Jul'10
IN HONOR OF The Fourth of July
For All of our military personnel, wherever they may be.
Please Support all of the troops defending our Country. And God Bless our Military, who are protecting our Country for our Freedom.Because of them, and their sacrifices, we can celebrate the 4th of July!
I watched the flag
Pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine
Saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.
Ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Two Iowa Sites: The Freedom Rock
A blue attraction sign has been added on I-80 (exit 86 ?) for the Freedom Rock. Since 1999, each Memorial Day, Ray "Bubba" Sorenson
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
repaints the rock as a tribute to those who defend our freedom. This year's painting shown at right features Eleanor Roosevelt’s Wartime Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Lest I continue
My complacent way,
Help me to remember that somewhere,
Somehow out there
A man died for me today.
As long as there be war,
I then must
Ask and answer
Am I worth dying for?
According to the September '09 article in the American Legion Magazine, "Bubba" Sorenson, assisted by corporate sponsors, also plans to visit American Legion posts across the country and paint murals for them.
Past year's photos of the Rock can be found at the Freedom Rock website.
The Eagles of Pottawattamie County
A video by Donna Peters of the Western Iowa Development Association.
I looked at
Him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square
And eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men
Like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil
How many mothers' tears?
Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.
Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes while enjoying all our holidays and silently thank these patriots.
It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
Remember That Freedom Is Never Free !!
VIDEO TRIBUTE TO WAR VETERANS
Dr. Sam Bierstock and John Melnick composed: Before You Go
Website tells how Dr. Sam came to write the song after a chance happening with a WW II veteran working as an airport parking lot attendant.
Released via the internet and drawing so many favorable comments and media coverage, a
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.
The video is a salute to the communities of Pottawattamie County Iowa, working together to honor all the armed forces and their families, and the sacrifices they have made in the service of protecting our country.
Each bronze monument, by artist Russell Christensen, is unique and will have a place of honor in every community in Pottawattamie County.
Completed eagles can be seen in Minden, Neola, Underwood, Hancock, Carson, Carter Lake, Crescent, Oakland and Treynor with four more eagles planned.
Learn more about the project and its inception at The Eagles of Honor Project.
Check out these links, a 4th of July tribute, an historical view of Francis Scott Key and a dramatic reflection on his inspiration to pen the words to the Stars Spangled Banner (you'll never listen to the lyrics the same way again).
I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still,
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant 'Amen,'
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea.
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.
VIETNAM version is now also available at the site.
Truly remarkable........... a virtual wall of all those lost during the Vietnam war with the names, Bio's and other information on our lost comrades. It is a very interesting link; and those who served in that time-frame and lost friends or family can look them up on this site. Pass it on to other veterans who might be interested.
First click on a state..then when it opens...a name...then it should show you a picture of the person or at least his bio and medals.
Let's all keep those currently serving and those who have gone before in our thoughts. They are the reason for the many freedoms we enjoy.
A powerful video tribute to our U S Military by Lt. Colonel Oliver North.
And would you believe Gene Simmons sans makeup and platform boots performing a military tribute on
Enjoy Your Freedom
& God Bless Our Troops!
a recent USO tour! Who would have thought!
Thanks to those who submitted the articles, links, etc.
Keep them coming!
HONOR THE FALLEN - Military Times link/database honoring those who fought and died in Operations Iraq Freedom and Enduring Freedom
Welcome Home: A special site which has collected footage of deployed personnel surprising their loved ones on their return home.
