Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

Memorial Day Tributes Begin

May 29, 2006

Today’s announcements

Congratulations Linda Ann Henry who has now become a senior writer for Storytime Tapestry.

Prayers would be appreciated for my brother.

Jeff was having discomfort and decided to go to the emergency room.  A heart attack was prevented and a stint was placed in an artery which was 90% blocked.

While doing the blood work-up before his surgery, it was discovered the Jeff has leukemia.

My heart breaks for my brother and his family.  His wife, Lynn, is beginning to show the affects of her MS and now this.

Prayers would be very much appreciated.

Debra Shiveley

merribuck@merribuck.com

Now onto the good stuff!

~**~**~

Memorial Day

Bill Walker

wildbill6807@yahoo.com

Memorial day will soon be here. A day to remember those gone on. Another holiday for some to do other things. A day off with pay for some. A day to rest up, go to the beach, the parks, the ballgame, even car races, such as that.

A day to remember is what I think it should be.  Have you ever thought what gave us Memorial Day?  We haven't always had Memorial Day you know, it isn't like the Forth of July.  It came about a few years after the War Between the States.  The ladies of southern states would on a certain date go to the cemeteries, and put flowers on the graves of the soldier boys.  These was done for both Blue and Gray. Nice wouldn't you say?  This was noted by some people that lived up north.  Then all at once the idea spread, and today we have a National Holiday.  Memorial Day.

A day to remember.  I passed by a National Cemetery the other day.  The one at Springfield,Missouri.  I stopped by to visit my Uncle Gene, He was a veteran of World War Two.  He isn't in the part that is the National Cemetery, but next to it. His flag will be flown at the National Cemertery. I as passing looked over the stone fence, said. "Hi Guys, rest in peace."   Those was men of the wars from the War Between the States to the wars of now. 

You see there was a battle fought near Springfield, Missouri. called Wilson Creek.  I remember what my dad said about it.  Something not in the history books.  He grew up not far from there, remembered what old times told.  The day the creek ran red with the blood of both Blue and Gray, Americans all.

A National Cemetery was made at Springfield, where both Blue and Gray now rest. Americans all.  There is a a stone wall between them, I myself think the wall should come down, they are Americans all. God alone knows who was right and who was wrong.  That is if there was any wrong. You see I have the strange belief, all was fighting for their homes, their family, their little bit of ground, farms and such.

In the past I have walked among the graves, both sides of the wall.  I notice many of the stones are marked with the words, "Known To God."  Both Blue and Gray, Americans all. All the stones have one date. 10 August 1861.  General Price in his writing of the battle called it a bloody battle, many lives were lost, both Blue and Gray, Americans all. The Union Commander was killed. General Lyons, his is a big marker. There is a statue of General Price on the south side of the wall, waving his men on.

I notice now space is in short supply.  A lot of boys of later wars are now being put with the boys in Gray.  It is time to tear the wall down.  Americans all, Blue and Gray.

Memorial Day, a day to remember those gone on. Those no longer here, gone but not forgot. Not only soldier boys but all gone, but not forgot. A day to take some flowers out to the grave, and remember. A day to pay respect for those gone. Those that gave you what you have today. 

Tinker and Poo; The Boys Write

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

~**~**~

WHY DON’T WE LISTEN?

By Ron Gold

It was an eighth grade light bulb moment.  Mrs. Hogan, my English teacher, read a profound verse about World War I.  She called it a “war poem”, knowing “war” would appeal to adolescent boys and “poem” had strong appeal to junior high school Princesses.

The short poem was entitled “In Flanders Fields”.  It was written by an early twentieth century renaissance man, Lt. Col. John McCrea, a Canadian Army medical officer, physician, college professor and poet, who was inspired by a visit to Flanders Fields, a small American Military Cemetery on the France/Belgium border.

Here are his three insightful stanzas:

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 sunsets 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.

When she finished reading, the room fell silent.  No sub-rosa girly gossip.  No fidgeting with pencils or staring out of windows.  No clearing of throats—just the sound of the pipes that kept our classroom comfortable.

In an amazingly mature discussion, we talked about that war and the

impending new war.  We also talked about the bombing of Great Britain,

which we heard on our radios and saw in the movie theatre newsreels.  We

talked about our fathers going off to war; perhaps even dying.

Mrs. Hogan and Colonel McCrea got us thinking.

Yet we did enter an international war. Then a police action.  Then a few

incursions followed by Viet Nam, Desert Storm and Iraq.

Why don’t we listen?  Why don’t we accept John McCrea at face value.  If we hate war as much as we say, why do we walk away and let hatreds fester and explode rather than gain the peaceful closure we need?

People are imperfect.  War is stupid.

And poppies still blow in Flanders Fields.

~**~**~

TELL THEM
By Barbara Roney

Our country celebrates two holidays to honor serviceman. Veteran's Day and Memorial Day.  Schools, banks, and post offices close as do many businesses, allowing us to enjoy a three-day weekend.  Summer begins with Memorial Day weekend.  Who among us stop and reflect about why we are having a three-day weekend? What are we really celebrating?

Summer’s arrival or the memory of our Veterans who have fought and died for our country?

Most of us take those who serve in the armed forces for granted. How many of us think about what they have done for our country? In peacetime we often consider military service as nothing but a job, and most of the time as a temporary job, not a "real" one.
 
We have all known young men who have gone into the service after graduation because many didn't know what they wanted to do with their lives. It was a good way to finish growing up, get their heads together and then get out and find a "real" job or go on to college with the GI bill.

We tend to conclude all service people are the same. We don't think about the military personnel who join the service because that's their goal. They want a career in the military. They want to serve their country. 
 
Several years ago I wanted to thank the veterans closest to me. My dad, a Bronze Star and Purple Heart veteran of WW II, my brother-in-law, John, a twenty-year Air Force veteran who made many missions to Vietnam and a family friend John, a West Point graduate and Army Colonel who also served in Vietnam and was wounded on two separate occasions and who nearly died,

my nephew, retired Navy, and my niece who served in the Navy and is now in the reserves.

I thank them for what they have given to my family, to your family and to our country. These and all the other vets risked their lives so that we could remain free.  

There were times it was just a "job", but there were also many times their "job" became dangerous. Many who served did not come home. Veterans have been in places and situations that were not always safe places to be. They were in situations, experiencing things they don't always want to talk about.

I thank them for serving their country and being committed to their jobs and for doing their jobs well. Their time in the military was and is appreciated not only by me, but also by others. 

Please take the time to say thank you to any Veteran you may know, whether a family member, a neighbor, someone you work with or a stranger you might see who is in uniform.

Especially take the time to thank the World War II vets. 2,000 of them are dying daily. Don’t wait. I am so glad I took the time to tell my dad thank you. He died August 3, 2005.

Thank you Veteran’s. We do appreciate all that you have done and are doing for us here at home. Our prayers are with you.

Barbara Roney

busyb460 @ msn.com

Barbara lives in Portland, Oregon, and is a wife of 39 years, mother of two, and grandmother of Brianna, the light of her life. She has been writing for herself and her family for several years. Previous stories include Missing Dad, Pretending, Grandma's Quilts, Christmas Nostalgia and No Damage Done. She says "Writing is a wonderful way of expressing what's in my heart."

~**~**~

A Look at Memorial Day

Dianna Doles Petry

Memorial Day as we know it now does not hold the meaning it was originally meant to have. Most people think of Memorial Day as a time for cookouts, opening swimming pools for the summer season, picnics, and even family vacations. Merchants advertise sales revolving around the holiday and most people buy wreaths of fresh cut or plastic flowers to place on the graves of loved ones whether they served in the military or not. Volunteer veterans often set up tables outside of food markets and department stores to sell little red paper flowers that resemble a Poppy to raise funds for projects the government does not fund sufficiently. Most of this has little to do with why Memorial Day became a holiday in the first place: to honor the brave men (and later women) who served this country in battle.

If you ask most people today about the "Battle of the Bulge," they would probably tell you it is a battle with weight, a constant struggle to keep fat from landing on your hips and thighs with each piece of cake that we eat. Very few people, except for veterans, would be able to tell you it was a battle that took place on December 16, 1944. It was one of the largest battles in the history of World War II and it took forty days of fighting before the battle ended. How do I know this? I listened to my father each year on Memorial Day when he went into a serious and reflective mood, reliving his own days of battle during W.W.II.

I know that he had some pleasant memories of Hawaii and his travels across the equator but he had far more painful memories as he thought about the lives lost, the environment, the way his life was forever changed when he came home after the war. He talked about the colors of the explosions as ships were hit in Pearl Harbor and in the next breath, how beautiful the moonlight shone on the water as he walked along the beaches in Hawaii. He seldom talked about the people who were there with him and on the rare occasions that he did, he could not stop the tears that formed in his eyes.

Memories are an important part of who we are and what we can accomplish. He always seemed to remember the things he wanted to forget and felt sorry that he couldn't remember all of the names of those who fell around him. He felt guilty for coming home in one piece to enjoy a family and a nice home while many friends and brothers in the battle never made it home at all.

Remembering the people who fought long and hard to preserve our freedom is a small token of respect that we would never should deny them. The ultimate sacrifices that a veteran has made should be remembered with comparable dignity. Memorial Day is a celebration but it is more than waving flags and listening to speeches. It is a day to honor those who gave us the privilege of being able to have cookouts, vacations, freedoms of all types. Memorial Day should touch the hearts of every American in this country.

You know, even though the veterans we will be remembering can not be with us physically, they will live on in our hearts and I think they would want us to celebrate with family get togethers and laughter. They did not give their lives for us to live in grief and sadness, they gave their lives so that parents could play with their children, people could visit around the world and there would be a chance that someday we could all live in peace and get along.

©Dianna Doles Petry

2006

I am a lifelong resident of the state of West Virginia and the author of Memories...Stories of real life in the mountains.

I am a member of the West Virginia Writers and the West Virginia Poetry Society.

Sharing my short stories and poetry with others gives me a feeling of accomplishment and tends to tell you the way it was, or is, or should be. I can sometimes be brutally honest and embarrassingly funny but it is the only way that I know how to share this journey through life with my readers.

I appreciate any and all feedback on my work.

dianna59@charter.net

http://diannapetry.tripod.com
http://members.tripod.com/~poemsbydianna/PoetryofLife.html
www.womenwithauniquesoul.com

Poetry Section

~**~**~

Love For Memorial Day

Linda Ann Henry

I see the eagle flying over the USA

Let us remember the Soldiers

On this Memorial Day

For the good men and woman

Who have fallen in the name of freedom

They were all "The Son's Of Library"

I salute your courage and your love

I look at the Lady of Library

She stands for all the people

Who were brought here

From across the world

Wanting freedom of speak

So we all can have the peace

Voices which never die

Like Washington, Patrick Henry

Wars by the name of 'The civil war"

1776, fighting the English

WW I AND WW 11, A war our own father's

were in. Pearl Harbor, a great lost to American's

Koran and the forgotten war of Vietnam

Now we fight a war overseas

The golden sands of Iraq

So many young people have died with bombs

I see the planes and I hope this Memorial Day

Will bring them back and not with their names on a stone

Yes our eagle and the liberty bell stands

As does The declaration of Independence

So on this blessed day, let us give thanks

To the American Soldier and peace will one day

Come to the world once more.

Linda Ann Henry

Do you remember me

The people's poet

Linda11231949@aol.com

~**~**~

Memorial Day To Me

Diana Doles Petry

I've never been to Normandy,

Never seen the land called Vietnam,

Yet, each of the battles fought there,

Became a part of all that I am.

A new spirit rules our land today,

People have united to face our foes as one,

September 11, awoke us from a deep sleep,

Starting new battles, reminding of those already won.

Many people lost friends and loved ones,

Many fell to allow us to live and be free,

The survivors came home forever changed,

Watching over their shoulders constantly.

On Memorial Day, I will remember those who died,

Those who played a part in my life or protected their land,

I will keep their spirit alive by remembering their efforts,

Paying my respects, being the best citizen that I can.

Dianna Doles Petry

©2006

 Dianna59@charter.net

~**~**~

Readers Feedback

Dear Carol

Thank you so much for publishing my story, I am honoured as always.

Be inspired and best wishes

Keith

Hartson - How well I am aware of the missing children.  I work with so many of these cases.  And I'm very proud to say John Walsh wrote me seven years ago telling me I was doing a wonderful job working with parents who had lost a child.

The sad thing is, this goes on so much and not all cases get media attention.

I have a mom right now who has two children missing and she's about to lose her mind.

Sigh.. Sharon Bryant

Barbara Roney’s Story - Mr. Davis is a vanishing breed for sure from what I've observed of postmasters today. He could certainly teach them some valuable lessons in marketing. I'm amazed that our politicians would allow such congenialty between the postal system and customers.
 Thanks
 Mark Crider

Senior Writers

Chief writer: Sharon Bryant

                                     Chief researcher/historian: Hartson Dowd

Agee, Vance; Apted, Violet; Baker, Kathy; Batt, Al; Berry, Nell; Blaine, Pamela; Boda, Ginger; Booher, Paula; Buhagiar, Victor; Cassady, B.J.; Cavalera, Robyn; Crider, Mark; Deming, Barb; Doherty, Maria; Gilbert, Robert, Jr.; Goodier, Steve; Braun-Haley, Ellie; Harris, Kathy Anne; Henry, Linda Ann; Hunt, Sharlett; Hymes, Christina; Jacobson, Gary; Kiser, Roger Dean; Kerens, Claudia; Kevin, Tim; Jenkins, Pamela; Liles, Norma; Lily Jodi Flesberg; Lock, Joyce; Marlor, Janice Bumbalough; Mazzella, Joe; Morris, Deepak; Ojeibge, Georgewaters; Petry, Dianna Doles; Roberts, Susan; Shiveley, Debra; Shaw, Bob; Sims, Richard; Streidel, Saskia; Swarner, Ken; Vaknin, Sam; Verhoeff, Jan; Walker, Bill; Walker, Joe; Warner, Gordon, K; Walsh, Sue; Weymouth, Barbara J.; Whirity, Kathy;

Wainland, David; Westerfer, Clara; White Robert;

Storytime Tapestry Staff

Carol Roach - Founder/publisher

Thelma Hartselle - Co-Founder, Moderator

Clara Westerfer – moderator

Bob Johnston - moderator