June 29, 2018 Happy Friday! I hope everyone will be able to enjoy a little break from work this weekend, and for those whose work-breaks are at a different time, I hope a little rest & relaxation is coming soon for you as well. But no matter when that break arrives, I hope it will deliver a nice, “Welcome Home!” for you. Fittingly, “Welcome Home” is at the center of today’s Victory & Valor Blog. A loyal follower of our Mistletoetom Facebook page recently sent a note that inspired this installment. “L.S.” suggested a story about a particular “Welcome Home” from many years ago that might interest me, and after checking it out, I agree and think it will interest the wider audience of followers as well. Thanks for the tip, “L.S.!” At the height of his career, Elvis Presley was called to military service with the United States Army beginning in March 1958. He left active duty in March 1960. During his active service he was assigned to units at Fort Hood, Texas until September 1958, and from October 1958 until March 1960 he was stationed with a Battalion Headquarters Company from the 3rd Armored Division at Friedberg, Germany, just north of Frankfurt. (I have a unique and loosely connected interest in Elvis’ military career because I was also stationed at Fort Hood – in the mid 80’s – and I had several temporary assignments in and around the Frankfurt area while stationed in Germany, too. But I have a closer connection to Elvis, too. On June 25, 1977, Elvis performed his next to last concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio. As it happened, I was with a large group of family and friends on a baseball trip to watch that day’s game between the Cincinnati Reds and their Western Division rivals, the L.A. Dodgers. After the game, and after the concert, our worlds merged for a few moments when Elvis and his entourage made their way through the crowded lobby of the downtown hotel where we were staying. I caught barely a glimpse of Elvis, but that glimpse has stayed with me for many years.) Years earlier, adoring fans were fortunate to get a better glimpse… some in person, and some thanks to the magic of television because in March 1960, after leaving the Army, Elvis received a special welcome home… from another very popular entertainer: Frank Sinatra. Now, I have a LOT of insights about “Old Blue Eyes”, but those will have to wait for a future blog. (And I assure you, you’ll want to catch that one! I’ll keep you posted! I just don’t want this installment to… stray.) Anyway, Frank Sinatra used his television show to host Elvis Presley and welcome him home after his tour of duty with the Army in Germany. The show was rehearsed and prerecorded in late March and televised in May 1960. Millions tuned in. Here is a YouTube video that captures some of the show titled, “The Frank Sinatra Show: Welcome Home Elvis”, including a duet with Sinatra singing “Love Me Tender” and Elvis delivering “Witchcraft.” Obviously, not every troop gets a nationally televised welcome home. But there are some organizations devoted to serving our military personnel in their travels and at their duty stations. The United Service Organizations comes to mind.
The USO formed in 1941. It combined the efforts of numerous groups whose aims were to boost the morale of the American military. Today, the USO has more than 200 centers around the world to provide programs, entertainment and services to military personnel and their families. I recall countless times over my own military career when I benefited from some of the services of the USO. At airports, the USO was a little haven or retreat, offering free snacks and coffee; providing information about the local area with complimentary maps or guides; and sometimes the USO had the means to enable a troop to place a call to family back home or to contact someone at their next duty station. Since 1941, many more organizations have formed with like-minded goals to assist military personnel and their families as they transition from one assignment to the next. Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor applaud these organizations for their efforts to support our troops, and sometimes to give the heartwarming greeting… “Welcome Home!” Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley: Thank you both. And to our troops: Thank you for your service! Welcome Home! Have a great weekend
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June 27, 2018 Happy Wednesday! In a previous blog I wrote about the values of Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor. If you’re a regular follower here, you have probably read it but here’s the link just in case you haven’t: http://www.mistletoetom.com/victory-and-valor-blog/values-of-mistletoe-enterprises-and-victory-valor To save time, Mistletoe Enterprises values education, truth, history, nature, art, science and technology, sportsmanship, teamwork, loyalty, humor, and courage. I believe the content of our blogs and our posts reflect those values, and I believe our values are consistent with our mission to educate others by spreading cheer and telling the stories of history and heroes. I hope you agree. Notice among those things we value is art. The Arts. Music, poetry, photography, painting and a host of other art forms are creative ways to express oneself. And the arts support education too. In that same blog I linked, I stated that people learn things in different ways. So, we offer a variety of topics to appeal to a variety of tastes and multiple capacities for learning. We base this practice on the theory of noted developmental psychologist Howard Gardener who proposed there are nine types of intelligence (intelligence is a capacity for learning) categorized as: naturalist; musical; logical-mathematical; existential; interpersonal; athletic; linguistic; intrapersonal; and spatial. In practice, Gardener believes that some people are more naturally inclined to learn based on their “strong suit.” Some people are naturally gifted mathematically; others spatially or artistically; and others athletically, etc. Thus, we assemble our content as best we can to appeal to people’s various strengths. We agree with Gardener and value his theory about educating others based on their type of intelligence. That’s one reason we are strong advocates of The Arts. I am reminded that several years ago I went to Dayton, Ohio to be interviewed for the Veterans History Project by students from the Stivers School for the Arts. The history teacher who invited me to tell my story to these students is Bridget Federspiel: a National Teacher of the Year Award winner. For more than a dozen years under her guidance, her students have interviewed hundreds of veterans and documented the stories for preservation in the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. But wait? Military history? At a school for the arts? Students at that high school have strength in music, dance, painting, visual arts, and other creative skills. How could an interview with a military veteran reach their strength to aid learning? For one thing, they practiced photography and videography during the interview. Not only did they learn my story, but they documented it. They framed it, packaged it and submitted it within the guidelines set by the Library of Congress. They learned many valuable lessons in a variety of areas by paying attention to my story. Long before that, before cameras were invented, many of history’s famous events were depicted on canvass by acclaimed painters. We have featured several paintings and drawings associated with the founding of our country in posts we’ve shared. As well, we have featured patriotic songs by the choirs from the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Military Academy singing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic": a poem by Julia Ward Howe (painting below) later set to music; we’ve featured poetry by Katherine Lee Bates that has also been put to music we know as “America the Beautiful”; and we have featured orchestral pieces and even popular music of more contemporary artists who mark our moments in time. All these things should explain why we appreciate the arts. The arts help us tell the stories of history & heroes That said, here’s a little history: On September 29, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act, creating the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Mistletoe Enterprises LLC and Victory & Valor are proud to advocate for the art programs that enrich our lives. Without further ado, in this installment of the Victory & Valor Blog, compliments of the National Endowment for the Arts, we are pleased to share the words of Norene Cashen, a writer-in-residence with the InsideOut Literary Arts Project in Detroit: "Since 2008, I've been a writer-in-residence with the InsideOut Literary Arts Project in Detroit. My job is to join Detroit Public School classrooms and teach children how to write poems. We also publish their poems and drawings in an annual journal. Most of the time, the students teach me much more than I teach them. When I ask them to step outside the realm of the literal and invite them to enter a new and completely creative space, something magical happens. They take chances. Our mottos are "trust yourself" and "keep on writing." We stand up and raise our hands to the sky to reach for an idea. We make crazy word lists. We make wild metaphors. We turn into superheroes. We say, "My heart is a river, my heart is a moon, my heart is an airplane." We follow those ideas to powerful places. Through our words, we are always going somewhere or transforming ourselves. By the end of the school year, I see a light in the students' faces I didn't see before. I see more of the courage needed to put the pencil to the page. When I am in a difficult place in my own life, I have learned to say, "This problem is a tunnel I am traveling through. This sadness is a rainstorm that will pass over me." And yes, at times I even imagine I am a superhero with all the powers I need to make a difference in the world." Norene Cashen Detroit, Michigan That’s one more reason we love the arts. Congratulations on your work, Ms. Cashen! That’s all for today. See you again Friday June 26, 2018 Happy Tuesday! Sorry I missed yesterday’s installment. If you’re a regular follower of this blog, you might have asked, “Where’s the blog?” or “Where’s he at?” I wasn’t idle, to be sure. As usual, I was posting some entries on the mistletoetom Facebook page, and researching for new stories about history & heroes to post today and for the next several days. As I’ve mentioned previously in an earlier blog, I make extensive use of the Library of Congress research site, the National Archives, NASA’s website, all the U.S. military websites, a few sports history sites, and several other government sites to find most of the stories I publish for our “On This Day” in history feature. Browsing through them, sometimes I get lost and lose track of time. There are so many interesting events and figures, and so many inspirational stories… it’s difficult sometimes to chose which ones to feature. During the past couple months, we have featured stories from the Revolutionary War era, the War of 1812, the Civil War period, World War I, World War II, Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam, the Age of the Space Race, and our latest campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. Obviously, I’m not old enough to have been around for most of those historical periods. But the more I browse through the stories of events that occurred within my lifetime, I often recall the historical event with some silent expression as I read through it: “I remember that.” Sometimes I remember exactly what I was doing or where I was when the event occurred. Sometimes my recall of the historical event is triggered by the recollection of my personal history. And it’s common for major events to be associated with a person’s life events. It’s equally common to hear the question, “Where were you when _____ happened?” 9-11 is a prime example. That morning, I was in the tower of the Grayling Air Gunnery Range in Michigan, assisting the Range Officer with the duties of monitoring military training flights. I could give you a detailed account of the timeline of my activities for most of that day, too. But that’s for another day. Today’s “Where were you?” is prompted by different events. Earlier today I posted on the mistletoetom Facebook page that “On This Day” in 1948, the first flights of the Berlin Airlift were launched to deliver humanitarian assistance to millions of Germans trapped by the Soviet blockade erected around Berlin. The nearly year-long mission of thousands of flights, dropping millions of tons of food, medicine and supplies is regarded as one of history’s greatest humanitarian efforts. Special Delivery: compliments of the United States Air Force! I wasn’t born yet. But eventually I delivered myself to the Air Force recruiting office. A second post made today recalled that “On This Day” in 1963, President John F. Kennedy delivered one of the most memorable speeches in the Cold War era to the people of Berlin, within sight of the Berlin Wall. It was in this speech that Kennedy made the noteworthy quote, “Ich bin ein Berliner.” His intention was to say, “I am a Berliner,” in the same way someone from the Big Apple would say, “I’m a New Yorker.” But it stands out because the German word “berliner” also means jelly donut. But the crowd understood his meaning, and they applauded and cheered his pronouncement. I was two years old. Too young to understand politics, but very likely to enjoy a jelly donut. In 1989, I was in my eighth year of service with the Air Force. From 1984-1986 I had been stationed at Prum Air Station in West Germany, near the Belgian border. The Cold War was still shaping world events. Reagan was the US president, and Gorbachev succeeded Chernenko as General Secretary of the Soviet Union in March 1985. Reagan was asserting “Peace through Strength,” and “trust but verify,” while Gorbachev was adopting policies of “glasnost” (openness) and “perestroika” (restructuring). The greatest concerns were the numbers of nuclear weapons developed and deployed by both sides.
In 1989 the Soviet Union collapsed, no longer able – if it ever was – to afford the arms race. Late in 1989, the Berlin Wall fell. I returned to Germany, for a very brief deployment, early in 1990. The memories of my assignment were still fresh: the prevailing feeling of the “cold” from the Cold War had subsided and given way to gladness for the people, but it was not forgotten. The memories of the images of the Berlin Wall being torn down were fresher still. In June 1987, President Reagan visited West Berlin, too. In one of Reagan’s most memorable quotes from his presidency, he called on Gorbachev to, “Tear down this wall.” When young people poured across the wall, began disassembling it with hammers, and congregated around it with their neighbors… I sat mesmerized. I sat in awe and wonder. I sat thinking that I had contributed in some small part to the effort to tear down that wall. I remembered the people who were stationed with me at that tiny base – but who had a vital tactical mission including frequent field deployments to train… just in case diplomacy failed. So, when I was in Germany in 1990, I purchased a few souvenir coins. The images associated with this blog installment show the Berlin Airlift; the Kennedy speech to the people of Berlin; and two West German 5 DM (Deutschmark) coins. Also included: an image of General Douglas MacArthur, for a very special reason. In May 1962, fourteen years after the Berlin Airlift, a year and one month prior to Kennedy’s Berlin speech, and twenty-seven years before the fall of the Berlin Wall, General MacArthur delivered his final address to the cadets of West Point. After decades of military experience, he bid farewell. And in his beautiful speech titled, “Duty, Honor, Country” he stated this truth: “… the soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” Where was I? Still in diapers, but on my way to playing a part of history. And whether you believe it or not, in some fashion whether great or small, you’re playing a part in history too. And like MacArthur, I hope you’re praying – or hoping - that diplomacy does not fail. This blog is dedicated to many comrades-in-arms with whom I served, particularly these men and women who I served with at Prum Air Station, Germany: Pat Walker, Joanne Milton, Larry Milton, Rocky Salinas, Dave Trickle, Bill Goodman, Patti Ann Kolbmann, Tom Gimm, Brian LaBree, Jay Jacobs and John McMullen. It is also in memory of Ken Popham. Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor is proud to deliver educational content that spreads cheer and tells the stories of history & heroes. We hope you enjoy our blog and hope you’ll come back again! Have a great day! (I’m going to go get a donut!) June 22, 2018 TGIF! This week on our mistletoetom.com website and Facebook page we’ve shared quite a few memories. If you’re a regular follower of this blog you’re aware of our appreciation for history, if you’re checking out this blog for the first time we hope you’ll enjoy. We have posted about historical events ranging from WWII battles and heroes, NASA astronauts and space shuttle launches, to documents and events during the founding of our country. In the first blog of the week, I reminisced about the reasons in my own life why I have become a history buff – and why we share history to educate others here. Another special post was a few days ago when we celebrated the birthday of Sir Paul McCartney. He was born in Liverpool, England on June 18, 1942. During his long musical career, he has earned many awards and honors, noteworthy among them the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize which was presented to Sir Paul at the White House in 2010. Again, regular followers of Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor know that we publish a lot of content featuring astronauts and military figures, but not as many from the arts. So it seems. But rest assured, we appreciate the arts! We often include with the posts excellent photography – with applicable sources and credits. Or we feature portraits, paintings or other images associated with the person or event we’re describing. It may seem secondary, but it’s not. We love the arts and love to share the arts in the content we deliver. So, today’s trending internet video of Sir Paul McCartney joining James Corden on a beautiful tour of McCartney’s childhood home was a timely event to feature in this blog entry. It combines a respect for history with an appreciation for artistic talent. Certainly, it stirs emotion as well. Mostly, it underscores our mission and values to educate others by spreading cheer and telling stories of heroes from all walks of life. Since it’s Friday and many of us want to begin a weekend of relaxing, I won’t elaborate – but I honestly don’t think I need to. I’ll just leave a couple links for you to enjoy at your leisure. www.facebook.com/Mistletoetom/photos/a.136574766994582.1073741828.136516950333697/197626150889443/?type=3&theater Have a great weekend! See you Monday! June 20, 2018 Happy Wednesday! It has been a very busy day. As usual, I have been researching and taking notes on stories about history & heroes to share with our growing group of fans. And earlier today I shared a few historical events on our associated Facebook page to recall a few things that happened “On This Day.” Among other things, in 1882 the Great Seal of the United States of America was approved by the Continental Congress, and the Bald Eagle was adopted as our national symbol. Mind you, I think our Great Seal is… great! And as a history buff, I’m often intrigued with reading the proceedings of our Continental Congress! But the Bald Eagle is awesome! I have always been a fan of things that fly. Many of the posts I’ve shared about heroes and history have featured our brave explorers who climbed into jets, or rockets, and ventured into the sky and heavens beyond. When I was a youngster I was mesmerized by the Gemini and Apollo astronauts. Their missions were fascinating, and I was glued to the television set every time a launch or splashdown was broadcast. I hope I never forget… the first time I ever watched anything on a color television was a splashdown and recovery of a spacecraft during an Apollo space mission. The deep blue of the Pacific, the bright orange of the recovery personnel’s uniforms, and the brightness of the clear blue sky are as clearly amazing to me now as they were so many years ago! I still have the same youthful exuberance for our space program and the daring scientists and pioneers who study the universe. Mistletoe Enterprises will always share the stories of space pioneers because they are historic, and they are heroes. In fact, coming in July we will be observing another anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission in which Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins travelled to the moon, landed on its surface, and returned safely. (Note: Armstrong and Aldrin set foot on the moon while Collins guided the Command Module in orbit around the moon.) But when the Lunar Module descended and touched down on the lunar surface, Armstrong radioed these words back to Mission Control: “The Eagle has landed! I was eight years old.
That was one cool event for a kid. It was one unforgettable event for my lifetime. It made me look up more often. It filled me with a sense of wonder. It made me appreciate the fun and simplicity of a paper airplane; it made me curious about the floating flutter of butterflies; and it sparked my interested in everything with wings – large, small, natural or man-made. Certainly, it sparked my interest in eventually joining the Air Force and serving for twenty-five years. But it also made me look more closely at nature’s feathered flying wonders: birds. Mostly raptors. Especially Bald Eagles. But Bald Eagle populations were extremely small in the mainland states during the 60’s. Threatened and dwindled by chemicals, Bald Eagles were endangered and rarely sighted in most areas. Around the country, many programs were launched to revitalize the eagle population. Slowly – very slowly – the population increased. But I was thirty years old before I ever saw a Bald Eagle in the wild! Even then, in the early 90’s, they were considered endangered. After almost a quarter century, sighting a Bald Eagle was uncommon in most areas. It still is uncommon in many areas. But living most of my life in the Great Lakes region, they were still not abundant. Unless one knew where to find them! After I saw that first Bald Eagle I was hooked! I read as much as possible about their habitat and their tendencies. And I started carrying a camera with me everywhere I travelled. Since that first sighting on a snowy winter morning twenty-six years ago, I have spotted hundreds of Bald Eagles and taken thousands of photographs. From northern Michigan to upstate New York; along the Mississippi River and the Lake Erie shoreline; in remote rural areas and in surprising urban places… the population of the Bald Eagle – our national symbol – has rebounded wonderfully! So, it’s no surprise that Mistletoe Enterprises features beautiful cardinals AND Bald Eagles among our business icons! And the reason behind it all is the appreciation for the heroes who made me look up. The Eagle has landed! See you Friday! June 19, 2018
Happy Tuesday! Sorry I missed yesterday’s regularly scheduled post here. But I hope you took the opportunity to visit our Facebook page to catch a glimpse of new items that recalled some historic people and events. Over the past few weeks we have revisited moments in history featuring the likes of Winston Churchill, George Washington, Sally Ride, Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower, and more. Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor are on a mission to educate others by spreading cheer and telling stories of heroes from all walks of life. By studying history, we learn from the past. And by finding the best moments in history, we hope to inspire a better future. Sunday I was reminded of how much of a history buff I am. And I suppose I was reminded why I came to be a history buff, too. My kids came to help me celebrate Father’s Day. And my oldest brought my grandson: an “exploring” toddler who is curious about anything that captures his attention. Note, I use quotation marks around the word “exploring” as an indication that sometimes young, toddling “explorers” – not knowing better - can sometimes transition to “conquerors”, as any experienced parent might attest. Anyway, on my coffee table was a stack of my working notes, chock-full of historical tidbits and references, and I didn’t want him to “explore” them, lest he “conquer” them. And I immediately recognize that I am thinking of my grandson in terms of the Vikings, Columbus, Ponce de Leon, and Amerigo Vespucci! This is the mind of a history buff at rest on a Sunday afternoon. So, I collected the stack of notes and put them in a drawer out of reach of the little Conquistador. Noticing this, my oldest asked me if they were important papers. I started to explain that they were my working notes, but I redirected and took a different angle. I asked, “Do you know what happened on this day in 1885?” Noting the reply of a shrug, I jokingly said “If you visited the mistletoetom Facebook page you’d know!” (FYI The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor on June 17, 1885. It was a gift from France as a symbol of freedom.) Lesson of that story is I can’t escape my interest in history. And sharing the best of those historical glimpses is at the core of our mission to educate others. Naturally, I also recalled my Dad for Father’s Day. In one of my first blogs here I shared the fact that my Dad passed away when I was only three years old. I have no independent memories of him, and what I do know about him is from what family and friends have shared about him. Over the years, I learned these things about my Dad: He built a house. He bowled. He was a Scout leader. He had an infectious laugh. He didn’t mind if the lake water was cold; he jumped in anyway. He designed things as a draftsman. He was an artist. He knew mathematics. He worked on our parish festival committee. He was a World War II combat veteran who earned the Bronze Star in Europe. He was gone way too soon. My Dad was a husband. He was a father. He is remembered, loved and missed. Indeed, he was gone way too soon. And, for this reason, throughout my life, I had to rely on other people’s historical accounts of who my Dad was and what he was like. All these little glimpses combined to give me a sense of his life and personality. Mostly, I get a feeling for his character because the historians who relayed the stories knew him well. How does this relate to the work of Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor? We try to give you the best glimpses of history: the leadership of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln; the courage of explorers like Buzz Aldrin and Sally Ride; and words of determination like those of Churchill in the face of war. There is a movie from 1984 called, “Starman” with Jeff Bridges. He portrays an alien visiting Earth. At a key point in the movie he says of humanity: “You are at your best when things seem worst.” Science fiction or not: it’s got a lot of truth. Some of the best things we have ever done throughout history have been in response to some of the worst events that have befallen us: Franklin Roosevelt gave courage to the nation through fireside chats and reminded the country in the grip of economic collapse that the “only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Martin Luther King gave lasting breadth to four words, confronting centuries of injustice with the hopeful statement: “I have a Dream!” In the aftermath of 9-11, President Bush addressed Congress and described the strength with which Americans united to help each other and heal together. Churchill rallied his nation and allies in the most perilous moments of war, with the most inspiring determination that, “This is their finest hour!” And the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to America in 1885. It remains as the most iconic symbol of freedom that overcame tyranny and oppression. Life is short. History teaches us so. And the brief glimpses of history that we share are lessons to all of us to make every hour our finest hour. Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor will continue to spread cheer and tell the stories of history & heroes. We hope you find it uplifting and inspiring. See you back here tomorrow! June 15, 2018
Greetings! Happy Friday! Yesterday was the 243rd birthday of the United States Army and it was also Flag Day. Both were cause for celebration, and that is precisely why Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor used our web page and other social media posts to recognize and honor the Army and the flag we call “Old Glory.” Yesterday we celebrate. Today we opine. Sadly, next week, June 21 will mark the anniversary of the 1989 Supreme Court decision in Texas v Johnson that invalidated prohibitions on desecrating the flag. Their decision held that burning the flag was protected speech under the First Amendment. In Justice Kennedy’s concurrence with the decision he wrote, “… It is poignant but fundamental that the flag protects those who hold it in contempt.” On the other hand, in the dissenting words of Chief Justice William Rehnquist, the desecration of the flag is an “inarticulate grunt or roar… not to express any particular idea, but to antagonize others” and is protected by the majority’s ruling. So, as it stands, anyone with a grudge about anything can disrespect or desecrate our flag. Legally, they can. But should they? And why would they? On June 14, 1777 the Continental Congress approved the design of a national flag with these words: “Resolved, that the Flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation.” A new constellation. A set of stars. Guiding lights. Of course, it is just a piece of cloth. Threads sewn together. Colors common to many other flags throughout the world. Indeed, it is a thing in those terms. But it is no ordinary thing. Your car is a thing. Clothes are things. Your phone and computer are things. Some things are more important than other things. We use things to go about our lives. Some things that are important for you are not as important for others, and vice versa. The thing about our flag is, it’s a symbol for all of us. It unites all of us… or at least it should. Our flag? You can see it on a bumper sticker of a car in front of you, or at the courthouse square. The corner store on Main Street flies it, and it graces the front porches of neighbors down the street. It’s a patch worn on the shoulders of our troops in battle. It is on the surface of the moon. It rests with our fallen at the bottom of the sea. It marks our tragedies and our triumphs. It represents our sacrifices. It is a symbol of every citizen from every state. Every color, creed and chemistry. We all are part of that new constellation. And those among us who have sacrificed the most for it, laying down their lives for their brothers, have been carried to their final resting place draped in its glory. Show me a car that carries that much symbolism. Show me a phone, or clothes, or any other THING that carries the spirit and symbolism of our flag. That’s the thing. There’s nothing like it. It’s the one thing that unites all of us. Or, as I said, it should unite all of us. In his poem, “The Voyage of the Good Ship Union” poet Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (father of Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.) wrote about the effort of the Union forces trying to save the nation and abolish slavery during the Civil War. The final lines of the poem are: “One flag, One land, One heart, One hand, One Nation, evermore!” One constellation. Who can disrespect that? And why would they? At Mistletoe Enterprises LLC and Victory & Valor, we honor the Flag of the United States of America. We can, and we do, because we believe WE SHOULD! Too many have sacrificed for what it stands to do anything less than honor it. By honoring the flag, we honor those who sacrificed for our country. On that note, have a good weekend. June 13, 2018 Happy Wednesday! When "writer's block" sets in, as it sometimes does, my back-up plan is to rely on photography. When I first published Victory & Valor in February 2007, the front cover of the premier issue of the magazine featured a photo I took of Mount Ranier. Accompanying the photo was the third stanza of "America the Beautiful" by Katherine Lee Bates: "Oh Beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife Who more than self their country loved And mercy more than life. America! America! May God thy gold refine Till all success be nobleness And every gain divine." Enjoy the scenery! And... God Bless America! See you Friday! ![]() Born June 12, 1924, George H. W. Bush.
Attended Yale, played first base and selected captain of the baseball team. (Photo of Bush accepting copy of Babe Ruth's autobiography.) Navy pilot during World War II; shot down; highly decorated. Elected 41st President of the United States in 1988. Happy Birthday, President Bush! Photos credit George Bush Presidential Library and Museum June 11, 2018 Happy Monday! I hope everyone who had the weekend off was able to enjoy it, and for those who worked over the weekend I hope you will be able to enjoy a break soon. Whenever that break arrives, I suspect you’ll take time to do something to relax, refresh, or rejuvenate your spirit. And I’m pretty sure that whatever that activity is, it will be something you like… something you prefer… something you value. At Mistletoe Enterprises LLC and Victory & Valor our values drive what we do and how we do it. Our passion – our mission – to educate others by spreading cheer and telling the stories of heroes from all walks of life – is shaped and fueled by our values. Our values help us decide what we publish and why we publish it. To begin with, we obviously value education. When we learn we grow, and by planting seeds of wisdom we fulfill our mission. And we recognize that people learn things in different ways. So, we offer a variety of topics to appeal to a variety of tastes and multiple capacities for learning. We base this practice on the theory of noted developmental psychologist Howard Gardener who proposed there are nine types of intelligence (intelligence is a capacity for learning) categorized as: naturalist; musical; logical-mathematical; existential; interpersonal; athletic; linguistic; intrapersonal; and spatial. In practice, Gardener believes that some people are more naturally inclined to learn based on their “strong suit.” Some people are naturally gifted mathematically; others spatially or artistically; and others athletically, etc. Thus, we assemble our content as best we can to appeal to people’s various strengths. We agree with Gardener and value his theory about educating others based on their type of intelligence. Above education, we value Truth. Earlier today in our “On This Day” post we featured a link to the Library of Congress site because on this day, June 11, 1776 the Continental Congress formed a committee to draft the Declaration of Independence. In the weeks that followed they composed a document highlighted by this statement:
“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Less than one-hundred years later, Abraham Lincoln said, “History is not history unless it is the Truth.” We value Truth. We value it in what we learn from others, and we value it in what we deliver to educate others. We also value history. Much of our content looks back at events that shaped or inspired us. Historians believe that our past events cause the present, so the past also forms our future. We believe that learning the truths from our history helps us build a better future. This quote from poet Maya Angelou speaks volumes to this point: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” We value the beauty of nature and the artistic expression that reveals it. We value science and technology that improves our lives and helps us learn. We value the qualities of sportsmanship, teamwork and loyalty that we find in sports. And we value humor. Previously we wrote in this forum about the etymology of the word “Mistletoe.” The source of the word is traced back to Old English phrase “Dung on a twig.” But whatever you may think about our “dung on a twig” brand, we are not a stick in the mud! We enjoy humor. Good natured fun, wit, and humor help spread cheer. And we will incorporate it in our content whenever we can – whenever appropriate. Finally, we value courage. We value the heroes who find the courage to weather storms and rise above the chaos to help the less fortunate. We tell their stories to inspire you. Because we value our followers too. Education. Truth. History. Nature. Art. Science and Technology. Sportsmanship. Teamwork. Loyalty. Humor. Courage. These are our values. We hope you will value Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor enough to help us grow, and to help others grow. Have a great Monday! Talk to you again Wednesday! |
AuthorTom Davis is the owner of Mistletoe Enterprises LLC. He also publishes and distributes the Victory & Valor Flyer, it tells the stories of heroes from all walks of life. Archives
December 2018
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