Wake up cousins! This old timer is popping up out of the shadows where I've been lurking and ready to party. It wouldn't be a family get together if I didn't brag on at least one of the kids. This morning's victim is Ashley, DD#3 of 5. Our eighth graders make a yearly trip to Washington, DC, and the winners of an essay contest get to take part in the Wreath Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Ashley won the right to lay a wreath at the Tomb. Naturally, I've brought along a copy of her essay for you all to pass around. I know that you'll all be as proud of her words as I am. It was done in Word Perfect and my Netscape email tends to butcher the formatting and punctuation on anything copied from WP, but you'll get the idea. Oh, and I also have to mention that DD#1 has been accepted into the School of Engineering at Purdue. Naturally they get their brains from their mom. ;) No, I haven't grown from my 4' 9 1/2", I'm just walking about a foot off the ground. :) Judy in Indiana Ashley's essay: > I’ve never been to the Indy 500 race. In fact, I sleep through > Indianapolis every time my family passes through on Memorial Day > weekend. Ever since before I was born, my family has traveled to > Madison, Indiana on Memorial Day weekend to decorate the graves of > family, friends and others. > Graves of the recently dead were always bedecked with flowers, but many > of the graveyards we visited were old and all but forgotten, lacking any > sign that its inhabitants had ever mattered to anyone. After my mother > decorated the graves of her deceased relatives, my sisters and I were > assigned the task of finding the graves of veterans. > We always stopped at Wal-mart on the way to Madison to pick up as many > miniature flags as we could afford. We used these to place at the > tombstones of the forgotten veterans. My mother explained each year > about the sacrifices these brave men had made for our freedom. This > very small way of honoring them, of telling them “Thank You,” could > never honor all of them. There were never enough flags to go around. > It seemed (and still seems) so unfair that the grave of any person who > fought for our country would be undecorated. > It even got to the point that if we passed through Lafayette without > stopping at Wal-mart, I’d ask my parents, “Aren’t we going to get flags > for the vets this year?” It became so important to me. I thoroughly > enjoyed doing this minuscule thing for the defenders of the country. > We stopped at many graveyards, decorating the veterans’ graves at each > one. Actually, we did more than decorate their graves. We stopped at > each individual grave, called out to the rest of the family their name, > their dates of birth and death, and the service they provided in which > war. > I didn’t realize it then, but those hours spent with my family in old, > moldy graveyards would have a very big impact on the rest of my life. > For all of my remaining days, I would have a strong sense of pride > towards anyone that ever joined a branch of the military. I was proud to > know anyone who would volunteer to make a sacrifice for our country. > I also developed a high respect for any person who had fought, was > injured, or had died in a position of defending their country and their > beliefs. That is why I believe I should place the wreath on The Tomb of > The Unknown Soldier, the symbol of every American veteran’s sacrifice. > "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God," the > inscription says. Three figures carved into the marble represent peace, > victory, and valor. But, in reality, they represent more than that. They > represent the millions of service men and women that fight so that this > nation will prosper. > I find it amazing that the grave of just a few soldiers can emphasize > the struggles and obstacles that every single soldier in any battle has > gone through. Not only that, but it is a symbol of the bravery that they > must have had to go into battle knowing that they might not be returning > back to camp alive, knowing that they might never see their family > again, knowing that their life could quite literally be thrown away with > the trash. > Every soldier has at least a little bit of that bravery. That’s why all > of those veterans’ graves are so special. There’s more to them than a > slab of limestone or an old mossy marble rock. They were people, very > brave people. > If I was chosen to be a part of the ceremony, it would be like adorning > a million more flags on all of the graves I could never get to. It would > be like I was thanking every single American soldier that ever walked on > this country’s land. It would be like I was personally handing a flag to > those soldiers that no one ever remembered. > If chosen, I’d walk up to the tomb, proud of my heritage, proud of my > country, and proud that I have the privilege of being the same thing > those courageous soldiers were. I am an American.

Hi Judy, Its no wonder your daughter won with her essay. Straight fromt he heart. I wonder if you English and American woman are like we Australians. We sit on one side of the party bragging about our kids and showing Photographs of the family, while the men are on the other side of the room, talking about work and sport. Well, I really love photographs being handed around so bring your family photos with you. Some will dance some will sing, tell jokes and there will be others who will sit in the corner and talk, talk and talk some more. Do your own thing. Brag if you want to you deserve to as you all moulded your kids to where they are today. Edie ----- Original Message ----- From: "Judy Harris" <harris@localline.com> To: <ARMSTRONG-L@rootsweb.com> > Ashley's essay: > > > I've never been to the Indy 500 race. In fact, I sleep through > > Indianapolis every time my family passes through on Memorial Day > > weekend. Ever since before I was born, my family has traveled to > > Madison, Indiana on Memorial Day weekend to decorate the graves of > > family, friends and others. > > Graves of the recently dead were always bedecked with flowers, but > many > > of the graveyards we visited were old and all but forgotten, lacking > any > > sign that its inhabitants had ever mattered to anyone. After my > mother > > decorated the graves of her deceased relatives, my sisters and I were > > assigned the task of finding the graves of veterans. > > We always stopped at Wal-mart on the way to Madison to pick up as > many > > miniature flags as we could afford. We used these to place at the > > tombstones of the forgotten veterans. My mother explained each year > > about the sacrifices these brave men had made for our freedom. This > > very small way of honoring them, of telling them "Thank You," could > > never honor all of them. There were never enough flags to go around. > > It seemed (and still seems) so unfair that the grave of any person who > > > fought for our country would be undecorated. > > It even got to the point that if we passed through Lafayette without > > stopping at Wal-mart, I'd ask my parents, "Aren't we going to get > flags > > for the vets this year?" It became so important to me. I thoroughly > > enjoyed doing this minuscule thing for the defenders of the country. > > We stopped at many graveyards, decorating the veterans' graves at > each > > one. Actually, we did more than decorate their graves. We stopped at > > each individual grave, called out to the rest of the family their > name, > > their dates of birth and death, and the service they provided in which > > > war. > > I didn't realize it then, but those hours spent with my family in > old, > > moldy graveyards would have a very big impact on the rest of my life. > > For all of my remaining days, I would have a strong sense of pride > > towards anyone that ever joined a branch of the military. I was proud > to > > know anyone who would volunteer to make a sacrifice for our country. > > I also developed a high respect for any person who had fought, was > > injured, or had died in a position of defending their country and > their > > beliefs. That is why I believe I should place the wreath on The Tomb > of > > The Unknown Soldier, the symbol of every American veteran's sacrifice. > > > "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God," > the > > inscription says. Three figures carved into the marble represent > peace, > > victory, and valor. But, in reality, they represent more than that. > They > > represent the millions of service men and women that fight so that > this > > nation will prosper. > > I find it amazing that the grave of just a few soldiers can emphasize > > > the struggles and obstacles that every single soldier in any battle > has > > gone through. Not only that, but it is a symbol of the bravery that > they > > must have had to go into battle knowing that they might not be > returning > > back to camp alive, knowing that they might never see their family > > again, knowing that their life could quite literally be thrown away > with > > the trash. > > Every soldier has at least a little bit of that bravery. That's why > all > > of those veterans' graves are so special. There's more to them than a > > slab of limestone or an old mossy marble rock. They were people, very > > > brave people. > > If I was chosen to be a part of the ceremony, it would be like > adorning > > a million more flags on all of the graves I could never get to. It > would > > be like I was thanking every single American soldier that ever walked > on > > this country's land. It would be like I was personally handing a flag > to > > those soldiers that no one ever remembered. > > If chosen, I'd walk up to the tomb, proud of my heritage, proud of my > > > country, and proud that I have the privilege of being the same thing > > those courageous soldiers were. I am an American. >