My Father's Daughter: June 2010

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

This or That?

YOURSELF
1. Would you rather be able to run 100 miles per hour or swim 100 miles per hour? Run... that's more useful when playing soccer. =D
2. Would you rather have fangs or a tail? Um, could I just have both?
3. Would you rather have hair that grew an inch every day or fingernails that grew an inch every week? Hair... fingernails would definately be much more of a hastle!
4. Would you rather have to sing when you talked or dance when you walked? Hmm. Dance, I guess.
5. Would you rather be able to kick a field goal or dunk a basket ball? Field goal, DEFINATELY!!!

FOODS
1. Would you rather eat a chocolate hamburger or a strawberry pizza? YUCK! Probably the strawberry pizza. Maybe.
2. Would you rather eat only tacos for a month or only spaghetti? Probably spaghetti.
3. Would you rather have lunch in a library or a lake house? Lake house.
4. Would you rather eat a salad with salsa on it or chips dipped in salad dressing? Salad w/ salsa. I'm actually not sure that would taste all that bad. Maybe I'll try it sometime.
5. Would you rather have popcorn-flavored candy, or candy-flavored popcorn at the movies? Candy-flavored popcorn, definately!

FUTURE
1. Would you rather go places in a helicopter or a limousine? Helicopter! That definately sounds like more fun!
2. Would you rather have a gymnastics trick or a constellation named after you? Hmm... probably the constellation. That'll last longer, anyway, and, besides, I love astronomy, so that would definately be more fitting.
3. Would you rather win an award for your acting performance or for a song you wrote? Acting perfomance, DEFINATELY!!! Although a song I wrote wouldn't be bad either.
4. Would you rather like on a houseboat or in a penthouse? Hm, that's a hard one. The house boat. Less people=more sleep at night, as far as noises go! And I wouldn't mind the rocking either--I don't get seasick or anything like that.
5. Would you rather own a toy store or a candy store? I'm really not sure.

ANIMALS
1. Would you rather tell a joke to a parrot or to a laughing hyena? Interesting... Maybe a parrot?
2. Would you rather meet a blue dog or a purple cat? Weird. What difference does it make?
3. Would you rather play patty-cake with a monkey or go skating with a gorilla? Skating.
4. Would you rather be able to speak squirrel language or bird language? Hmm again. Probably a squirrel.
5. Would you rather ride a giraffe or an ostrich? Ostrich. I could race it! But I guess a giraffe might be cool, too.

ADVENTURE
1. Would you rather slide down a mountain on a plastic saucer or float down a river in a giant teacup? Slide down a mountain on a plastic saucer. That sould like a lot of fun! Speed--here I come!
2. Would you rather spend the night in a mall or in your school? Well, since my school is my home (I'm homeschooled), a night a the mall might be interesting.
3. Would you rather find out that you were royal or magical? Although it doesn't exist, magical. Of course, royal would be neat too, but I think magical would be better. I guess it would depend in either case, though.
4. Would you rather go to school in your pajamas or to the movies in a rabbit costume? School in pajamas. The rabbit costume would probably be way too hot & uncomfortable!
5. Would you rather slide down a super-long banister or swing from a jungle vine? Swing from a jungle vine.

Anyone that wants to, take the quiz! This would be a fun group activity, too. Let me know if you take it (if you want to)... it'd be fun to see your answers, too! Have fun!

Jess

Riddle

This is a riddle my dad thought of that actually happened:

We (well, my cousins, really) walked down the marriage aisle together twice, but we've only been married once. Nothing went wrong. How is this possible?

Jess

Monday, June 7, 2010

They Didn't Die in Vain/D-Day

The following is a poem, written by a WWII Veteran, that I saw in a newspaper article. Written as seen in the article.

'THEY DIDN'T DIE IN VAIN'
Pvt. E. Duncan Cameron of Company C, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, wrote this poem in his pocket diary a few days after D-Day. At the time, he was in a foxhole amid Normandy's hedgerows. In 2003, he donated his diary along with other writings to the Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

D-DAY

The invasion had finally started.
We were off on a cruise of doom,
A mask of a smile on lips parted,
But a heart beneath full of gloom.
We knew it a big undertaking --
We all understood our job.
A beachhead was in the making,
A showdown with Hitler's mob.
Sam was thinking of England.
Johnnie, his wife at home.
A joker put on a swing band;
My thoughts began to roam.
Our boat cut thru the gray mist
And sped us on our way.
Many who looked at the watch on their writst
Knelt down and began to pray.
Out of the mist loomed a murky wall --
It was Hitler's western defense.
Here was our goal and it had to fall
Was the flash to our inner sense.
The cry, "Saddle up," was the go sign.
The deck suddenly filled with men.
We were headed straight for the coastline;
God! Don't let this happen again.
Thru smoke we saw many sunken ships,
Proud in their ghost-like hue.
For they had scored their winning hits --
What more could you ask them to do?
The air reeked of death all over,
The water a blood-dyed red.
For a minute our heads seemed to lower,
A silent prayer for the dead.
Our craft didn't make it the first go.
She maneuvered to try it again.
The minutes seemed like ages, though,
Ere the prow of the boat hit the sand.
So into the icy water we jumped
As the shells whizzed overhead.
Many a pack and rifle dumped;
It was either that or be dead.
The beach was a literal graveyard.
The Jerries had taken their toll.
For the lads before us the road had been hard,
But they had continued to roll.
A deadly barrage from his 88s,
And the Boche had us eating sand.
It was there that some of our boys kept dates
With the Boss of the Promised Land.
John took the count -- God save his soul!
War is terrible, I know.
But maybe it's best, he's reached his goal --
He's gone where the brave men go.
Sam, he got it below the knee.
A million-dollar wound, I guess.
And thus my partner was taken from me,
At least for a while he'll rest.
Joe and Robbie were caught there too,
And Sergeant Doe in the legs.
So onward, boys, it's for me and you
To grind these Nazis to dregs.
Yes, the beach was won at a terrible cost,
But they didn't die in vain.
If it wasn't for them, the day'd been lost
And we'd had to start once again.
So raise the Stars and Stripes on high,
Ring praises thru our land --
For the valiant fightin' men who die
On a Flanders field of sand.
We're marching forward, the Fightin' First.
We're out for some Nazi blood.
And we won't stop till we stop this curse,
This nation ruled by a dud.
Yes, we're driving onward, this mighty team,
To meet a beaten foe.
And the valorous boys we left on the beach
Are with us wherever we go.
This story, though not completed,
Leaves a message in its wake:
We have never been defeated,
And we can give more than we take.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Memorial Day

I know I'm a couple days late, but I wanted to post something about Memorial Day anyway. Here's a poem by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918):

"In Flanders Field"

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

If you go to the website, there's a picture of (I assume) the original copy of the poem, as well as a history of the poem.

This is a response poem written by Moina Michael:

We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies.

The following is an article Jennifer posted over on her blog:

"Lest we forget...The History of Memorial Day"
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge to day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed to honoring Americans who died fighting in any way). It is now celebrated in almost ever State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms. Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.

There are a few notable exceptions. Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more the 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. they then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights (the Luminaria Program). And in 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial day parade in over 60 years.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observee in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."

The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in servicce to their country.

But what may be needed to return the solemn, and even sacred, spirit back to Memorial Day is for a return to its traditional day of observance. Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address: "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."

On January 19, 1999 Senator Inouye introduced bill S 189 to the Senate which proposes to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day back to may 30th instead of "the last Monday in May". On April 19, 1999 Representative Gibbons introduced the bill to the House (H.R. 1474). The bills were referred the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Government Reform.

To date, there has been no further developments on the bill.

As found on the Memorial Day History Website.