THIS FOURTH OF JULY---I AM THINKING OF THE USA
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FROM THE WAVES THAT CRASH ONTO THE ROCKS OF THEOREGON
TO THE STATUE OFLIBERTY IN NEW YORK HARBOR---
FROM THE WAVES THAT CRASH ONTO THE ROCKS OF THE
TO THE STATUE OF
"FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA..."
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I am thinking of:
Purple mountain majesties...
Amber waves of grain
I am thinking of:
Purple mountain majesties...
Amber waves of grain
Flowing streams...
Fruited plains
Fruited plains
The
Inscription Rock
White Sands
THE GRAND CANYON
I am thinking of:The
The
The
Little Big Horn
The Bitterroots and
The Dust Bowl
The Chisum Trail
The
The Ozarks and
The
I am thinking of:
Twain's
Stephen Foster's
his
and his Old Kentucky Home.
Of:
Harper's Ferry
Shenandoah
Antietam and
MONTICELLO
SHENANDOAH VALLEY
Of:
The Wilderness
Of:
The
The
The
Magnificent
I am thinking of:
The Okefenoke
The
The
Closer to home, I am thinking of my old hometown,
La Casita School
The bricks inMain Street
The bricks in
Hotel Clovis
Alexander's Market
The house onReid Street
The house onThornton Street
The house on
The house on
Junior High
Johnny's Drive-In
The Busy Bee
TheConey Island
The
El Monterrey
The Lyceum
Wildcat Stadium
Junior High Gym
Wildcat Stadium
Junior High Gym
Magic Steam Laundry
OK Rubber Welders
Barry Hardware
Woolworth's
Duckworth's
Old Clovis High School
Hillcrest Park and Bell Park
OK Rubber Welders
Barry Hardware
Woolworth's
Duckworth's
The Railroad
CLOVIS HIGH SCHOOL
I am thinking of our great teachers,
(too numerous to mention them all...)
Mr. Elms, Miss Russell, Mr. Barton,
Coach Stockton, Miss Buchanan,
Mr. Miller. Mr. Mozer, Mr. St. Clair,
Miss Broiles, Mr. Norman and Miss Clark.
I am remembering one hundred twenty-eight
classmates, many of whom date from the
first grade; they became THE CLASS OF 1951.
On this Fourth of July, I am remembering:
We should praise "the Power that hath made
and preserved us a nation..." and the high price
in lives that has been paid.
In the first 100 years of the Republic, in big and
little wars, 683,000 men were lost.
In the second 100 years, 623,000 were lost.
In "The Big One," Cruisers---
USS HOUSTON
USS INDIANAPOLIS
USS QUINCY, and the five Sullivans
Aircraft Carriers---
USS YORKTOWN, lost Midway Battle
USS LEXINGTON, lost Coral Sea Battle
USS HORNET, carried the Doolitlle Tokyo Raiders
Of the Boats---
USS YORKTOWN, lost Midway Battle
USS LEXINGTON, lost Coral Sea Battle
USS HORNET, carried the Doolitlle Tokyo Raiders
Of the Boats---
USS DARTER
USS TANG
USS POMPANO
USS WAHOO
USS TANG
I am thinking of
THE FLYING TIGERS
THE DOOLITTLE TOKYO
CORREGIDOR
NEW GUINEA
PELELIU
USS ARIZONA
THE DOOLITTLE RAID
TARAWA
IWO JIMA
And:
D DAY
MARKET GARDEN
TRINITY
THE ENOLA GAY
D-DAY
I am thinking of our losses in men
from the War Of Independence
all the major conflicts up through
Operation Enduring Freedom:
Revolutionary War---25,000
Mexican-American War---13,283
Civil War---625,000
Spanish-American War---2,446
World War I ---116,516
World War II---405,399 (72,766 still missing)
On this Fourth I am remembering the US
Champs Élysées inParis
just plain old American boys, doing their job. It will make you proud to
see their photo.
Champs Élysées in
just plain old American boys, doing their job. It will make you proud to
see their photo.
US 28TH INFANTRY DIVISION
CHAMPS ELYSEES, PARIS, 1944
On this Fourth, I am thinking of our patriotic songs:
"My country, 'Tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where ky fathers died,
Land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside
Let freedom ring.
My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love.
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above.
Let music swell the breeze
And ring from all the trees
Sweet freedom's song;
Sweet freedom's song;
Let mortal tongues awake
Let all that breathe partake
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.
Our fathers' God, to Thee
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light,
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King!"
And remembering a newly-written song
we learned in La Casita School:
"God bless America
Stand beside her, and guide her
Through the night with a light from above...
From the mountains, to the prairie
To the ocean, white with foam---
God bless America
God bless America
On this Fourth, there are just more great things-American to remember
than is possible...How about summer concerts in the park, and the band
playing "Stars and Stripes Forever," by John Phillip Sousa; or the
Saturday Evening Post magazines with a Norman Rockwell painting
on the cover.
Do you remember the summer evenings at a drive-in movie
than is possible...How about summer concerts in the park, and the band
playing "Stars and Stripes Forever," by John Phillip Sousa; or the
Saturday Evening Post magazines with a Norman Rockwell painting
on the cover.
Do you remember the summer evenings at a drive-in movie
theater?
Or the days when the Cubs didn't have lights at Wrigley Field...
Or the days when the Cubs didn't have lights at Wrigley Field...
or when in the forties you could walk down the sidewalks of Brooklyn
and listen to the Dodgers at Ebbets Field, from the radios in the shops!
Or when the US Hockey team beat the Russians in 1980!
and listen to the Dodgers at Ebbets Field, from the radios in the shops!
Or when the US Hockey team beat the Russians in 1980!
This Fourth will find Americans out celebrating with picnics and
fireworks as the founders prophesied. There will be trips to the lake to
water ski. There will be sailing along ocean shores---
fireworks as the founders prophesied. There will be trips to the lake to
water ski. There will be sailing along ocean shores---
clambakes on the beaches--- people fishing, swimming, sunning...
There will be people hiking, camping, climbing---people visiting the
zoos; there will be backyard cookouts, church picnics and family
gatherings in parks--- there will be softball games, footballs thrown,
soccer balls kicked, dogs chasing frisbees...
zoos; there will be backyard cookouts, church picnics and family
gatherings in parks--- there will be softball games, footballs thrown,
soccer balls kicked, dogs chasing frisbees...
There will be food of all kinds: hamburgers, hot dogs, corn-on-the-cob,
fried chicken, deviled eggs, baked beans, potato chips and tubs of ice
overflowing with cold drinks of all descriptions---cokes, pepsis,
Dr. Peppers, big oranges, root beers, and likely some real beers---
there will be Sprite Zeros, Snapples, bottled water, and iced tea!
There will be homemade ice cream in freezers sitting in the shade,
fried chicken, deviled eggs, baked beans, potato chips and tubs of ice
overflowing with cold drinks of all descriptions---cokes, pepsis,
Dr. Peppers, big oranges, root beers, and likely some real beers---
there will be Sprite Zeros, Snapples, bottled water, and iced tea!
There will be homemade ice cream in freezers sitting in the shade,
waiting.
Yes, it'll all be there---things American---"mother, home, the flag,
apple pie and Chevrolet!"
apple pie and Chevrolet!"
Just as good, or better, than the things that WILL be waiting for our
Fourth celebrations this year---are the memories of old Fourths---
of people and times that were! O, what a glorious thing to be an
American and remember....
Fourth celebrations this year---are the memories of old Fourths---
of people and times that were! O, what a glorious thing to be an
American and remember....
"OH SAY, DOES THAT STAR SPANGLED BANNER YET WAVE
O'ER THE LAND OF THE FREE, AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE?"
YES! PRAISE GOD, IT DOES!
V-J DAY
The Battle Hymn of the Republic:
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BY MIL
7-04-13
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