Today we remember the tragedy of Pearl Harbor, and for men like General Eisenhower, who answered the challenges that followed.
In Honor Of 41
America’s house has seen many leaders, each has left something behind. As a group, they were as diverse from one another as could be, yet they all had one thing in common. Each stood on America’s porch, guarding those within, beckoning to those without, and guarding against any danger.
Today, we said goodbye to President George H. W. Bush, or as his family referred to him, 41. He was standing at the porch, when the Berlin Wall fell, when Communism in Russia, closed it’s doors. Today, we honor his time as guardian of our country.
Hisbits: World War 1
Whether the first bullet hit him or his wife, I’m not sure. Either way, the blood soon covered the hole exposed in both the bodies and the fabric which the assassin’s weapon caused.
A very real, and very deadly secret society, known as the Black Hand, personally selected six men to ensure the success of the plot. Princip was the name of the man who ended the life of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie.
The two, one victim and the other murderer, were loyal to their countries. Archduke Ferdinand to Austria, being the heir to the throne. Princip, to both Serbia, and a Slavic section of Austria that longed to be free from the Austro-Hungarian empire. Like the echoes that were to come, Sophie was the first innocent casualty, many more would follow.
The Slavs and Serbia shared a common genetic history, one that enhanced the desire to join together into one greater unit. The name of that goal was to be a nation known as Yugoslavia. Itself, now a ghost of history past.
It may well have stayed a story on the other side of the world, had it not been for the demands of the territories involved, and their friends. Austria demanded justice, issuing an ultimatum to the Kingdom Of Serbia.
No less than the head of the Serbian Military Intelligence, Dragutin was behind the plot. Perhaps this was the reason that Serbia only partially complied with the demands. Austria, along with their ally Germany invaded Serbia.
Russia, an ally of Serbia, prepared for war. Germany’s two leaders, Kaiser Wilhelm, and his Prime Minister Von Bismark, saw the opportunity to invade Belgium, Luxembourg, and France.
Russia attacked both Austria, and attempted to invade Germany. Unsuccessful, they were violently repelled by the German war machine. While only a small part of Northern France was occupied by Germany, the costs of the war on it would be deadly.
At war’s climax, 1.4 million French soldiers would give their lives, in a short time, 4% of the entire population of France was gone. 27% to 30% of their entire military would be killed in a war that began with one bullet.
Great Britain, an ally of France, declared war on Germany. Before the War, Great Britain was in trouble itself. Political problems divided the country. As horrible as the bloodbath known as the Great War, before it’s sequel was, it unified Britain.
They not only had an ally to save, they had an enemy to despise. 850,000 lives would be sacrificed by the United Kingdom of Britain, Scotland, and Ireland to save France. A man named Winston Churchill helped to develop the military vehicle known as the tank.
The power of Britain’s military wasn’t enough. No matter how proudly the Union Jack flew over British vessels, they needed another ally. That’s where the Dough Boys came in.
This was the term used to describe the American Army and Marine soldiers that, as the popular song said, went “Over There” to fight for France’s liberation. The phrase was taken from a fried dumpling soldiers would consume which became what we now call the doughnut.
The reason our soldiers joined the fight sounds like a scene out of a summer movie. A German U-Boat, what you and I would call a submarine, sank the British cruise ship Lusitania, with 128 American passengers onboard.
America, who had been neutral, had enough. Even the peace loving President Woodrow Wilson, was now ready for war. To wearied soldiers on the battlefield of France, 10,000 Americans a day arrived to take up their rifles. The Yanks, as they were also called, against the soldiers of the combined forces of Austria, Germany, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire.
It could have been billed like an Ultimate Fighting Championship, Black Jack versus the Black Hand. General Black Jack Pershing, the only American General ever to go on to share the same rank with General Washington, lead the conflict.
As bombs burst around them, from the foxholes of the French and Belgian countrysides, heroes were forged, and villains began their dark journey. Among the heroes was a young corporal named Harry S Truman. Among the villains, another corporal, by the name of Adolph Hitler.
Before Hitler would attempt his annihilation of the Jews, and Truman would fight to champion both their cause, and their homeland, they were soldiers. Men, joined in a conflict, which began between two men, and an innocent spouse who gave her life by her loved one.
The war that only lasted four years resulted in over 17 million giving their lives. Of that number, only 11 million were military, the rest were civilians. We lost 744,000 of our countrymen to the conflict that ignited between two kingdoms, half a world away. Not all that were hurt died, the estimated list of dead and wounded combined was at least 38 million people.
This Great War, this horrible conflict, did more than result in reorganizing borders, propelling future leaders, and altering an entire globe. The horrible black cloud that was World War 1, would position men and women which would fight, an even greater conflict.
Had World War 1 not occurred, we may not have had a Roosevelt, who was Assistant Secretary of the Navy under Woodrow Wilson to answer Pearl Harbor, or stand beside of Churchill.
There may not have been a Harry Truman who risked his entire reputation to stop Japan, controlled not by it’s Emperor, or it’s people, but by warlords. The same Truman would sign the paper recognizing Israel as a free nation for the first time since the Roman Empire.
The question is not was War necessary, but what the result of it was. America began a journey that freed not just France, but inspired countries across time zones and continents to follow the example of Washington, and Lincoln. This conflict, this Great War, this horrible conflict, need never be forgotten, but viewed as the forging of an even greater purpose. One that would be only begin to be revealed some twenty years later in it’s second installment.
Hisbits: A King, Otto, And Oldenburg
History is filled with excitement. Too many can get bogged down by dates, and terms. However, there are so many interesting stories involved, for example.
He was the grandson of William The Conqueror. He fought his cousin the Empress for control of the kingdom. Lastly, he married a woman who would become a general to rescue him. He was Stephen The First of England.
Otto fought the city of Worms. He backed an Emperor, securing his son’s release from a hostage situation. He also laid siege to Vienna. He was Otto II of Bavaria.
Christian I Of Denmark, became King of Denmark at 22, King Of Norway at 24, and King of Sweden at 31, and Duke of Schleswig at 34. He brokered a deal between Charles the Bold and Emperor Maximilian. Finally he established the House of Oldenburg, and his descendant, Harald V rules Norway today.
History is filled with interesting characters, noble events, and moral lessons. If you have a problem with dates, learn the stories. They will teach you more than a number, they’ll impart wisdom, adventure, and inspire you to learn more.
They Made Them Laugh
Jack Benny, while Bob Hope received well deserved recognition for entertaining the troops, Jack was a close second. In fact, it’s my understanding that only Mr Hope had more performances than Jack’s for the troops, both reaching into the thousands.
These men recognized the quality of laughter, and it’s need on the battlefield. I’ve heard people criticize the publicity received for these performances, but I don’t recall the critics doing so from the frontlines. Which brings me to a quick point.
Neither man tried to make themselves appear as scholars, they were comedians. They didn’t mind getting laughed at, or criticized. I’m sure they didn’t like it, but they looked past it to the need. The need will always be greater than the criticism you face. An the voice of those you help, will always drown out those who complain about your efforts.
As Beautiful As A Flower
“As beautiful as a flower…” That’s what the city of Canton, China said of our flag in 1784. Benjamin Franklin and John Adams described it as having a new constellation. It flew monumentally above Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Jefferson, before they were ever committed to granite at Rushmore.
It is a glowing, and growing light, flying ahead of great men and women, pointing towards a better future. That has always been the truth, from thirteen small colonies to fifty states, I love the history of our country. When I think of it, I visualize a cold Valley Forge, a solemn Gettysburg, France’s Argonne Forest, and D Day.
Heroes, some well known, others known only by their actions. My heart swells at the thoughts those American GI’s opening the doors of Auschwitz, making hope a reality. I also think of a tea party in Boston, a harbor in Hawaii, and two towers in New York.
Each generation would have challenges to answer, hardships to endure, and tragedies to overcome. Many of which, had not been faced by those before them. America, named for an Italian mapmaker, has always been a trailblazer.
She strives to be as noble as the lady in her harbor. As brave, as those men at Iwo Jima. An as wise as the bearded gentleman from Kentucky, Illinois, or Indiana.
Like Lincoln, all of America’s children, have little bits of each part of our country in us. Each of us, can hear, in our mind’s ear, our favorite singer’s renditions of the Star Spangled Banner. All go to some lyric, person, or event that causes patriotism to swell in our hearts on this day.
I’m reminded of Cohan and Cagney, and those Yankee Doodle Boys. A red haired comedian, of great articulation, Mr Skelton, and his Pledge Of Allegiance. Or two other baggy pants comedians, Benny and Hope, who both entertained more troops than any other person.
I think of statesmen and soldiers first, but then those civilians who risked their lives, fortune, and future traveling to entertain those soldiers in far flung regions of the globe. Men and women, not in uniform, did what they could, to make other Americans’s lives a little better.
They did so, because they recognized the greater sacrifices those they were serving were making. During sad days, they paired laughter with bravery. Our country, like all, has its valleys, but oh how beautiful our mountains. Flaws are only final, if we don’t rise above them.
We continue to climb, planting the seeds of freedom. Working to shine liberty’s torch into new areas, and keeping in our minds what this banner means. For it is more than a symbol of what was, or a promise of what could be. It’s something that is always with each American.
It is a constant reassurance, that if they did it, we could grow into it also. It’s a consistent star charting us to new endeavors. An finally it’s a monument to the fact that God has blessed this land, and it’s our duty to seek His providence on it for many years to come.
July 3, 1775
On July 3, 1775, George Washington took command of the Continental Army. We talk a lot about July 4th, but we don’t always appreciate July 3. Leadership made tomorrow a reality, it laid the foundation of freedom, through sacrifice.
There was no guarantees when Washington accepted this post. He faced obstacles, people trying to take his position, impossible odds, and a massive foe. Why did he accept, because since 1767, he had taken a stand against tyranny.
Washington certainly did not accept for the position, it was more a target than an honor. He said yes because America needed him. He said yes, because he believed he could make a difference. He said yes, because he believed in what he was fighting for.
General Washington began the hard work of training and preparation. If you read the accounts of the war, it was anything but easy. It was truly a miracle that thirteen colonies stood fast against an empire, to form a republic.
Our country was founded by men called to liberty, beginning the journey of freedom, which we continue. Tomorrow we will listen to anthems penned as promises. Patriots, propelled to better the lives of those around them. Providing America the possibility of not just a better future, but a future at all.
This week we celebrate freedom, today let us celebrate the leadership and sacrifice of those who chose to make it possible. They said we will fight today, so tomorrow we could say it’s Independence Day!
Memorial Day 2018
After the Revolution fought to win our freedom, they remembered those who marched against tyranny, but marched to a higher home before General Washington became President Washington. These who fulfilled the pledge, of life, liberty, and sacred honor so completely. Hearts remembered their sacrifice, and built thereon.
After the dark days of conflict in the Civil War, how many sacrifices were made. So much so, it even claimed the voice that gave us the Gettysburg Address. We heard his words, their deaths, his death, was not in vain.
From the great emancipator, we walked into France in World War 1, liberating it. Some stayed behind, on French soil, giving all, so that more than America could be free. This would be a pointer, to an even greater fight.
There is s noble war. One fought for the rescue of people hunted, and hated. One fought against a mad man who wished to annihilate, not just a race of people, but the treasure they had brought into the world. We stood with the world against Hitler, and paid a great price, to destroy the nightmares of Auschwitz and Dachau.
Other mad men have risen, and our soldiers have stood to stop them. This Memorial Day, we don’t evaluate the battle, or the decisions behind it, we honor the soldiers. Men and women, who in every generation, made it possible, for us to live freely.
We honor, salute, and embrace the heart, love, and hope their sacrifice purchased for us. May God bless their souls, their memory, and their legacy. May God bless the United States Of America!
Sketch Violins Of Hope
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This is a sketch about the “Violins Of Hope”, a true story of the Holocaust. These instruments, literally helped saved lives in the worst places during World War II.
Born In 76
Born in 76, 1776 to be exact. The proud parents were the future first Chief Justice John Jay and his wife. The boy’s name was Peter Augustus Jay. You might say this child was one of two children born in 76, the other was a girl.
The boy did fine, followed in the footsteps of his father, serving the public good, and the legal profession. The girl did fantastic, and Jay, one of her founding fathers, did all he could to support her.
It was Jay who helped, along with Hamilton and Franklin, to negotiate the treaty of Paris, that ended the Revolutionary War. England at first, did not want to recognize in the treaty, our independence. Jay stopped negotiations until this was agreed upon. Jay, one of the writers of The Federalist Papers, and the other signers of the treaty, knew how vital this recognition was to our new country.
Yesterday I was reading some of the everyday acts of Liberty’s founders. They raised the money needed during the war. Others like Jay in Spain, were ambassadors, striving to gain young Liberty a place at the table. Much like a Dad, who quietly, consistently works to give his child every advantage, these men did.
Like Peter Augustus Jay, she followed in their footsteps. Seeing her children, generations of Americans through hardships. War that tore at her heart, but resulted in freedom of an entire race in 1865.
Young men and women of every race, ethnicity, and background have marched beside her as she stood against everything from nazism to communism. From the cannon smoke of Yorktown, to the sandstorms of Kabul, she learned her fathers’ lessons well.
Now today, this generation of her children remember the sacrifices and consistent duties of men like Jay, Washington, and Franklin. What we must also realize is that, we are truly related to both Liberty, and her parents. For it is now become our duty to hold dear those truths they saw as self evident.
One of which was how they viewed themselves, and their child. They saw themselves, even in disagreement, as citizens of one new country. Men of different viewpoints, forged together by the love of an idea, given birth to through blood, sweat, and tears. An how they saw her, the fledgling child they produced.
As one that should be given the chance to change the world, with the full support of her family. Today, we don’t just barbecue and talk of something that happened long ago. We join together for a meal, as a family, and recall the sacrifices that made us, our parents, and generations of this 1776 family.
Let us, while celebrating, feel the weight of the mantle passed to us. Knowing that our individual opinions are far less important, than the integral heritage that unites us. We are sons and daughters of liberty, descendants of the founders, and Americans by The Grace Of God!