One Memorial Today

Orvis Henry Sweet, Union Army, Vermont

Orvis, age 21, will be shot in the lung one week after this picture was taken by Matthew Brady in Washington, DC. His younger siblings on the family farm in upstate New York (he volunteered from St. Alban's, Fifth Vermont) grew up and after the Civil War moved West to Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and California to become lawyers, Congressmen, ambassadors, journalists and teachers. His father, Haviland Livingston Sweet, died earlier in the War, under the leadership of General McClellan.  Their sacrifice was not in vain.

He volunteered while working at a Print Shop in Vermont, where his family had lived on Grand Isle for generations since the Revolutionary War. His ancestors were Pilgrims and Wampanoags.

He was a regular kid who lived and died for great things.

He fought with his unit through all the major battles of the Civil War, being mortally wounded in the Second Battle of the Wilderness. If you ever watched Ken Burns' documentary on the Civil War, you know how that one was particularly hellish.

http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/

One of Orvis' younger sisters was Alice Eliza Sweet Link, my great grandmother; she went West after the Civil War and became a teacher.

Trip to the Wilderness Battlefields 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ege_iMAo5w 

 

With that haunting music that always brings tears to my eyes, Ashokan Farewell.

Memorial Day and Regular Kids Who Were Heroes

This crew was delivering supplies to French civilians during the D Day invasion and was shot down. My dad's cousin, Blake Treece, T/Sgt. Radioman, is in the second row, fifth (l to r.)

My dad was from Marshall, Arkansas. He was 21 years old when Pearl Harbor happened. His older brother, Robert, had already volunteered to fly with the English in the Battle of Britain. As boys, they had built an airplane in the backyard, and dad had participated in a local aeronautical club as an

Robert, Grandma, Alphia, Larry, Maxine. Just after Pearl Harbor Day.

instructor. Both brothers were going to a teacher's college (Arkansas State Teacher's College) until Robert volunteered to fly with the Canadians to protect Britain.
After Pearl Harbor Day,  my dad (Larry) joined the Navy, and my aunt Maxine joined the Army. Both my dad and Uncle Robert flew in the Pacific. My dad was a quick study, after flying Corsairs, became an instructor pilot. Robert became one of the first pilots to fly a B29 as part of the Billy Mitchell Group, sort of a test pilot while fighting the war.

The Lady Hamilton, B 29, Billy Mitchell Group.

Robert was captain of Lady Hamilton B 29, on a bombing mission that flew from India, over the Himalayas (called 'Flying the Hump') and China to Japan when the plane developed engine trouble, and the second target was chosen. Japanese Zeroes pursued. Robert, as captain, ordered most of the crew to parachute out (they were aided by Chinese and survived.) He and two other crew completed the mission but were shot down by the Zeroes, losing their lives in 1944.

College Memorial (OCA) with the names Robert Mills and Blake Treece.

My grandma's nephew and my dad's first cousin, Blake Treece, was a radio operator for a B-17 in the European theatre. Blake left the same college as his cousins to enlist. His plane was shot down in 1944 over France. The remains of the crew were buried by a French farmer and recovered in 2006 due to historical excavations of the Caen area. Blake and his crew members were then buried in 2006 in a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

Another of my grandmother's nephews and my dad's first cousin from Searcy, Arkansas, Claude A. McBride, served in the Army in the Philippines, being killed in action.

Regular kids from a most regular, simple town in America, Marshall, Arkansas. Where do the courage and brilliance come from? On this Memorial Day, by my observation as a teacher, the USA is filled with such courage and brilliance in all our boys and girls. The devotion, teamwork, collaboration that leads to heroic deeds develops in the minds, spirits, and souls of kids allowed to believe in their own capacity for excellence and their intrinsic value as citizens. Kids from all demographics and ethnicities, which is, of course, what America is made of.

I feel compassion for my little grandma in the photo, knowing she would lose her Robert. And her brother and sister would lose their Claude and not know ever what happened to Blake. (They passed away before his remains were found.)

We can value their choice to serve our country and expect the same excellence and commitment to all varieties of service to continue because all regular kids can be heroes. And they're sitting in your classrooms.

Blake's sister communicated with me after the original post in 2015, and told me about my dad's family in Arkansas. I'm very amazed and validated to have access to such information. Amazing world nowadays.

Memorial Day and Regular Kids Who Were Heroes

This crew was delivering supplies to French civilians during the D Day invasion and was shot down. My dad's cousin, Blake Treece, T/Sgt. Radioman, is in the second row, fifth (l to r.)

My dad was from Marshall, Arkansas. He was 21 years old when Pearl Harbor happened. His older brother, Robert, had already volunteered to fly with the English in the Battle of Britain. As boys, they had built an airplane in the backyard, and dad had participated in a local aeronautical club as an

Robert, Grandma, Alphia, Larry, Maxine. Just after Pearl Harbor Day.

instructor. Both brothers were going to a teacher's college (Arkansas State Teacher's College), until Robert volunteered to fly with the British.
After Pearl Harbor Day,  my dad (Larry) joined the Navy, and my aunt Maxine joined the Army. Both my dad and Uncle Robert flew in the Pacific. My dad was a quick study, after flying Corsairs, became an instructor pilot. Robert became one of the first pilots to fly a B29 as part of the Billy Mitchell Group, sort of a test pilot while fighting the war.

The Lady Hamilton, B 29, Billy Mitchell Group.

Robert was captain of Lady Hamilton B 29, on a bombing mission that flew from India, over the Himalayas (called 'Flying the Hump') and China to Japan when the plane developed engine trouble, and the second target was chosen. Japanese Zeroes pursued. Robert, as captain, ordered most of the crew to parachute out (they were aided by Chinese and survived.) He and two other crew completed the mission but were shot down by the Zeroes, losing their lives in 1944.

College Memorial (OCA) with the names Robert Mills and Blake Treece.

My grandma's nephew and my dad's first cousin, Blake Treece, was a radio operator for a B-17 in the European theatre. Blake left the same college as his cousins to enlist. His plane was shot down in 1944 over France. The remains of the crew were buried by a French farmer, and recovered in 2006 due to  historical excavations of the Caen area. Blake and his crew members were then buried in 2006 in a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

Another of my grandmother's nephews and my dad's first cousin from Searcy, Arkansas, Claude A. McBride, served in the Army in the Philippines, being killed in action.

Regular kids from a most regular, simple town in America, Marshall, Arkansas. Where does the courage and brilliance come from? On this Memorial Day, by my observation as a teacher, the USA is filled with such courage and brilliance in all our boys and girls. Devotion, teamwork, collaboration that leads to heroic deeds develops in the minds, spirits, and souls of kids allowed to believe in their own capacity for excellence and their intrinsic value as citizens. Kids from all demographics and ethnicities, which is, of course, what America is made of.

I feel compassion for my little grandma in the photo, knowing she would lose her Robert. And her brother and sister would lose their Claude and not know ever what happened to Blake. (They passed away before his remains were found.)

We can value their choice to serve our country and expect the same excellence and commitment to all varieties of service to continue because all regular kids can be heroes. And they're sitting in your classrooms.

Blake's sister communicated with me after the original post in 2015, and told me about my dad's family in Arkansas. I'm very amazed and validated to have access to such information. Amazing world nowadays.

One Memorial Today

Orvis Henry Sweet, Union Army, Vermont

Orvis, age 21, will be shot in the lung one week after this picture was taken by Matthew Brady in Washington, DC. His younger siblings on the family farm in upstate New York (he volunteered from St. Alban's, Fifth Vermont) grew up and after the Civil War moved West to Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and California to become lawyers, Congressmen, ambassadors, journalists and teachers. His father, Haviland Livingston Sweet, died earlier in the War, under the leadership of General McClellan.  Orvis' uncle , John Charles Closson, volunteered from Michigan and was killed, too. Their sacrifice was not in vain.

He volunteered while working at a Print Shop in Vermont, where his family had lived on Grand Isle for generations since the Revolutionary War. His ancestors were Pilgrims and Wampanoags.

He was a regular kid who lived and died for great things.

He fought with his unit through all the major battles of the Civil War, being mortally wounded in the Second Battle of the Wilderness. If you ever watched Ken Burns' documentary on the Civil War, you know how that one was particularly hellish.

http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/

One of Orvis' younger sisters was Alice Eliza Sweet Link, my great grandmother; she went West after the Civil War and became a teacher.

Trip to the Wilderness Battlefields 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ege_iMAo5w 

 

With that haunting music that always brings tears to my eyes, Ashokan Farewell.

Summer Activity: Red, White and Blue Flowers for Memorial Day

Lobelia, red verbena, and alyssum.

Summertime and the living' is gardening. Kids enjoy going to the home improvement stores on various DIY excursions--how fun to check out the gardening section and create a festive color bowl for the front or back yard, patio, deck or even the picnic table. Color bowls are simple but pretty. 

Here are some Memorial Day favorites. 

Red pentas lanceolata, red dianthus, white alyssum, blue lobelia.

A friend said this arrangement looks like a colorful display of fireworks bursting in air...

Hurrah for the red, white and purple.

 Hanging basket of petunia, red, white and blue. Sometimes you can find them striped. Very perky.

Local garden shops have variety of cute containers. This is for cafe ole fans. Here are lobelia (you can suspect they are my favorite for the patriotic blue), red verbena and white alyssum. And here is a good word for Sweet Alyssum--it smells really good, hence the moniker.

All-American Music To Grill To

This is mostly for Americans. And maybe you wish to grill in quiet--that's okay, too.

Multi-generational fun.

But for us in the States, these might be fun tunes.

1. Born in the U S A Bruce Springsteen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZD4ezDbbu4

A traditional song sung with soul.

2. Ray Charles - "America, the Beautiful"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRUjr8EVgBg 

Maybe this is Juneteenth.

The History of Juneteenth 
http://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm

This includes some good ole America poetry with the music. 

3. Ragged Old Flag * Johnny Cash * USA 

Johnny makes non-verbal comment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIHYNPjUd50&feature=related 

 While we're on Johnny Cash and poetry, the lyrics began as a poem by Julia Ward Howe

4. Johnny Cash sings The Battle Hymn Of The Republic 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9quPWDoLxF0&feature=related 

Friends can have a cook out, too.

5. Simon & Garfunkel - American Tune 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBqCpd31JPA&feature=related 

6. Bob Dylan "With God on our side" 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCp8Q2S_bZQ 

7.  Creedence Clearwater Revival - "Fortunate Son"

Good field for football later, soccer, or baseball.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU7H--USv6Y 

Here's classical based on the Quaker tune, "Simple Gifts." Another poem.

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right, 

'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd, 

To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,

To turn, turn will be our delight, 

Till by turning, turning we come 'round right.^[2]

Earliest American Bar B Que: Jamestown

8.  Aaron Copland - "Appalachian Spring"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U7hPHSkNJo 

9. God Bless The USA (Lee Greenwood) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWC8liHX_G8 

Little known fact about Jimi Hendrix--he served in the U S Army as a paratrooper. 

Jimi in the 101st

 

10. Jimi Hendrix - "The Star-Spangled Banner"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMhq1L0cJf0 

And just a little homage to my home state--

11. The Beach Boys California Girls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boVY83PQvX8 

Beautiful place for a picnic

I've heard many folks say, who were from other nations on the continents of North and South America, that they, too, could claimed to be Americans.

America the Multicultural.

So, here is Celine, our Canadian friend, to sing God Bless America.

12. God Bless America - Celine Dion (With Lyrics & History) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXLQ2RPLO78 

 Don't forget the marshmallows and s'mores.

One Memorial Today

Orvis Henry Sweet, Union Army, Vermont

Orvis, age 21, will be shot in the lung one week after this picture was taken by Matthew Brady in Washington, DC. His younger siblings on the family farm in upstate New York (he volunteered from St. Alban's, Fifth Vermont) grew up and after the Civil War moved West to Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and California to become lawyers, Congressmen, ambassadors, journalists and teachers. His father, Haviland Livingston Sweet, died earlier in the War, under the leadership of General McClellan.  Their sacrifice was not in vain.

He volunteered while working at a Print Shop in Vermont, where his family had lived on Grand Isle for generations since the Revolutionary War. His ancestors were Pilgrims and Wampanoags.

He was a regular kid who lived and died for great things.

He fought with his unit through all the major battles of the Civil War, being mortally wounded in the Second Battle of the Wilderness. If you ever watched Ken Burns' documentary on the Civil War, you know how that one was particularly hellish.

http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/

One of Orvis' younger sisters was Alice Eliza Sweet Link, my great grandmother; she went West after the Civil War and became a teacher.

Trip to the Wilderness Battlefields 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ege_iMAo5w 

 

With that haunting music that always brings tears to my eyes, Ashokan Farewell.

Feeling the Melancholy of War

In the US, folks reenact the battles of the Civil War every year. The following link is profoundly insightful--almost ghostly as the reenactors pose in modern America.

A Civil War In The Olive Garden Parking Lot

 http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2012/05/24/153608877/a-civil-war-in-the-olive-garden-parking-lot

The Colonists were mostly interested in finance, right?

I've decided not to include gruesome photos of the dead, or the trenches, or videos of American teenagers losing a leg to an improvised roadside device. 

Instead, here is a well-known poem from WWI.

In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae
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 Canadian soldiers volunteered for WWI  after reading this. The poem was found in their pockets after they died.

All American Cheesy Jokes and Serious Thoughts

Hurrah for the red, white and silly. And Garfield has just the lighthearted touch we sometimes need.

Try not to turn each of these jokes and riddles into too much of an opportunity to teach, though with younger children, you might have some 'splaining to do, Lucy.

Teacher: Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?
Student: On the bottom.

Teacher: The Declaration of Independence was written in Philadelphia. True or false?
Student: False. It was written in ink.

What did Paul Revere say at the end of his ride? I've got to get a softer saddle.

And just to be teachery, don't forget Longfellow's adventuresome poem, 'The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.' It's so cheesy, kids love it.

Embarrassed someone saw my crack.

Keep in torch!

Did you hear the one about the Liberty Bell? Yeah, it cracked me up.

What did the visitor say as he left the Statue of Liberty? Keep in torch.

What did one flag say to another--nothing, it just waved.

'What kind of tea do Americans thirst for? Liber--ty. Ha ha.'

                                    What colonists told the most jokes? Punsylvanians.

Very good read.

Now for a serious thought. The greatest founding father, in my opinion, was John Adams. He supported all citizens, and did not believe in slavery, not a bit. He and his family had no connection with slavery at all. He argued in  the Continental Congress for the abolition of slavery, foreseeing the schism it would cause in a new America; which it surely did in the Civil War. He and his wife Abigail supported integration in their home town of Braintree, Massuchusetts, in the local school. John Adams had the education, brilliance and insight to see that the colonies needed to empower all the people no matter what; he worried that the British would treat the American colonies as they had Ireland. He was humble enough to recommend Thomas Jefferson be the compiler and writer of the Congress' thoughts, but historians know it was Adams who was the prime thinker. He was an innovative diplomat, a President who would see the big picture, and a faithful and loving husband and father. I think the latter should count for a lot. Thank you, John Adams, for taking care of baby America.

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. John Adams

Read more athttp://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_adams_2.html?gclid=CJ6mndnM8rACFSQbQgodry

Memorial Day and Regular Kids Who Were Heroes

This crew was delivering supplies to French civilians during the D Day invasion and was shot down. My dad's cousin, Blake Treece, T/Sgt. Radioman, is in the second row, fifth (l to r.)

My dad was from Marshall, Arkansas. He was 21 years old when Pearl Harbor happened. His older brother, Robert, had already volunteered to fly with the English in the Battle of Britain. As boys, they had built an airplane in the backyard, and dad had participated in a local aeronautical club as an

Robert, Grandma, Alphia, Larry, Maxine. Just after Pearl Harbor Day.

instructor. Both brothers were going to a teacher's college (Arkansas State Teacher's College), until Robert volunteered to fly with the British.
After Pearl Harbor Day,  my dad (Larry) joined the Navy, and my aunt Maxine joined the Army. Both my dad and Uncle Robert flew in the Pacific. My dad was a quick study, after flying Corsairs, became an instructor pilot. Robert became one of the first pilots to fly a B29 as part of the Billy Mitchell Group, sort of a test pilot while fighting the war.

The Lady Hamilton, B 29, Billy Mitchell Group.

Robert was captain of Lady Hamilton B 29, on a bombing mission that flew from India, over the Himalayas (called 'Flying the Hump') and China to Japan when the plane developed engine trouble, and the second target was chosen. Japanese Zeroes pursued. Robert, as captain, ordered most of the crew to parachute out (they were aided by Chinese and survived.) He and two other crew completed the mission but were shot down by the Zeroes, losing their lives in 1944.

College Memorial (OCA) with the names Robert Mills and Blake Treece.

My grandma's nephew and my dad's first cousin, Blake Treece, was a radio operator for a B-17 in the European theatre. Blake left the same college as his cousins to enlist. His plane was shot down in 1944 over France. The remains of the crew were buried by a French farmer, and recovered in 2006 due to  historical excavations of the Caen area. Blake and his crew members were then buried in 2006 in a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

Another of my grandmother's nephews and my dad's first cousin from Searcy, Arkansas, Claude A. McBride, served in the Army in the Philippines, being killed in action.

Regular kids from a most regular, simple town in America, Marshall, Arkansas. Where does the courage and brilliance come from? On this Memorial Day, by my observation as a teacher, the USA is filled with such courage and brilliance in all our boys and girls. Devotion, teamwork, collaboration that leads to heroic deeds develops in the minds, spirits, and souls of kids allowed to believe in their own capacity for excellence and their intrinsic value as citizens. Kids from all demographics and ethnicities, which is, of course, what America is made of.

I feel compassion for my little grandma in the photo, knowing she would lose her Robert. And her brother and sister would lose their Claude and not know ever what happened to Blake. (They passed away before his remains were found.)

We can value their choice to serve our country and expect the same excellence and commitment to all varieties of service to continue because all regular kids can be heroes. And they're sitting in your classrooms.

Blake's sister communicated with me after the original post in 2015, and told me about my dad's family in Arkansas. I'm very amazed and validated to have access to such information. Amazing world nowadays.

Summer Activity: Red, White and Blue Flowers for Memorial Day

Lobelia, red verbena, and alyssum.

Summertime and the living' is gardening. Kids enjoy going to the home improvement stores on various DIY excursions--how fun to check out the gardening section and create a festive color bowl for the front or back yard, patio, deck or even the picnic table. Color bowls are simple but pretty. 

Here are some Memorial Day favorites. 

Red pentas lanceolata, red dianthus, white alyssum, blue lobelia.

A friend said this arrangement looks like a colorful display of fireworks bursting in air...

Hurrah for the red, white and purple.

 Hanging basket of petunia, red, white and blue. Sometimes you can find them striped. Very perky.

Local garden shops have variety of cute containers. This is for cafe ole fans. Here are lobelia (you can suspect they are my favorite for the patriotic blue), red verbena and white alyssum. And here is a good word for Sweet Alyssum--it smells really good, hence the moniker.