Still, THE Most Incredible July 4 Story…EVAH
Perhaps you’ve heard the tale: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day, July 4th. It was also on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1826. But did you know that James Monroe also died on July 4th and Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4th? The […]
A few thoughts on Saint Patrick
There are many things about Saint Patrick truly amazing: He was a Brit: For all the animosity that the Irish hold for Britian, the man himself was a Briton. He was enslaved by the Irish: He was kidnapped at an early age and brought to Ireland as a slave and sheep herder. He found his […]
Lincoln’s Inauguration: 150 Years Later
Sam and I were driving over to school, a week from yesterday, and he informed me that it was the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s first inauguration. When I got back, I looked it up, and sure enough, 150 years to the day. It got me thinking that the American experiment in democracy was not as […]
A True ‘Power Couple’…Sargent and Eunice Shriver
I was bored to tears surfing the channels and I stumbled upon the wake and memorial service for Sargent Shriver, who died this past Tuesday at the age of 95. Sargent Shriver was the first director of the Peace Corps, running mate to George McGovern in 1972, husband to Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and so forth. […]
JFK Inaguration 50 Years Ago Today
“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country.” On that bright cold winter morning, Robert Frost was to read a poem that he had written for the occasion: Dedication. But the sun was so bright that he could not read his new […]
The Passing of American Hero: Richard Winters
I have no idea how this got past me but we were sitting around the dinner table the other night and my son Sam mentioned that Dick Winters had died. Richard Winters was a true American hero made famous as the leader of a group of soldiers in World War II and made famous by […]
IMO: Martin Luther King, Jr.
Many people my age can remember right where they were when they heard that MLK had been shot. I was at the newspaper delivery office of the Stars and Stripes in Yokosuka, Japan getting my papers to sell in the various areas of the Naval Hospital. I think I gasped some expletive in disbelief. I […]
Gettysburg Address Revisited
I saw this amazing video of the Gettysburg Address and on this anniversary of its delivery on November 19 many years ago, here it is. Also here’s the link to a previous blog post, and our trip to the Gettysburg Memorial: Thoughts on Sacrifice and Humility. Here’s the text of Lincoln’s Speech: Four score and […]
July 4, 1776: What were they thinking?
I woke up on this beautiful summer day and decided to read the full text of the declaration. It is truly an amazing statement and always leaves me with the question: ” What were they thinking?” I mean to go up against the 900 pound gorilla of the day, and actually pull it off, is […]
Thoughts on sacrifice and humility
I have a friend who once advised me that one should make all of one’s major life decisions in a cemetery. I’m not sure if I entirely buy that, but I must admit that I have always been drawn to them. Over the school April vacation, Sam and I made a trip down to the […]