AMERICAN PATRIOT
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FULLSCREEN JANUARY 19, 2011
THE FIRST SUPER BOWL A TRADITION IS BORN UNLOCKING THE FLORIDA KEYS REAGAN MOURNS THE CHALLENGER
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AMERICAN PATRIOT UNLOCKING THE
FLORIDA KEYS
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6 THE FIRST SUPER BOWL
8
A TRADITION IS BORN
TIPPECANOE AND TYLER, TOO
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THIS WEEK IN AMERICAN HISTORY
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UNLOCKING THE
FLORIDA KEYS
As the ravages of Winter 2011 continue, the mind naturally wanders to a Florida visit. Maybe Miami, Orlando or Fort Lauderdale. But don’t forget the intoxicatingly beautiful Key West and the modern Keys in general: a series of unique islands that offer equal parts quiet contemplation and pina colada-fueled tourism. 4 AMERICAN PATRIOT
A BIT OF HISTORY
ROUGH IT
One hundred years ago, the Florida Keys were
The Keys offer plenty of 5-star accommodations,
merely an outpost of American expansion. Sparsely
particularly in Key West and Key Largo. If the idea of
settled, the Keys were accessible only by boat, and
waking up on one of the world’s most stunning
the local economy consisted mainly of piracy and
beaches and freshening up in the ocean is more
smuggling. It was Plutocrat Henry Flagler, convinced
your style, The National Park Service has you cov-
of the economic viability of the region, who built
ered. Bahia Honda State Park and Pennekamp Coral
the Florida Overseas Railway and ushered in the
Reef State Park allow for everything from tent sites
celebrated Hemingway-era settlement. In some
to RV services to affordable cabins. For the really
pockets of the keys, history stopped there. In others,
adventurous, Dry Tortugas National Park sits 70
the lore of an island bohemian paradise brought
miles west of Key West, is accessible only by boat,
throngs of tourist and all the obligatory trappings.
and offers “primitive” camping facilities. www.nps.org
ENJOY THE RIDE Regarding the Keys, getting there is actually more
WHEN IN ROME…
than half the fun. The Overseas Highway (built on the
You go to see the statue of liberty when you’re in
hurricane-ravaged Overseas Railway) is a marvel of
New York, and The Mona Lisa when visiting Paris.
engineering and one of America’s most scenic drives.
You are in Key West, and you are going to put in at
Spanning from the Florida Mainland to the western
least an hour at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, and
tip of the keys. The Highway glides over the myriad
attend the nightly “sunset celebration” at the Mallory
islands offering stunning views of the teal-green
Dock. The sunset celebration offers original art by
water. Stop-offs at the smaller islands offer a peek
local artisans and entertainment that varies by night. www.margaritavillekeywest.com www.sunsetcelebration.org
into the Keys’ sedate, less settled past.
CATCH OF THE DAY Opportunities for chartering a boat for fishing or
EAT
scuba diving are numerous, if a bit expensive. Some
Key West is becoming famous for its mix of long-
of the best deep-sea fishing in the United States is
time, no-frills eating establishments and newcomer
found of the shores of the islands, and a hired boat
haute cuisine. Lunch is recommended at the unpre-
can take divers to the majestic reefs and wrecks.
tentious B.O.’s Fish Wagon, made famous by Bobby
For the more budget minded or those who like to be
Flay’s endorsement, which stated 25 years ago out of
in the water, shallow water fishing is permitted in
an actual wagon. For dinner, trade your sandals for
numerous locations around the keys, and snorkeling
dress shoes and visit Cafe Marquesa, which is off of
is easy and cheap.
the tourist bustle. The menu changes nightly, the food
www.fla-keys.com/fishing
is refined and expertly prepared, and the wine list is the most comprehensive on the island. www.bosfishwagon.com www.marquesa.com/cafe-marquesa.htm AMERICAN PATRIOT 5
THE FIRST SUPER BOWL A TRADITION IS BORN As the NFL playoffs move us closer to the 2011 Superbowl matchup, here is a surprising fact for people younger than 50: the Super Bowl has a very brief history. In fact, the first game was not held until 1967. The game began as a way for the champions of the two professional leagues of the time, the well-established National Football League (NFL) and the upstart American Football League, (AFL) to determine who was number one and to facilitate their merger into the league we know today.
6 AMERICAN PATRIOT
A LITTLE HISTORY.
Kansas City. The Packers dominated, as-
Professional football began in 1920 with the
serting the competitive edge of the NFL.
14-league American Professional Football
It would be Superbowl III before the tide
Association. The APFA became the NFL
would turn, when the New York Jets of the
in 1922, and had no serious competition
AFL defeated the Baltimore Colts, and
until 1960, when the AFL became a major
complete equality between the leagues
power. After years of bitter rivalry, the leagues
was established.
brokered a merger deal. The merger would be gradual, they decided: for the 1967
THREE INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT
season, they’d share a draft and a cham-
SUPER BOWL I:
pionship bowl, and by 1970 they would be merged into a single league of 26 teams,
1. The game was not a sell-out.
the NFL. The NFL was still on top, but this
2. It was televised simultaneously by two
AFL seriously influenced the NFL, unlike
networks NBC and CBS since both had
its predecessors. High-powered passing
broadcast rights to the respective leagues.
strategies and end-zone celebrations are
3. There was no celebrity half time show as
its most durable legacies.
two college marching bands provided the entertainment. It’s all very different today.
The first Super Bowl game itself was played in Los Angeles between the Green Bay
WATCH VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FIRST SUPER BOWL
Packers, top team of the NFL, and the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. Although the contest was officially known as the AFL-NFL World Championship, the Super Bowl name stuck, as did the practice of thinking about the event — Super Bowl Sunday — as a full day of festivities. © BrokenSphere / Wikimedia Commons
The game itself was played at the Memorial Coliseum before 61,946. Quarterback Bart Starr was the first Most Valuable Player as he led the Packers to a 35-10 victory over
AMERICAN PATRIOT 7
The most dangerous animals in the forest don’t live there.
ONLY YOU CAN PR E VE N T W I L D FIRE S. w w w. s m o k e y b e a r. c o m
TIPPECANOE AND TYLER, TOO 8 AMERICAN PATRIOT
The ninth president of the United States, William Henry Harrison, refused to wear a coat during his two hour-long inaugural speech. He caught a cold, which eventually turned into pneumonia, and died 32 days later. Remembered today almost solely for this odd series of events and his nickname “Old Tippecanoe,” Harrison was also the only member of the Whig party to be elected to the presidency. Born on February 9, 1773, Harrison was the
supported economic protectionism. Elected in
youngest of seven children in a politically
1840 by a 53%-47% margin, Harrison’s only
prominent family. He chose a career in the
official act was to call a special session for Con-
military against his family’s wishes for him to
gress to improve the funding of federal projects.
become a physician. His political career began when he was appointed by John Adams,
Harrison mostly ignored his vice president, John
as Governor of the Indian Territory (present
Tyler, who was a Democrat running with him
day Illinois and Indiana) for twelve years. He
to create a unity party under the slogan
gained national fame for defeating an American
“Tippecanoe and Tyler, too.” The phrase be-
Indian force at the Battle of Tippecanoe in
came one of the catchiest and most popular
1811, where he won the “Tippecanoe” nick-
campaign slogans and songs in the history of
name. After the War of 1812, Harrison served
U.S. elections, and contrasted the team with
in the House of Representatives, then became
the dour Van Buren.
the Senator from Ohio. He took a few years off from public life to open a distillery on his
When Harrison died on April 4, 1841, however,
Ohio farm, but became perturbed that his
Tyler was thrust into the spotlight. Congress
customers so misused the product.
and scholars debated over whether Tyler would become President or an Acting President under
Harrison was drafted to run for president as
the Constitution. The debate was decided in
the Whig candidate, a new political party
favor of treating an acceding Vice President
which arose in backlash against the powerful
as a full President, with all the duties and re-
populist administration of Andrew Jackson
sponsibilities of the office.
and his unpopular successor Martin Van Buren. The new party supported the supremacy of the Congress over the executive branch and
LYRICS TO THE CAMPAIGN SONG TIPPECANOE AND TYLER, TOO.
AMERICAN PATRIOT 9
SMOOTH SAILING FOR
ANNAPOLIS
10 AMERICAN PATRIOT
Today’s Annapolis is the educational arm of a modern, nuclear, supersonic, digital Navy. It was not always thus. The earliest attempts at establishing an American elite naval academy were a series of false starts: there was the Philadelphia Naval Asylum School, which was deemed to small and antiquated, saw discipline deteriorate, and ended with the hanging of two attempted studentmutineers. The legacy was public outrage and doubts about the notion of “learning by doing” while on the seas for potential midshipmen. So frustrated with the state of naval education
structures. A comprehensive curriculum and
in the young United States, Secretary of the
summer sea duty were established and remain
Navy George Bancroft established Fort Severn
at the core of USNA education.
in Annapolis, MD, even though it initially had no Congressional funding. The choice of
The Naval Academy at Annapolis has mod-
Annapolis wasn’t strategic but cultural; he
ernized at a steady clip throughout its history.
wanted to establish the school to a place
Bachelor of Science degrees began being
“healthy and secluded,” free of “the temp-
awarded in 1933, and the standard curriculum
tations and distractions that necessarily
has expanded to include 18 distinct areas of
connect with a large and populous city.”
study. Women joined the freshman class in 1976, a landmark event. As an indication of
The inaugural class was comprised of fifty
the success of its graduates, alumni include
midshipmen, taught by seven professors.
one president (Jimmy Carter), 22 Members
Subjects covered included mathematics and
of Congress, 5 Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs
navigation, gunnery and steam, chemistry,
of Staff, 52 Astronauts, 45 Rhodes Scholars,
English, natural philosophy, and French.
and 73 Medal of Honor winners.
In 1850, the school officially became the
Every day, the Academy strives to accomplish
United States Naval Academy. A rapid expan-
the core mission that dates back to it’s found-
sion saw the campus grow from 10 acres to
ing: to develop midshipmen “morally, mentally
338, and enrollment reached 4,000. The
and physically.”
wooden buildings that came to be a symbol
TOUR THE ACADEMY AND OTHER SIGHTS OF ANNAPOLIS MD
of Fort Severn were replaced with granite
AMERICAN PATRIOT 11
USO SUPPORTING THE TROOPS
The USO, or United Service Organizations, was established in 1941 following a request by Franklin D. Roosevelt for private organizations to provide for on-leave recreation and entertainment to the growing military. A group of six civilian agencies — the Salvation Army, YMCA, YWCA, National Catholic Community Services, National Travelers Aid Association and The National Jewish Welfare Board — banded together to accomplish this end. The USO remains a private, nonprofit organization, and funding comes exclusively through citizens and corporations. 12 AMERICAN PATRIOT
The military expanded rapidly at the onset of war in Europe — from 50,000 to 12 million in the years 1940-1944. The USO met the growing need for services and entertainment by establishing facilities ranging from churches and museums to yacht clubs, log cabins and barns. At its peak in 1944, there were more than 3,000 clubs, places to dance and socialize, to write letters, see movies and seek counsel. One of the mainstays of the USO operation is the “Camp Show”, where entertainers from music and film are brought on bases to perform live shows. During World War II, the USO put on 428,521 performances, to audiences ranging from 25 to 15,000, spanning the globe. In all, the USO could claim 1.5 million volunteers during World War II. The USO was disbanded in 1947, but regrouped in 1950 at the onset of the Korean War. Though the war ended in a truce in 1953, the more than million troops that remained stationed abroad still needed the services. The organization grew through peacetime, and established its first base in Vietnam in 1963. As that war escalated, the USO expanded in size and scope. For the first time, Camp Shows were held in combat zones. Volunteering became more dangerous and there were several USO-related deaths. The organization continues to this day as a modern communications and entertainment
driven organization. It has a large presence in all conflicts, including The Gulf War, Somalia, The Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as providing services for the enlisted during peacetime. Recent shows underscore the value of their ability to boost morale, with performances from noted artists Aerosmith, Toby Keith, and Wayne Newton; and celebrity appearances from Bruce Willis, Jessica Simpson and James Gandolfini. Following a mid-1970s review of the USO mission and viability, the United Way of America's Committee on National Agency Support came to this conclusion on the continuing value of the USO: “If there were no USO, another organization would have to be created…. Isolation of the military from civilian influences is not, we believe in the interest of this nation.” FIND A USO LOCATION NEAR YOU AMERICAN PATRIOT 13
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“We’ve grown used to wonders in this century. It’s hard to dazzle us. But for twenty-five years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we’ve only just begun. We’re still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.” — PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN JANUARY 1986, MOURNING THE FIERY EXPLOSION OF THE CHALLENGER SPACE SHUTTLE. MILLIONS WATCHED THE TAKEOFF BECAUSE IT CARRIED CHRISTA MCAULIFFE, THE FIRST PARTICIPANT IN THE TEACHER IN SPACE PROJECT.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE SPEECH
14 AMERICAN PATRIOT
THIS WEEK IN
AMERICAN HISTORY
1950. The Great Brinks Robbery took place in Boston; it was the largest robbery in U.S. history at the time and it shocked the country. The robbers skillfully executed the theft at The Brinks Building leaving very few clues or leads. A group of eleven thieves took millions in checks, money orders, and other securities. Eight were eventually caught and convicted. A very small amount of the money was ever recovered. AMERICAN PATRIOT 15
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