September 11, 2019
Comerica Park, Detroit Michigan: The dark gray clouds and periodic thunderstorms that rolled through the metro-Detroit area last Wednesday were a stark departure from the clear blue skies of September 11, 2001. As I tuned in that afternoon to local radio stations while driving to Comerica Park, the weather forecasts raised doubts the game would proceed as scheduled. As it turned out, the game between the Tigers and Yankees was, in fact, postponed due to weather. But while waiting in the press box for that official announcement, I used the time and the vantage point to reflect on a few things about the connections between baseball and America. Baseball has been characterized as our national pastime. For decades, baseball has carried an unwritten obligation to elevate the spirit of the country in its own way, when it can, and as it feels it must. In 1955, the late Hall of Fame radio broadcaster, Ernie Harwell published: "The Game for All America." Many, including myself, regard it as the penultimate essay on baseball. Without specifically saying so, it acknowledges that it's just a game - an entertaining diversion in a world full of real problems - but one that uplifts the spirit of our country. It's a history lesson and a tribute in words. A row of six monuments behind the leftfield wall of Comerica Park carries a history lesson and pays tribute to baseball, too. On this particular day, the nearby flag in left-centerfield hung at half-staff in tribute to the thousands of Americans who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. As much as Cobb, Gehringer, Greenberg, Newhouser, Horton and Kaline have etched their monumental baseball names into the memories of Tigers fans, the events of that day eighteen years ago remain seared in the memories of most who were old enough to witness it. The flag carries those memories. The pregame ceremonies were expected to honor first responders, and the national anthem was to be performed by Martin Rucker, a veteran Detroit firefighter who had sung the anthem on 9/11 last year, and on other occasions. And the New York Yankees, contending for the playoffs this season, just as they had in 2001, were expected to take the field against the Tigers. Our country rallied around New York in the days after 9/11/2001. We mourned with them, prayed for them, and lifted them up through charitable acts and gestures of goodwill. The Yankees organization, along with all of the Major League Baseball clubs, united as well to do the same for our country in an effort to reclaim a sense of normalcy in an otherwise chaotic time. We remember. We remember the blue skies. We remember the smoke and ash. We remember the lives that were lost. We remember the heroes who rushed in to help. We remember that baseball suspended games for a week. But we also remember that baseball - like the rest of America - resumed. And weeks later when, in a small but significantly uplifting act, President Bush took the mound at Yankee Stadium to throw the ceremonial first pitch before Game Three of the World Series. America had changed, indeed. So had the world in which we lived. But we held on to our values. Exactly eighteen years later, storms rolled into the metro-Detroit area. The game between the Yankees and Tigers was postponed. Sure, I was disappointed as I exited the park, but I took another walk to see those monuments. And I was reminded again with a rush and flurry of all those "baseball things" that keep my priorities straight and my perspective centered. That flag is near the monuments. No, I corrected myself: the monuments are near the flag. It's nothing compared to the iconic image of the Marines hoisting the colors on Iwo Jima... but, in its own significant way, baseball does what it can to lift the spirit of our country. The game was rained out. The pregame ceremonies and the anthem were rained out. But on September 11, 2019, our flag was still there.
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Happy Monday!
Mistletoe Enterprises LLC and Victory & Valor have brought you stories of history & heroes since we began last year. We've also brought stories of numerous holidays throughout the calendar year. So, as we have modified our website, we've consolidated our theme and message into these three words: "HOLIDAYS, HISTORY & HEROES!" Heroes do great things. History records their acts. Holidays honor them. That's why Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor bring you the stories we share here in our blog, in the content of the website, and in the posts of our Facebook page. HOLIDAYS, HISTORY & HEROES is more than a theme... it's our mission. We hope you appreciate our efforts. And we encourage you to help spread the word about Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor! Cheers! November 15. Michigan. Opening day of firearms season for white tail deer.
More than 500,000 hunters head to the woods, forests and farmlands throughout the state in hopes of taking a deer. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) estimates that the firearm dear season has an impact of more than $2 Billion on the Michigan economy. Many school districts opt for no classes on this day. It's also among the top days of the year for employees to call in sick or take a vacation day. It's that popular. And it has been this way for decades. According to the DNR, the greatest population of deer are in the southern lower peninsula, and the areas believed to give hunters the best chance of success are the central counties. Still, many hunters will head further north. No matter what, Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor wish all hunters a safe and successful hunt! We love the tradition, the stories of deer camp... and venison stew is among my favorites! Good Luck! Be safe! And Happy Opening Day! Happy Monday! On Saturday, the United States Navy celebrated its 243rd Birthday. With such a long and rich heritage, and with so many notable figures and accomplishments, no blog or even a series of blogs could capture that much history, with so many stories of service and sacrifice. But Happy Birthday just doesn't seem adequate, either. If you're a regular follower of Mistletoe Enterprises and this Victory & Valor Blog, you might remember that I retired from the Air Force after a twenty-five year career. I've also written about the fact that my Dad and several uncles served in the military during World War Two. But I don't recall mentioning that I have several cousins and other relatives who served with the Marine Corps and Navy during the Vietnam War era. I was just a youngster when the Vietnam War was escalating in the mid-sixties. But I was aware enough to know that the reports from the war were broadcast every night on the news, matter of factly, by the likes of Chet Huntley and David Brinkley. Some stories were well known. Some were not. I was reminded recently by a friend of the stories of one of the military's units that was not as well known, but whose service, sacrifices and accomplishments during the Vietnam War were extraordinary: the United States Navy Seawolves of HA(L)-3 Squadron. The HA(L)-3 Seawolves began in 1966, with an all volunteer force of aviators. Eighty aviators were selected. On 1 April 1967, HA(L)-3 was officially established in South Vietnam. Their first of many big battles actually began on October 31, 1966. Using Army equipment, the Seawolves sank 15 boats and the Viet Cong suffered heavy losses. As they developed experience, their primary mission was in support of the SEALORDS strategy. (South East Asia Lakes Ocean Rivers and Delta Strategy) The campaign disrupted enemy operations in the Delta area; cut supply-lines; patrolled interior and coastal waterways; and worked in close support of Navy SEALs. HA(L)-3 was decommissioned in March 1972. Their squadron had flown more than 120,000 combat missions. Between 1966 and 1972, the Seawolves lost 44 pilots and gunners; more than 200 were wounded. The HA(L)-3 Seawolves were highly decorated. They earned 5 NAVY Crosses, 31 Silver Stars, 219 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 156 Purple Hearts, 101 Bronze Stars, 15,964 Air Medals, and multiple Presidential Unit Citations. Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor are proud to salute the Navy on the occasion of its 243rd Birthday! And we're equally proud to recognize the service and sacrifice of all who have honorably served, including the HA(L)-3 Seawolves Squadron. The following sources were used: The following references were used to compile information for this blog:
https://youtu.be/W4f_hQP1sdk http://www.seawolf.org/aircraft/dongtam.asp http://www.sealtwo.org/usnseawolves.htm https://www.pnj.com/story/news/military/2015/05/07/hal-seawolves-speak-naval-aviation-symposium/70985244/ https://blog.usni.org/posts/2009/05/15/flightdeck-friday-seawolves On October 9, 2017, Mistletoe Enterprises LLC was formed by Tom Davis in the State of Michigan. Yes, Mistletoe Enterprises is one year old! And we're looking forward to many more anniversaries ahead. Our Victory & Valor publications have a little longer history: the first issue debuted in February 2007. Revitalized, Mistletoe Enterprises LLC and Victory & Valor have been reaching and teaching thousands of readers with stories about history and heroes. As the owner, I'm pleased with the accomplishments in our first year. We've reached nearly 10,000 readers and visitors to our website and Facebook page; we've established a loyal following; and we've reached most of our first-year goals for content. As we embark on our second year, we look to improve and grow. Topping our list is to convert the Victory & Valor educational publications into a non-profit charitable entity. Admittedly, this was one goal of our first year that we didn't achieve. This compels us to try harder. We're incredibly grateful for our friends and followers! Thank You for your support! You can always visit mistletoetom.com for stories about history and heroes. For more about Mistletoe Tom, Victory & Valor, and Mistletoe Enterprises visit: http://www.mistletoetom.com/about.html Happy Labor Day! I hope you had a great summer, and you're enjoying this long holiday weekend. This holiday pays tribute to the American worker.
In our #OTD Facebook post earlier, we remembered the date of September 3, 1991. On that day, Frank Capra, the Italian-American award winning director of, "It's a Wonderful Life," (Pictured) and the World War II documentary series, "Why We Fight", died in La Quinta, California at the age of 94. It's worth repeating: his body of work in film captured the essence of the American dream, and paid tribute to the common heroics witnessed in all walks of ordinary American life. Consider the image (above) from "It's a Wonderful Life." It was made shortly after WWII ended. Among the characters in that one screenshot are a pharmacist; a cop; a taxi driver; a war hero; homemakers and Red Cross volunteers; a clerk; and several more who lived and worked in "Bedford Falls." Theirs is a fictitious story. But it plays out to a great degree in reality time and time again in our beautiful country! And Capra captured this in many of his movies. Not surprisingly, Capra volunteered for military duty within days of the 1941 attacks on Pearl Harbor. He was 44 years old, and already well established with multiple award winning films to his credit. He didn't have to volunteer. But he felt an obligation to serve. Capra was commissioned as a Lieutenant Colonel. He served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps and worked directly for General George Marshall to produce the "Why We Fight" series. For his work in inspiring the troops, uplifting morale, and rallying the public, Frank Capra was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by General Marshall in 1945. (Pictured.) We always remind our followers that you can visit mistletoetom.com for stories about history and heroes. We try to bring interesting, informative and inspirational content to you. It's at the heart of our mission... and we love the work we do. This Labor Day, Mistletoe Enterprises LLC and Victory & Valor paid tribute to the work of Frank Capra, as his work celebrates and embodies the American worker. And that translates to the work YOU do! We at Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor took a brief and much needed vacation the last couple weeks. But we'll be back tomorrow with more stories of history & heroes. Until then... Have a Safe and "Wonderful" Labor Day Holiday! And browse some of the following photos that display some of the results of our work as a nation. Images: US Army / Public Domain Happy Wednesday! Sorry for the resolution lost in the process of transferring these pictures, printed on paper back in the late 1990's, into digital format. I will work to improve on this in the future. You deserve quality content from Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor.
For now, I hope you enjoy. See you Friday! August 11, 2018
Happy Saturday! While “On The Road with Victory & Valor”, here’s a brief look at the Looking Glass River in mid-Michigan. The Looking Glass River flows westerly for about 70 miles from its source in northwest Livingston County, winding its way through Laingsburg (Shiawassee County), and Dewitt (Clinton County), before draining into the Grand River at Portland, Michigan in southeast Ionia County. There are numerous locations along its path ideal for fishing, the western portion below Dewitt being more suitable for other recreational activities such as canoeing and kayaking. These photos were taken in Clinton County. Hope you’re enjoying the weekend! Keep following us here for more “On The Road with Victory & Valor.” |
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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