Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world.

April 27, 2006

Today’s Queue Stories

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Few, Brave, The Proud

Bill Walker

wildbill6807@yahoo.com

Few, brave, the proud, are you thinking the United States Marines?  Yes, but I am thinking this morning of many others who also fit that saying, and  were not United States Marines.

I see where a fellow died the other day. He fits that crowd of people. Name was General  Robert L. Scott Jr. U.S. Air Force. He was 97 years old.   So his days of fitting the crowd was in World War Two days, and before.  You can figure the math if you would care to as to his age at the time.

Back before Pearl Harbor, there was a small group that was known as the Flying Tigers of China.  Now for all you people that has forgot, and those that never leaned American History of World War Two. Old Bill will try to tell you a few things.

China was fighting a war with Japan, and was taking quite a beating.  They had no air force, and sure could use some help. Some way, some how a group of American boys went to China to form what became known as The Flying Tigers.  They got their hands on some P40s. Now it took a special man to fly one of those no match for a Jap Zero. Fight, yes they did, and those brave few sent many a Jap plane and it's pilot to where ever.  Col. Scott became one of those few. At the time he was just a young man out of flying school, and sure no Col. 

Now remember this, the United States was at peace, not in the war.  There fore these few was fighting for a country that was being attacked by another country.  They did this for some money.  The United States really had very little to do with them.  In fact said they were on their own, selling their services to the highest bid. The planes they used were really just flying junk piles held together with spit, polish, and love of flying.

There was a system that was rigged up to tell of the moves of the Jap airplanes.  Now it was crude at best, but it worked.  Someone had figured to do it this way.  Out so far, maybe even behind the lines of the ground war. That would be the land that was over ran by Japan.  Some one would see plane or planes headed toward the Tiger air field.  Somehow the word was passed.  Then a few miles, someone else seen and passed the word.  After a few of these sightings,  a few of the Tigers would get in the air..  A few, yes, might only be 3 or so planes.  But they flew with something called, we are the few, the brave, and the proud.  Also most said God was their Co-Pilot.  Now folks I have heard some remarks about that statement.  I think maybe God might have been. He might have been right there as such, also could have been the pilot, maybe it was the other way around. “Whats the beef? Don't you sometimes think when you walking along, all alone, isn't God with you in some form?”

Now Col. Scott wrote a book or two about his war with Japan.  These books came out in the early to mid part of the war.  These books of stories gave Americans a look of hope in the dark days.  Things was bad the first year, but here is the Few, The Brave, and the Proud making Japan pay a price for every blasted inch of ground and air space. And it was a high price.  Even with those old planes, they sent many a Zero  down in flames.

Yes there is the Marines, but there was and is many others in American History that  stood up and said like hell we will give up.  In the dark days, the Few, The Brave, the Proud stood up, fought against over powering numbers and in the end took their place beside the Marines in that statement.  I think there was an American General that was asked to give it up.   That was that cold snowy bad days of December 1944; the Battle of the Bulge.  I wonder if the Germans is still trying to figure out the meaning of the word. "NUTS"?  Again, the Few. the Brave, and the Proud.

I think of another time in another war of the Few, The Brave, and the Proud.

A man by the name of Alvin York; World War One; yes sonny there was a World War One.

There has been many a war.  There are always the Few, the Brave, and the Proud that stands up in any war.

So long Gen. Robert L.Scott.  I believe you too fit in the crowd of. The Few, the Brave, and the Proud.

Tinker and Poo; The Boys Write

http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-35741-5

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A Man of His Word

 Joyce C. Lock

    Suppose we make a promise that seems fully reasonable.  Though later, circumstances arise in which we have to neglect someone in need in order to fulfill that promise.
 

    Maybe, a person came to visit and was just leaving in time to fulfill the original promise, but they slipped and fell; being injured and in need of medical attention.  Do we leave the injured person, unattended, because we made a promise? Of course not.

    But, what if we aren't doing what God called us to, because we are busy keeping our word elsewhere, and miss the opportunity to meet a spiritual need?  Isn't that the same thing?  The only difference is where the wound is located.

    Perhaps, we gave our word and later realized God wasn't calling us to it.  Do we ignore what God is calling us to in order to meet the previous obligation?  Does He come first or second?
 

    In such cases, we have a choice.  Is our word God?  Is the law our God?  Is what people think our God?  Or, does God's will for us come above all gods?

    If we make a promise only later to realize our error, in order for God to be first, we just might have to eat humble pie. But, therein is a lesson to be learned.  The error in making such a promise wasn't God's.
 

    There's an easy way to not make the same mistake twice.  Don't make promises you may not be able to keep. We can say, "If the Lord be willing …"  But, that's about all we can honestly agree to, knowing that none of us knows what tomorrow may bring.
 

    It could be that what God is calling us to, today, may not be the same tomorrow.  All any of us can rightly do is what God is calling us to, until He calls us to move on.

Only once we've heard from God can we be 'A Man of HIS Word'.
And to walk with Him, we must first be available.

© by Joyce C. Lock
http://our.homewithgod.com/heavenlyinspirations/

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Poetry Section

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Impressions

Mary Dees

When I reach, sometimes I find,

A broken pattern, in need of design.

When I look, sometimes I see,

People in need of dignity.

When I listen, sometimes I hear,

Distant cries and estranged fear.

When I pray, I pray just like you,

To walk through my life's painting that he drew.

When I hope, my hope becomes your need,

When I wish, I wish for liberty.

When I crawl, I hope no one will see,

It has always been hard to stand for me.

When I cry, I wipe the tears away,

And head on out, into another day.

By Mary M. Dees

marlena7694@yahoo.com

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Life Thrown Away

Mary Dees

Red ribbons so colorful,

Placed in her hair.

A bow of red roses,

That permeates the air.

Her dress put on neatly,

With lace at the trim.

White shoes with buckles,

And a perfect made grin.

Pale as a petal,

Like a flower growing wild.

Her lifeless little body,

Was once a sweet lively child.

How could life mean so little,

As to trade it for one time.

Yet he raised his hand for a toast,

And drank the wine.

Bittersweet to the taste,

He desired more.

Forgetting all that mattered,

Less than the glass before.

Vision seemed to double,

Through the misty moonlit ray.

He was about to be made aware,

Of the price that he would pay.

He jerked the wheel quickly,

The car screeched to a halt.

His little girl was gone now,

And it was certainly his fault.

Her life was torn away from her,

She didn't have a choice.

He took her fate in his hands

When he silenced her voice.

No more dresses to buy,

No more games to play.

No more "Daddy, I love you

So much more every day."

See what has happened,

How negligence can brand,

A father to a murderer,

When he drove,

With a drink in his hand.

By Mary M. Dees

marlena7694@yahoo.com

Mary M Dees resides in Ohio with her two children. She wrote her first poem at age 13 and has been writing ever since. She currently works as a hair dresser but has had a lifetime interest in poetry. She also likes to dabble in interior design.

Readers Feedback

Carol,
   How dear of you to run me as a special treat on Easter my friend.  You
are a true blessing at Easter and always.  Have a glorious day.  Wishing you
every joy, Joe

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