Patriotic

The bedraggled eagle got into a fight with a fellow eagle over a duck swimming in a river. Both fighting for the tasty bird who was smart enough to duck every time they swooped down. The two eagles fought each other while the little duck got away. One eagle got tired of the fray and the other you can see, in this picture, had to sit quietly until his feathers went back in place so he could fly off to battle another day. The author of the written article thought the eagle reminded him of America today.

America was once the greatest nation in the world but there have been inroads to make us less than what we really are. We are a naive people and have big hearts and wait much too long to stand up to the 'ills' right here at home. We always seem to learn the hard way. Our veterans need all the help they can get and the 'system' has needed fixing for a very long time.

It took many years to finally build a memorial to our World War II veterans who gave their lives, their limbs, their minds to saving not only our allies but ourselves from the tyrants of our world. Medals for bravery but poor quality care for a lot of those men and women who fought so long and so well. There has been no stop to war, it continues today in a different part of the world and our young men and women are out in the front lines suffering, once again, their limbs, their minds and we hear less and less about what is really going on.

Back in World War II something of a small miracle happened when a company in England made special Monopoly games to send to the prisoners of war through the Red Cross. The games had the usual board and pieces but it had a secret too. It was a hidden map showing those that escaped how to get back 'home' and even the little pieces were tiny tools to help them on their way. It was a story that never got into print and the secret was kept for well over fifty years. There was help and hope and thousands made it home. I wonder if there are 'helpers' working for our young men and women today.

So today when you are out and about, take a minute to offer a small prayer for those that are over in Iraq and Afghanistan doing the hellish job of trying to survive one day as it comes as they track the terrorists in unforgivable country sides. Write a letter, donate to the 'red hats' in your neighborhood who send packages to our troops, and pray a lot for each and everyone of them. Soon it will be Poppy Day and the Veterans organizations will be out there selling the small red poppy as a reminder that help is needed now. So give generously. Semper Fi . . .