we ask ourselves if we still know the freedoms that were intended for us by the Founding Fathers.

Not too long ago, two friends of mine were talking to a Cuban refugee, a businessman who had escaped from Castro, and in the midst of his story one of my friends turned to the other and said, "We don't know how lucky we are." And the Cuban stopped and said, "How lucky you are? I had someplace to escape to." And in that sentence he told us the entire story. If we lose freedom here, there's no place to escape to. This is the last stand on earth.

And this idea that government is beholden to the people, that it has no other source of power except the sovereign people, is still the newest and the most unique idea in all the long history of man's relation to man.

This is the issue of this election: Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the Americanrevolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capitol can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves.

You and I are told increasingly we have to choose between a left or right. Well I'd like to suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There's only an up or down—[up] man's old—old-aged dream, the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order, or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. And regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would trade our freedom for security have embarked on this downward course.

In this vote-harvesting time, they use terms like the "Great Society," or as we were told a few days ago by the President, we must accept a greater government activity in the affairs of the people. But they've been a little more explicit in the past and among themselves; and all of the things I now will quote have appeared in print. These are not Republican accusations. For example, they have voices that say, "The cold war will end through our acceptance of a not undemocratic socialism." Another voice says, "The profit motive has become outmoded. It must be replaced by the incentives of the welfare state." Or, "Our traditional system of individual freedom is incapable of solving the complex problems of the 20th century." Senator Fullbright has said at StanfordUniversity that the Constitution is outmoded. He referred to the President as "our moral teacher and our leader," and he says he is "hobbled in his task by the restrictions of power imposed on him by this antiquated document." He must "be freed," so that he "can do for us" what he knows "is best." And Senator Clark of Pennsylvania, another articulate spokesman, defines liberalism as "meeting the material needs of the masses through the full power of centralized government."

Well, I, for one, resent it when a representative of the people refers to you and me, the free men and women of this country, as "the masses." This is a term we haven't applied to ourselves in

America

. But beyond that, "the full power of centralized government"—this was the very thing the Founding Fathers sought to minimize. They knew that governments don't control things. A government can't control the economy without controlling people. And they know when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. They also knew, those Founding Fathers, that outside of its legitimate functions, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector of the economy.

Now, we have no better example of this than government's involvement in the farm economy over the last 30 years. Since 1955, the cost of this program has nearly doubled. One-fourth of farming in

America

is responsible for 85 percent of the farm surplus. Three-fourths of farming is out on the free market and has known a 21 percent increase in the per capita consumption of all its produce. You see, that one-fourth of farming—that's regulated and controlled by the federal government. In the last three years we've spent 43 dollars in the feed grain program for every dollar bushel of corn we don't grow.

Senator Humphrey last week charged that Barry Goldwater, as President, would seek to eliminate farmers. He should do his homework a little better, because he'll find out that we've had a decline of 5 million in the farm population under these government programs. He'll also find that the Democratic administration has sought to get from Congress [an] extension of the farm program to include that three-fourths that is now free. He'll find that they've also asked for the right to imprison farmers who wouldn't keep books as prescribed by the federal government. The Secretary of Agriculture asked for the right to seize farms through condemnation and resell them to other individuals. And contained in that same program was a provision that would have allowed the federal government to remove 2 million farmers from the soil.

At the same time, there's been an increase in the Department of Agriculture employees. There's now one for every 30 farms in the

United States

, and still they can't tell us how 66 shiploads of grain headed for

Austria

disappeared without a trace and Billie Sol Estes never left shore.

Every responsible farmer and farm organization has repeatedly asked the government to free the farm economy, but how—who are farmers to know what's best for them? The wheat farmers voted against a wheat program. The government passed it anyway. Now the price of bread goes up; the price of wheat to the farmer goes down.

Meanwhile, back in the city, under urban renewal the assault on freedom carries on. Private property rights [are] so diluted that public interest is almost anything a few government planners decide it should be. In a program that takes from the needy and gives to the greedy, we see such spectacles as in Cleveland, Ohio, a million-and-a-half-dollar building completed only three years ago must be destroyed to make way for what government officials call a "more compatible use of the land." The President tells us he's now going to start building public housing units in the thousands, where heretofore we've only built them in the hundreds. But FHA [Federal Housing Authority] and the Veterans Administration tell us they have 120,000 housing units they've taken back through mortgage foreclosure. For three decades, we've sought to solve the problems of unemployment through government planning, and the more the plans fail, the more the planners plan. The latest is the Area Redevelopment Agency.

They've just declared Rice County, Kansas, a depressed area. Rice County, Kansas, has two hundred oil wells, and the 14,000 people there have over 30 million dollars on deposit in personal savings in their banks. And when the government tells you you're depressed, lie down and be depressed.

We have so many people who can't see a fat man standing beside a thin one without coming to the conclusion the fat man got that way by taking advantage of the thin one. So they're going to solve all the problems of human misery through government and government planning. Well, now, if government planning and welfare had the answer—and they've had almost 30 years of it—shouldn't we expect government to read the score to us once in a while? Shouldn't they be telling us about the decline each year in the number of people needing help? The reduction in the need for public housing?

But the reverse is true. Each year the need grows greater; the program grows greater. We were told four years ago that 17 million people went to bed hungry each night. Well that was probably true. They were all on a diet. But now we're told that 9.3 million families in this country are poverty-stricken on the basis of earning less than 3,000 dollars a year. Welfare spending [is] 10 times greater than in the dark depths of the Depression. We're spending 45 billion dollars on welfare. Now do a little arithmetic, and you'll find that if we divided the 45 billion dollars up equally among those 9 million poor families, we'd be able to give each family 4,600 dollars a year. And this added to their present income should eliminate poverty. Direct aid to the poor, however, is only running only about 600 dollars per family. It would seem that someplace there must be some overhead.

Now—so now we declare "war on poverty," or "You, too, can be a Bobby Baker." Now do they honestly expect us to believe that if we add 1 billion dollars to the 45 billion we're spending, one more program to the 30-odd we have—and remember, this new program doesn't replace any, it just duplicates existing programs—do they believe that poverty is suddenly going to disappear by magic? Well, in all fairness I should explain there is one part of the new program that isn't duplicated. This is the youth feature. We're now going to solve the dropout problem, juvenile delinquency, by reinstituting something like the old CCC camps [Civilian Conservation Corps], and we're going to put our young people in these camps. But again we do some arithmetic, and we find that we're going to spend each year just on room and board for each young person we help 4,700 dollars a year. We can send them to Harvard for 2,700! Course, don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting Harvard is the answer to juvenile delinquency.

But seriously, what are we doing to those we seek to help? Not too long ago, a judge called me here in Los Angeles. He told me of a young woman who'd come before him for a divorce. She had six children, was pregnant with her seventh. Under his questioning, she revealed her husband was a laborer earning 250 dollars a month. She wanted a divorce to get an 80 dollar raise. She's eligible for 330 dollars a month in the Aid to Dependent Children Program. She got the idea from two women in her neighborhood who'd already done that very thing.

Yet anytime you and I question the schemes of the do-gooders, we're denounced as being against their humanitarian goals. They say we're always "against" things—we're never "for" anything.

Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.

Now—we're for a provision that destitution should not follow unemployment by reason of old age, and to that end we've accepted Social Security as a step toward meeting the problem.

But we're against those entrusted with this program when they practice deception regarding its fiscal shortcomings, when they charge that any criticism of the program means that we want to end payments to those people who depend on them for a livelihood. They've called it "insurance" to us in a hundred million pieces of literature. But then they appeared before the Supreme Court and they testified it was a welfare program. They only use the term "insurance" to sell it to the people. And they said Social Security dues are a tax for the general use of the government, and the government has used that tax. There is no fund, because Robert Byers, the actuarial head, appeared before a congressional committee and admitted that Social Security as of this moment is 298 billion dollars in the hole. But he said there should be no cause for worry because as long as they have the power to tax, they could always take away from the people whatever they needed to bail them out of trouble. And they're doing just that.

A young man, 21 years of age, working at an average salary—his Social Security contribution would, in the open market, buy him an insurance policy that would guarantee 220 dollars a month at age 65. The government promises 127. He could live it up until he's 31 and then take out a policy that would pay more than Social Security. Now are we so lacking in business sense that we can't put this program on a sound basis, so that people who do require those payments will find they can get them when they're due—that the cupboard isn't bare?

Barry Goldwater thinks we can.

At the same time, can't we introduce voluntary features that would permit a citizen who can do better on his own to be excused upon presentation of evidence that he had made provision for the non-earning years? Should we not allow a widow with children to work, and not lose the benefits supposedly paid for by her deceased husband? Shouldn't you and I be allowed to declare who our beneficiaries will be under this program, which we cannot do? I think we're for telling our senior citizens that no one in this country should be denied medical care because of a lack of funds. But I think we're against forcing all citizens, regardless of need, into a compulsory government program, especially when we have such examples, as was announced last week, when

France

admitted that their Medicare program is now bankrupt. They've come to the end of the road.

In addition, was Barry Goldwater so irresponsible when he suggested that our government give up its program of deliberate, planned inflation, so that when you do get your Social Security pension, a dollar will buy a dollar's worth, and not 45 cents worth?

I think we're for an international organization, where the nations of the world can seek peace. But I think we're against subordinating American interests to an organization that has become so structurally unsound that today you can muster a two-thirds vote on the floor of the General Assembly among nations that represent less than 10 percent of the world's population. I think we're against the hypocrisy of assailing our allies because here and there they cling to a colony, while we engage in a conspiracy of silence and never open our mouths about the millions of people enslaved in the Soviet colonies in the satellite nations.

I think we're for aiding our allies by sharing of our material blessings with those nations which share in our fundamental beliefs, but we're against doling out money government to government, creating bureaucracy, if not socialism, all over the world. We set out to help 19 countries. We're helping 107. We've spent 146 billion dollars. With that money, we bought a 2 million dollar yacht for HaileSelassie. We bought dress suits for Greek undertakers, extra wives for

Kenya

[n] government officials. We bought a thousand TV sets for a place where they have no electricity. In the last six years, 52 nations have bought 7 billion dollars worth of our gold, and all 52 are receiving foreign aid from this country.

No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. So governments' programs, once launched, never disappear.

Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth.

Federal employees—federal employees number two and a half million; and federal, state, and local, one out of six of the nation's work force employed by government. These proliferating bureaus with their thousands of regulations have cost us many of our constitutional safeguards. How many of us realize that today federal agents can invade a man's property without a warrant? They can impose a fine without a formal hearing, let alone a trial by jury? And they can seize and sell his property at auction to enforce the payment of that fine. In Chico County, Arkansas, James Wier over-planted his rice allotment. The government obtained a 17,000 dollar judgment. And a

U.S.

marshal sold his 960-acre farm at auction. The government said it was necessary as a warning to others to make the system work.

Last February 19th at the University of Minnesota, Norman Thomas, six-times candidate for President on the Socialist Party ticket, said, "If Barry Goldwater became President, he would stop the advance of socialism in the

United States

." I think that's exactly what he will do.

But as a former Democrat, I can tell you Norman Thomas isn't the only man who has drawn this parallel to socialism with the present administration, because back in 1936, Mr. Democrat himself, Al Smith, the great American, came before the American people and charged that the leadership of his Party was taking the Party of Jefferson, Jackson, and Cleveland down the road under the banners of Marx, Lenin, and Stalin. And he walked away from his Party, and he never returned til the day he died—because to this day, the leadership of that Party has been taking that Party, that honorable Party, down the road in the image of the labor Socialist Party of England.

Now it doesn't require expropriation or confiscation of private property or business to impose socialism on a people. What does it mean whether you hold the deed to the—or the title to your business or property if the government holds the power of life and death over that business or property? And such machinery already exists. The government can find some charge to bring against any concern it chooses to prosecute. Every businessman has his own tale of harassment. Somewhere a perversion has taken place. Our natural, unalienable rights are now considered to be a dispensation of government, and freedom has never been so fragile, so close to slipping from our grasp as it is at this moment.

Our Democratic opponents seem unwilling to debate these issues. They want to make you and I believe that this is a contest between two men—that we're to choose just between two personalities.

Well what of this man that they would destroy—and in destroying, they would destroy that which he represents, the ideas that you and I hold dear? Is he the brash and shallow and trigger-happy man they say he is? Well I've been privileged to know him "when." I knew him long before he ever dreamed of trying for high office, and I can tell you personally I've never known a man in my life I believed so incapable of doing a dishonest or dishonorable thing.

This is a man who, in his own business before he entered politics, instituted a profit-sharing plan before unions had ever thought of it. He put in health and medical insurance for all his employees. He took 50 percent of the profits before taxes and set up a retirement program, a pension plan for all his employees. He sent monthly checks for life to an employee who was ill and couldn't work. He provides nursing care for the children of mothers who work in the stores. When

Mexico

was ravaged by the floods in theRio Grande, he climbed in his airplane and flew medicine and supplies down there.

An ex-GI told me how he met him. It was the week before Christmas during the Korean War, and he was at the Los Angeles airport trying to get a ride home to Arizona for Christmas. And he said that [there were] a lot of servicemen there and no seats available on the planes. And then a voice came over the loudspeaker and said, "Any men in uniform wanting a ride to Arizona, go to runway such-and-such," and they went down there, and there was a fellow named Barry Goldwater sitting in his plane. Every day in those weeks before Christmas, all day long, he'd load up the plane, fly it to Arizona, fly them to their homes, fly back over to get another load.

During the hectic split-second timing of a campaign, this is a man who took time out to sit beside an old friend who was dying of cancer. His campaign managers were understandably impatient, but he said, "There aren't many left who care what happens to her. I'd like her to know I care." This is a man who said to his 19-year-old son, "There is no foundation like the rock of honesty and fairness, and when you begin to build your life on that rock, with the cement of the faith in God that you have, then you have a real start." This is not a man who could carelessly send other people's sons to war. And that is the issue of this campaign that makes all the other problems I've discussed academic, unless we realize we're in a war that must be won.

Those who would trade our freedom for the soup kitchen of the welfare state have told us they have a utopian solution of peace without victory. They call their policy "accommodation." And they say if we'll only avoid any direct confrontation with the enemy, he'll forget his evil ways and learn to love us. All who oppose them are indicted as warmongers. They say we offer simple answers to complex problems. Well, perhaps there is a simple answer—not an easy answer—but simple: If you and I have the courage to tell our elected officials that we want our national policy based on what we know in our hearts is morally right.

We cannot buy our security, our freedom from the threat of the bomb by committing an immorality so great as saying to a billion human beings now enslaved behind the Iron Curtain, "Give up your dreams of freedom because to save our own skins, we're willing to make a deal with your slave masters." Alexander Hamilton said, "A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one." Now let's set the record straight. There's no argument over the choice between peace and war, but there's only one guaranteed way you can have peace—and you can have it in the next second—surrender.

Admittedly, there's a risk in any course we follow other than this, but every lesson of history tells us that the greater risk lies in appeasement, and this is the specter our well-meaning liberal friends refuse to face—that their policy of accommodation is appeasement, and it gives no choice between peace and war, only between fight or surrender. If we continue to accommodate, continue to back and retreat, eventually we have to face the final demand—the ultimatum. And what then—when Nikita Khrushchev has told his people he knows what our answer will be? He has told them that we're retreating under the pressure of the Cold War, and someday when the time comes to deliver the final ultimatum, our surrender will be voluntary, because by that time we will have been weakened from within spiritually, morally, and economically. He believes this because from our side he's heard voices pleading for "peace at any price" or "better Red than dead," or as one commentator put it, he'd rather "live on his knees than die on his feet." And therein lies the road to war, because those voices don't speak for the rest of us.

You and I know and do not believe that life is so dear and peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery. If nothing in life is worth dying for, when did this begin—just in the face of this enemy? Or should Moses have told the children of

Israel

to live in slavery under the pharaohs? Should Christ have refused the cross? Should the patriots at Concord Bridge have thrown down their guns and refused to fire the shot heard 'round the world? The martyrs of history were not fools, and our honored dead who gave their lives to stop the advance of the Nazis didn't die in vain. Where, then, is the road to peace? Well it's a simple answer after all.

You and I have the courage to say to our enemies, "There is a price we will not pay." "There is a point beyond which they must not advance." And this—this is the meaning in the phrase of Barry Goldwater's "peace through strength." Winston Churchill said, "The destiny of man is not measured by material computations. When great forces are on the move in the world, we learn we're spirits—not animals." And he said, "There's something going on in time and space, and beyond time and space, which, whether we like it or not, spells duty."

You and I have a rendezvous with destiny.

We'll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we'll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.

We will keep in mind and remember that Barry Goldwater has faith in us. He has faith that you and I have the ability and the dignity and the right to make our own decisions and determine our own destiny.

Thank you very much.

And here is an video excerpt from the thirty minute speech:

Great American Literature - Washington Irving

2010-06-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

Washington Irving was often referred to as America's First Storyteller. He was the first American to earn acclaim as an internationally best-selling author and the first to earn a living solely by his pen. He was said to have "encouraged" a number of famous American writers such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Edgar Allan Poe. He was, of course, best known for his short stories which included "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" but he was also an historian and biographer, whose works included biographies of George Washington (his namesake), Christopher Columbus and Mohammed (hopefully no pictures!). He traveled in very famous circles with Presidents Millard Fillmore and Franklin Pierce, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Charles Dickens being among his closest friends.

I made an assumption as I was writing this post that everyone knows Rip Van Winkle and Ichabod Crane, but (sadly) that is probably not the case. Do yourself and your kids a favor and read some of Irving's short stories. You can find them at your local library. Remember where that is?

Great Moments in American Sports - Eric Heiden

2010-06-17T17:20:00.000-07:00

Many know about the United States's hockey victory at the 1980 Winter Olympics, but there was another extraordinary "miracle on ice" at those same Olympics that many do not know or have forgotten about. Eric Heiden, born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1958, delivered an amazing speed skating performance at the 1980 Olympics. Heiden won all of the men's speed skating races and set four olympic records and one world record. His triumphs are especially noteworthy considering very few speed skaters have won competitions in both short and long distances. Heiden is the only speed skater to have won all five events in a single Olympic tournament. He accumulated fifteen world records, throughout the course of his skating career. In 1999, ESPN's SportsCentury "50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century" ranked Heiden number forty-six.

Heiden earned his Bachelor of Science degree and his M.D. from Stanford in 1984 and 1991, respectively. He, like his father, is an orthopedic surgeon. He was the team physician for the 2002, 2006, and 2010 U.S. Olympic Speedskating team.

Great American Artists - George Gershwin

2010-06-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist who was equally famed for his popular and his classical works. Born in Brooklyn in 1898 to Russian Jewish immigrants, he and his brother, Ira, teamed up on numerous projects, including twelve Broadway shows. He composed his first classical piece, "Rhapsody in Blue" in 1924 and this became perhaps his most popular and well known work. It is certainly my favorite. You can listen to it on the link below. While living and studying in Paris, Gershwin wrote "An American in Paris." It initially received mixed reviews, but later became a very popular and beloved piece throughout the United States and Europe. "Porgy and Bess" which he wrote in 1935 was perhaps his most ambitious and influential work. He called it a "folk opera." It is said to contain Gershwin's most sophisticated music and combines elements of several types of popular music including opera and jazz. Gershwin was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song at the 1937 Oscars for "They Can't Take That Away from Me." Unfortunately, the nomination was posthumous as Gershwin had died in July 1937 at the age of 38 from a brain tumor.

Great American Heroes- John Paul Jones

2010-06-15T15:56:00.000-07:00

This is the tomb of John Paul Jones, located at the Naval Academy.

Born in Scotland in July 1747, John Paul Jones went to sea at a very young age and was a merchant ship master

by the age of 21. By the time the War of Independence had begun, he had become a resident of Virginia and so

volunteered to serve in the fledgling Continental Navy. He is credited with actually raising the Continental ensign on board the flagship of the Navy's first fleet. He became notorious for his daring and courageous raids along the British coast and especially for the legendary victory of the Bonhomme Richard over HMS Serapis. After his ship, Bonhomme Richard had been badly battered and had begun to take on water, the British commander asked Jones if he was ready to strike his flag. Jones' reply was, "I have not yet begun to fight!" At the end of the engagement, the British commander was forced to surrender. Jones is thus most remembered for his relentless pursuit of victory and his persistence even under the most trying circumstances. His indomitable spirit lives on in the Sailors of the United States Navy and is personified by his words: "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast for I intend to go in harm's way."

This Week in American History- The Stars and Stripes

2010-06-14T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today is Flag Day. Sadly, many do not remember that. At NAS Jacksonville, in Base Housing, the "Navy Brat Pack" remembers the flag every night at evening colors. As "Colors" sounds, all of the kids stop what they are doing, face in the direction of the nearest flag and place their right hands above their hearts. It's inspirational! On this day in 1777, the Continental Congress made the Stars and Stripes "official." The rest of this post is shamelessly lifted from History Channel's great website.

During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress adopts a resolution stating that "the flag of the United States be thirteen alternate stripes red and white" and that "the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." The national flag, which became known as the "Stars and Stripes," was based on the "Grand Union" flag, a banner carried by the Continental Army in 1776 that also consisted of 13 red and white stripes. According to legend, Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross designed the new canton for the Stars and Stripes, which consisted of a circle of 13 stars and a blue background, at the request of General George Washington. Historians have been unable to conclusively prove or disprove this legend.

With the entrance of new states into the United States after independence, new stripes and stars were added to represent new additions to the Union. In 1818, however, Congress enacted a law stipulating that the 13 original stripes be restored and that only stars be added to represent new states.

On June 14, 1877, the first Flag Day observance was held on the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes. As instructed by Congress, the U.S. flag was flown from all public buildings across the country. In the years after the first Flag Day, several states continued to observe the anniversary, and in 1949 Congress officially designated June 14 as Flag Day, a national day of observance.

Great Speeches - Patrick Henry's Liberty or Death Speech

2010-06-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

On March 23, 1775 a meeting of Virginia's delegates (who included George Washington and Thomas Jefferson) was held in Richmond, Virginia to determine if Virginia would mobilize troops for a revolution. Before the vote was taken, Patrick Henry delivered this fiery speech to persuade the delegates to vote in favor of mobilization. The windows of St. John's Church-- in which the assembly was being held-- were thrown open, so the public could hear. Henry spoke without notes and with great fervor. When he was finished, the delegates sat in awe. They voted in favor.

Here is the speech (shortened version):

Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free-- if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending-- if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained-- we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!

They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard over the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable-- and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentleman may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

Great American Literature- Emily Dickinson

2010-06-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

Emily Dickinson was an American poet. She lived most of her life in solitude, writing letters to keep in touch with the outside world. Dickinson wrote nearly eighteen hundred poems, but less than twelve were actually published during her lifetime. The poems that were published were often drastically changed by the publishers. Her poems did not follow the "rules" of poetry during that time. She used unusual capitalization and punctuation, short lines, and slant rhyme. Her poems also often lacked titles. A vast majority of her poems revolved around death and immortality. Though many of her friends and relatives probably knew about her writing, it was not until her death in 1886 that her younger sister discovered her immense collection of poems. In 1890, a couple of friends of Emily published her first collection of poetry. It was, however, altered a great deal. It wasn't until 1955 that a complete and mostly unchanged collection of her poetry was published. Despite the poor reception of her works in the late 19th and early 20th century, Dickinson is now regarded as one of the greatest American poets.

Here is one of her poems:

Because I could not stop for Death--
He kindly stopped for me--
The Carriage held but just Ourselves--
And Immortality.

We slowly drove--He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility--

We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess--in the Ring--
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain--
We passed the Setting Sun--

Or rather--He passed us--
The Dews drew quivering and chill--
For only Gossamer, my Gown--
My Tippet--only Tulle--

We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground--
The Roof was scarcely visible--
The Cornice--in the Ground--

Since then--'tis Centuries--and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity--

Great Moments in American Sports - Rulon Gardner

2010-06-10T12:13:00.000-07:00

Rulon Gardner is a Greco-Roman wrestler from Afton, Wyoming. He was raised on a farm and there learned a strong work ethic. He was a standout three sport athlete in High School and went on to become a National Junior College heavyweight wrestling champion and an All American at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In the 2000 Olympic games, he shocked the world in a match that became known as the “Miracle on the Mat.” In the Gold Medal match, he went up against Alexander Karelin from the country formerly known as the Evil Empire - Russia. Karelin had not been defeated in 13 years – YEARS! No wrestler had even scored a point against him in the last 6 years. That is an astonishing record. Well, needless to say at this point, Gardner pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history. The odds against him were probably greater than those faced by the 1980 USA Hockey team. I don’t know about all of you, but I get a pretty big kick out of any victory against the Evil Empire, even post-Glasnost and Perestroika, but an upset as grand as this one is really worthy of note. Please take a few minutes to watch the video. Go Rulon!

In 2001, Rulon added a World Championship to his Olympic Gold Medal making him the only American in history to win both titles in Greco-Roman wrestling.

Rulon has also proven to be a pretty tough guy to kill, surviving several bad mishaps including a plane crash and snowmobile accident. He came back to win Olympic Bronze in the 2004 games after those harrowing experiences.

Great American Artists - Winslow Homer

2010-06-09T14:15:00.001-07:00

Winslow Homer was born February 24, 1836 in Boston Massachusetts. He was a great American artist known for his landscapes, particularly those featuring the sea. He did not, however, have his artistic start as a painter. Rather, he began as a commercial lithographer tediously replicating the details of a photograph in a drawing. He was often left unacknowledged for his work published by Harper’s Weekly. At the Civil War front in the Union Camp of Major General George McClellan, Homer honed his skills as an illustrator, depicting scenes from the camp and battle scenes. While these illustrations did not receive much recognition, they were the bridge to Homer becoming a famous painter. In 1867 Homer travelled to France and began to broaden his artistic abilities experimenting with watercolor and oils. A few short years later, his painting Snap the Whip was shown and recognized at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia along with another painting, Breezing Up, which later became one of Homer’s most notable works. Homer eventually returned to the United States and settled in Maine in the early part of the 1880’s. Here, his work was focused on the sea and marine life. While he found inspiration in short trips to other states such as Florida and New York, Homer lived out his days enjoying comfortable financial circumstances and the beauty of the Maine coast. He died at the age of 74 in his studio in Prout’s Neck.

Great American Heroes- Audie Murphy

2010-06-08T17:10:00.000-07:00

Audie Murphy was the most decorated soldier in World War II. He also became a very popular movie star, after the war, playing heroes like himself. In fact, in one movie, he did play himself. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Audie wanted to serve his country, despite not being old enough. He lied about his age, but was still too short and slight of build. Audie was turned down by the Marines, paratroopers, and the Navy. Eventually, the Army accepted him. Many would have thanked their lucky stars that they had been disqualified. Audie's persistence finally paid off and he was sent off to war, where he earned the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, two Silver Stars, and many other awards.

Here is his Medal of Honor Citation:

Second Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to a prepared position in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, one of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire, which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from three sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad that was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued his single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way back to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack, which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.

This Week in American History- The Battle of Normandy

2010-06-07T14:10:00.000-07:00

“D-Day” means the day on which a military operation begins. The “D” does not really stand for anything. It is derived from the word "Day". The term "D-Day" has been used for many different military operations. but it is now generally only used to refer to the Allied landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944. D-Day in Normandy was originally intended to be on 5 June 1944, but at the last minute bad weather delayed it until the following day. The armed forces use codenames to refer to the planning and execution of specific military operations. Operation Overlord was the codename for the Allied invasion of north-west Europe. The assault phase of Operation Overlord was known as Operation Neptune. This operation involved landing the troops on the beaches, and all other associated supporting operations required to establish a beachhead in France. Operation Neptune began on D-Day (6 June 1944) and ended on 30 June 1944. By this time, the Allies had established a firm foothold in Normandy. Operation Overlord also began on D-Day, and continued until Allied forces crossed the River Seine on 19 August 1944. The Battle of Normandy is the name given to the fighting in Normandy between D-Day and the end of August 1944.
The majority of troops who landed on the D-Day beaches were from the English-speaking western free nations, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. However, troops from many other countries participated in D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, including: Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Poland.

On D-Day, the Allies landed around 156,000 troops in Normandy. The American forces landed numbered 73,000: 23,250 on Utah Beach, 34,250 on Omaha Beach, and 15,500 airborne troops. 11,590 aircraft were available to support the landings. On D-Day, Allied aircraft flew 14,674 sorties, and 127 were lost.

In the airborne landings on both flanks of the beaches, 2395 aircraft and 867 gliders of the RAF and USAAF were used on D-Day.

Operation Neptune involved a massive naval force, including 6939 vessels: 1213 naval combat ships, 4126 landing ships and landing craft, 736 ancillary craft and 864 merchant vessels. Some 195,700 personnel were assigned to Operation Neptune: 52,889 US, 112,824 British, and 4988 from other Allied countries.

By the end of 11 June (D + 5), 326,547 troops, 54,186 vehicles and 104,428 tons of supplies had been landed on the beaches.

As well as the troops who landed in Normandy on D-Day, and those in supporting roles at sea and in the air, millions more men and women in the Allied countries were involved in the preparations for D-Day. They played thousands of different roles, both in the armed forces and as civilians.

Over 425,000 Allied and German troops were killed, wounded or went missing during the Battle of Normandy. This figure includes over 209,000 Allied casualties, with nearly 37,000 dead amongst the ground forces and a further 16,714 deaths amongst the Allied air forces. Of the Allied casualties, 83,045 were from 21st Army Group (British, Canadian and Polish ground forces), 125,847 from the US ground forces. The losses of the German forces during the Battle of Normandy can only be estimated. Roughly 200,000 German troops were killed or wounded. The Allies also captured 200,000 prisoners of war (not included in the 425,000 total, above). During the fighting around the Falaise Pocket (August 1944) alone, the Germans suffered losses of around 90,000, including prisoners.

Today, twenty-seven war cemeteries hold the remains of over 110,000 dead from both sides: 77,866 German, 9386 American, 17,769 British, 5002 Canadian and 650 Poles.

Great Speeches - Order of the Day - 6 June 1944

2010-06-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, today is the anniversary of the beginning of one of the most famous and daring military operations in our history and in the history of the world, Operation Neptune, which was the code name for the Normandy landings. June 6th, 1944, will forever be known as D-Day. Prior to the commencement of this massive undertaking, General Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered this speech to the troops who were going into harm's way. It was short and sweet and delivered with respect, sincerity and great humility. As far as I know, he did not use a teleprompter.

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The
hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.
In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on
other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war
machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of
Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.
Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well
equipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely.
But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of
1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats,
in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their
strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home
Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions
of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men.
The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to
Victory!
I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill in
battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!
Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great
and noble undertaking.

Great American Literature- Cotton Mather

2010-06-04T17:06:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the definitions of literature, compliments of Webster’s Dictionary (online, of course): Writings in prose or verse; especially: writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest. Based on that definition we have a fair amount of room to work with for Friday’s recurring topic. In conversation with my Blog Mentor, The Ocean Kayaker, I brought up the idea that today’s entry would be the original piece of American literature. I was thinking, of course, of the Declaration of Independence. Ocean Kayaker, being older and wiser, looked further back to the prolific writings of Cotton Mather. Most of you are probably asking “Who?”

I knew the name and knew a bit about the man from reading about him just recently in “History of the American People” by the great historian, Paul Johnson. Here is what I remember from my reading. He was born on February 12, 1663. He will forever be associated negatively with the Salem Witch trials, probably unfairly as recent scholarship demonstrates. Suffice it to say that he was probably the Joe McCarthy of these trials (I just read a book about Joe McCarthy, too). He was a polymath, whatever that is, and taught himself seven languages. He was a very prolific writer who published over 450 books and pamphlets and was considered one of the most influential religious thinkers of his time. He was a predecessor, of a sort, of Ben Franklin – who was also a polymath – who read and enjoyed his works. Okay, a polymath is a person of encyclopedic learning. His masterpiece was the Magnalia Christi Americana, which according to Paul Johnson has a strong claim to be considered the first great work of literature produced in America (H/T to Ocean Kayaker on that note). This work also is said to have influenced the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Great Moments in American Sports- Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics

2010-06-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

At the 1936 Summer Olympics, held in Berlin, Germany, Adolf Hitler intended to demonstrate to the world that his Aryan race was superior to all others. However, a great American athlete by the name of James Cleveland Owens (a.k.a- Jesse Owens) stood in the way of “Der Fuhrer’s” plan.

On August 2, the first day of the 1936 Olympic games, Hitler was pleased when Finnish athletes took gold, silver, and bronze in the shot put and German women won gold and silver in the javelin. Hitler was absent from the stadium, however, when Americans, two of whom were black, took all three medals in the high jump. Then, Jesse competed. He won gold in both the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter. After the latter win, Hitler stormed out of the stadium. Jesse’s next event was the long jump. He became frustrated when, what he thought was his practice jump, turned out to be his first official jump. He fouled his next jump. On his third jump, he qualified for the final. Jesse’s main competition in the final round was a tall, blond haired German named Luz Long. In physical appearance (only), Long personified Hitler’s ideal picture of the Aryan race. By the fifth round of the final, Long and Owens were tied at twenty-five feet, ten and a half inches--- a new Olympic record. With his final jump, Owens was able to snatch the gold, and the Olympic record. Then, in another blow to Hitler’s agenda, the “Aryan” Long and the black American strolled, arm-in-arm, around the stadium. It took a lot of courage for Long to befriend Owens on that world stage. It must have driven Hitler crazy.

After his victory in the long jump, Owens won a fourth gold in the 400-meter relay, which he was entered in, at the last minute. He had done the seemingly impossible--- four gold medals in one day. As expected, Hitler chose not to congratulate the victorious American athlete.

In a 1950 Associated Press poll, Owens was voted the greatest track and field star for the first half of century, outpolling Jim Thorpe by almost three to one.

In 1976, President Ford presented Owens with the Medal of Freedom, the highest honor the U.S. can bestow upon a civilian

The March King- John Philip Sousa

2010-06-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

John Philip Sousa, is the Week One honoree under the American Music/Art topic. Even if you don't realize it, you all know (and probably love) his music. If you've ever been to a parade - especially a Military parade - you are very familiar with his best work. Below is a link to one of his most famous Marches: Stars and Stripes Forever. His patriotic marches earned him the nickname "the March King." Just hit the link and try not to tap your feet or nod your head to the rhythm. It's impossible! Born in 1854, Sousa followed in the footsteps of his father, a musician in the U.S. Marine Corps, and enlisted at the age of 14. He later led the U.S. Marine Band from 1880 until 1892 and also led "The President's Own" band under five presidents from Rutherford B. Hayes to Benjamin Harrison. His band played at two Inaugural Balls, those of James Garfield in 1881, and Benjamin Harrison in 1889. Another President, Ronald Reagan, liked his music so much (no surprise there!) that he signed Congressional Legislation in December 1987 making "Stars and Stripes Forever" our National March. Sousa composed in other styles as well, including a waltz, "Moonlight on the Potomac"; a gallop, "The Cuckoo" (both in 1869); the oratorio "Messiah of the Nations" (1914); and scores for Broadway musicals The Smugglers (1879), Desiree (1884), The Glass Blowers (1893), El Capitan (1896; which was his first real scoring success), American Maid (1913), and more. Sousa formed his sternly organized marching band in 1892, leading them through numerous U.S. and European tours, a world tour, and an appearance in the 1915 Broadway show Hip-Hip-Hooray. Sousa's Band also recorded many sides for the Victor label up through the early '30s.
Do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to listen to a sampling of his Marches. Many are available on Youtube. You won't regret it!

Great American Heroes - The American Soldier

2010-06-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this is a day late as Memorial Day was yesterday. Better late than never! I thought that the first honoree in Great American Heroes should be the one that made and continues to make all the other ones possible - the American Soldier. Last Friday, my Sailors and I joined thousands of other Sailors, Officers and civilian personnel from NAS Jax in lining the streets and paying tribute to a 19 year old United States Marine from Gainesville, Florida - a Fallen Hero from the War in Afghanistan. He died from injuries sustained from an IED blast. He was the same age as my son who is a United States Sailor. This young Marine joined more than 1.2 million other U.S. Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen who have paid the ultimate price in the defense of the Country that they loved. Now there are many of his High School classmates who have never - before the day they heard the news about him - considered the high price of freedom. I hope that they know now and I hope that they think about it long and hard and understand that, although it doesn't feel so great right now, that it is a cost that someone must pay if we are to maintain our freedom and our status as the greatest nation in the world. And I hope that they all maintain a deep respect and admiration for the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen who pull on the uniform every day and go to work in their Nation's defense - knowing full well that they have pledged their life in defense of the Constitution and the Country whose course it directs. We owe these people more than we can ever begin to repay. They are the true peacemakers and peacekeepers of the world. The very least we can do is remember them on Memorial Day - and, briefly, every night when we hit our knees to pray.

This Week in American History- The Battle of Midway

2010-05-31T10:34:00.000-07:00

The Battle of Midway was one of the turning points in the Pacific in World War II. Japan's Navy was the strongest Navy at the time, but the United States wasn't far behind. The Japanese Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto recognized this and sought to destroy the United States Pacific Fleet before it became too mighty to defeat easily. Following Pearl Harbor, the Japanese enjoyed a string of quick victories, and were thinking that Midway was going to deliver a knockout punch. They were wrong in believing that, however. United States intelligence broke the Japanese Naval Code and learned of the Japanese Navy's scheme. Two U.S. attack fleets surprised the Japanese force and destroyed three heavy Japanese carriers and one heavy cruiser. The Japanese carrier, the Hiryu, was able to escape destruction and it attempted to overwhelm the U.S. task force by sending out all of its available aircraft. The Japanese air attack delivered damaging blows to the U.S. carrier, Yorktown, causing it to sink. The U.S. retaliated with dive-bombers from the U.S. carrier, Enterprise, that destroyed the Hiryu. The Hiryu sank the following morning. At the end of the battle, Japan had lost four carriers, a cruiser, 292 aircraft, and suffered about 2,500 casualties. The U.S. had only lost one carrier, one destroyer, 145 aircraft, and suffered approximately 300 casualties. The Japanese Navy was never as powerful after the Battle of Midway. The United States Navy, on the other hand, grew stronger and now was able to take the offensive in the Pacific theater.

Welcome to Ten Weeks of Summer!

2010-05-31T07:03:00.000-07:00

This is an experimental blog. My daughter and I are the co-bloggers and we are learning together. The blog will (should!) get better with time as we become more familiar with technique and available technology. The original idea for this blog was borne of my frustration with the current state of knowledge (and respect) in America of/for "all things American." The American people, in general, seem to be too comfortable with the notion that we have much to be ashamed about. That idea begins with our so-called educators in the public school system, but is reinforced by popular culture and, sometimes, by a lack of conviction in the general adult population (parents). That lack of conviction, perhaps, comes from insufficient education - and we're right back to the so-called educators. This blog is, in part, an attempt to counter the idea that we are to blame for the ills of the world. This blog will, in a small way, point out the greatness of our nation.....the greatest, most powerful, most charitable, and most tolerant (sometimes to our own peril) country the world has EVER known. Each week we will celebrate six different aspects of American greatness. Mondays will focus on important events in American history; Tuesdays - Great American Heroes; Wednesdays - Great American Artists (including musicians); Thursdays - Great Moments in American sports; Fridays - Great American literature; Saturdays - Great American speeches. The sum total of the summer will be six top ten lists, all celebrating - unapologetically - the United States of America. Hopefully, you will all learn something from it and enjoy it. I know we will!