AMERICAN PATRIOT
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APRIL 5, 2011
ARMY TEN MILER US ENTERS WWI HURRAY FOR HOLLYWOOD (SIGN)
AMERICAN PATRIOT 25 YEARS AT THE
ARMY TEN MILER
4 8 POSTAL SERVICE PAST AND PRESENT
6 HURRAY FOR HOLLYWOOD (SIGN)
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
THIS WEEK IN AMERICAN HISTORY
25 YEARS AT THE
ARMY TEN-MILER 4 AMERICAN PATRIOT
The 26th annual Army Ten-Miler will take place on Sunday, October 9 in Washington, DC. The race is one of the three largest 10 mile road races in the world, and has both its start and finish lines at the Pentagon. A full weekend of events on and around the National Mall are also planned. The ATM, as the race is fondly called, is produced by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington, with proceeds benefiting Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation, a comprehensive network of support and leisure services designed to enhance the lives of Soldiers and their families. The mission of the Army Ten-Miler is to promote the Army, build esprit de corps, support fitness goals, and enhance community relations. No one has displayed
contractor for Applied Research Associates. But
that spirit more than Lew
even while he lived in Alabama, he returned every
Goldberg, the only runner
year to run the race.
who has participated in all 25 previous races. Goldberg doesn’t consider himself an athlete. In fact, at
He moved back to Crystal City in 1999 and has continued to keep his commitment to the Army TenMiler. Goldberg, though, isn’t one to run the race by himself. For him, the day is all about fun and
62, he doesn’t even necessarily consider himself a serious runner. “The reality of it is I’m not a running enthusiast like so many people that run all the time ... I’m not a fast runner,” said Goldberg, who placed number 10, 621 out of 10,698 male runners at the 2008 Army Ten-Miler. But that hasn’t stopped Goldberg from stepping up to the starting line every October since that first race 25 years ago. Goldberg got his start with the Army Ten-Miler as an in-shape soldier. “The Army had sent me to school at Ft. McNair in 1985,” he said. “That was the first year of the Army Ten-Miler.” After completing his studies at the National War College, Goldberg stayed on at the Pentagon for seven more years – and ran the race each fall. After
camaraderie. Over the years, he’s recruited a number of his co-workers, friends and family to run with him. In 1990, for example, when he was a division chief, Goldberg had all 15 of his staff out on the course. This year, he’ll have his two daughters, ages 33 and 37, his grandson and four people from his office in tow. The patriotic part of the race plays a big role every year, said Goldberg. “The opening ceremony with the National Anthem is touching,” he says. “After 9/11, I cried for about six months. I have a memory of standing there (the first race after Sept. 11). They played the National Anthem at the beginning of the race. Looking around, seeing 25,000 people, it’s special...And then the places you go by, the Capitol, the Mall. It’s a feel good event is all I can say.”
retiring from the Army as a Colonel in 1993, Goldberg moved to Huntsville AL to take a job as a defense
ENTER OR VOLUNTEER FOR THE ATM
AMERICAN PATRIOT 5
HURRAY FOR HOLLYWOOD (SIGN)
Like the Statue of Liberty or the Golden Gate Bridge, the Hollywood Sign has become a representation of the United States around the world. Movies, music videos, and TV shows often feature the sign as an inspirational symbol for the American dream, but what is the actual history behind the sign? Harvey Wilcox, founder of the California town,
By 1915, Hollywood had become the epicenter
often took advice from his wife, but her most lasting
for the movie industry. Film was becoming an integral
suggestion was the name “Hollywood.” Mrs. Wilcox
part of American culture; almost 40 million Amer-
had heard a woman on the train calling her summer-
icans were going to the movies each week. Hopeful
house, “Hollywood,” and was intrigued by the sound.
actors and directors flocked to Hollywood creating
In 1907, the first film crew moved out to the town
a suave and glamorous atmosphere with nightclubs,
in search of good weather. Hearing that California
restaurants, and bars. Hollywood represented a
was the place to film, companies began relocating
glamorous lifestyle and the image never died.
from the East Coast to the sunny beaches.
6 AMERICAN PATRIOT
In 1923, Harry Chandler commissioned the “Hollywoodland Sign.” It was intended to advertise his upscale real estate development and was just meant to be left up for a year. The sign cost a then-unprecedented $21,000 to build. Each of the 13 letters is 30 feet wide and 50 feet tall. Construction workers had to drag metal squares that make up the sign up Mt. Lee along dirt paths. When constructed, the sign featured 4,000 twenty watt bulbs; the sign would blink “Holly” then “wood” into the night sky.
Beyond Chandler’s imagination, the sign become one of the best known in the world and an integral part of the popular culture. In 1949, the “land” was removed so that the sign just read “Hollywood” and stood for the entire region. Then in 1978, after years of decay, the sign had a rebirth. With help from famous donors like Gene Autry, Alice Cooper, and Andy Williams, the old sign was taken down and replaced. The new sign was created using 194 tons of concrete, enamel, and steel. The sign remains to this day a pop culture icon.
A WEBCAM LOOKS AT THE SIGN FROM TWO PERSPECTIVES
AMERICAN PATRIOT 7
HOW TO
LIVE UNITED: JOIN HANDS. OPEN YOUR HEART. LEND YOUR MUSCLE.
FIND YOUR VOICE. GIVE 10%. GIVE 100%.
GIVE 110%. GIVE AN HOUR. GIVE A SATURDAY. THINK OF WE BEFORE ME. REACH OUT A HAND TO ONE AND
INFLUENCE THE CONDITION OF ALL.
GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER.
LIVE UNITED
™
Want to make a difference? Help create opportunities for everyone in your community. United Way is creating real, lasting change where you live, by focusing on the building blocks of a better life– education, income and health. That’s what it means to Live United. For more, visit LIVEUNITED.ORG.
POSTAL SERVICE PAST AND FUTURE
From the very beginning, starting with the Continental Congress, it was clear that an effective postal system would be imperative for functioning of the United States. Having designed a postal system for the colonies as early as 1775, Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first United States Postmaster General. And when the Constitution was drafted in 1788, the Post Office was incorporated directly into Article I in recognition of its importance to growth and stability. 8 AMERICAN PATRIOT
Almost immediately, the Post Office began to
it. Other famous postal workers have included
expand, accelerated by the Louisiana Purchase
William Faulkner, Walt Disney, Bing Crosby,
in 1803. Increasing from the original 75 post
and Charles Lindbergh.
offices, by 1823 there were 84,860 post offices across 22 states. Postal employees accounted
The late twentieth century has been less glo-
for 76% of the civilian federal workforce. Postal
rious. The U.S. Postal Service has morphed into
routes became quicker and more roads were
a quasi-public organization, privately operated
built in order to deliver mail to rural areas more
though still backed by the government. It is
easily. Steamboats became incorporated into
under increasing pressure to consolidate offices
the mail routes. When mail was not getting to
and shrink from its current 650,000-plus
the Pacific Coast fast enough, the Pony Express
workers, as the internet and successful private
was introduced, and then soon eclipsed by
competitors like UPS and FedEx eat away at
train delivery. By the early twentieth century,
volume and profit. In response, the service has
the Post Office added airmail delivery and
produced Vision 2013, an internal plan for the
had secured state-of-the-art transportation to
future: a commitment to strengthen core oper-
deliver mail further and faster.
ations and services, and to balance an urgent need to reduce costs with continued investment
A few facts you may not know. The first postage
in new technology and strategies. States the
stamp was sold on July 1, 1847 in New York.
Postal Service: “We will be guided by one prin-
It had a picture of Benjamin Franklin with
ciple: we exist to serve our customers. This
some adhesive tape on the back. The stamp
vision is our commitment to ensuring a vital
cost 5 cents and clerks cut it out by hand.
Postal Service for future generations.�
Until 1856, only George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were featured on the stamp. Two presidents have served as Postmasters Generals: Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman.
LEARN MORE AT THE NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM DOWNLOAD VISION 2013
Lincoln made $55.70 annually for his job, but his small salary was supplement by free mail service and a free daily newspapers. The mail only arrived once a week, and if the addressee did not collect it, Lincoln would hand deliver AMERICAN PATRIOT 9
NEW YORK’S NIAGARA FALLS
10 AMERICAN PATRIOT
Niagara Falls is often associated with Canada and it is a common to forget that it also falls onto the U.S. side of the border. In fact, New York State houses the beautiful Niagara Falls State Park and many other attractions where you can be awed by the waterfall and join in the fun. From whichever vantage point you look,
taking observation tower. Other attractions
Niagara Falls is majestic. Water from Niagara
accessible from the New York side: Rainbow
Falls drops 176 feet into Lake Ontario.
Bridge, Cave of the Winds, Goat Island and
Between April and October, 100,000 cu ft/
Prospect Point.
sec of water flow over the falls, and during the other half of the year, 50,000 cu ft/sec
Visitors also learn of Niagara Falls’ magnetic
of water flow. Some of this raw power is now
attraction to the most daring of daredevils.
diverted to hydroelectric power generating
There is a long tradition of thrill-seekers
stations for sustainable energy; not to worry,
attempting to conquer the Falls. In 1826,
this does not detract from the view! Due to
Sam Patch was the first to jump from a high
the massive amounts of water, the Falls
tower into the gorge and survive. Following
does not freeze during the winter; however
Sam, Annie Taylor began the tradition of
the flow did once stop in 1848 when an ice
attempting the Falls in a barrel. She survived.
jam completely blocked the Niagara River.
As recently as October 2003, Kirk Jones jumped just wearing just the clothes on his
Canada has done a wonderful job of making
back and survived. For visitors who are not
its side of the falls appealing. But don’t for-
interested in plunging into the water, the
get the New York side where Niagara Falls
Maid of the Mist, which visits the New York
State Park was established in 1885. The
side, is a popular boat tour that gives adven-
state park was designed by Fredrick Law
turers an intimate but dry look at the Falls.
Olmstead, who also designed New York City’s Central Park. There you can see how the
VISITORS CENTER FOR NIAGARFALLS STATE PARK
Falls were formed and explore natural features such as ecology, geology, and wildlife. A Discovery Center features fossils and
A TOURIST INFORMATIONAL VIDEO ABOUT THE U.S. SIDE OF NIAGARA FALLS
minerals, a multi-screen theatre recreates the history of the Falls, and there is a break-
AMERICAN PATRIOT 11
CHRYSLER’S QUEST
The Chrysler Building towers over midtown Manhattan. Commissioned by William P. Chrysler and designed by William Van Alen between 1928 and 1930, the building is the ultimate Art Deco skyscraper. Using a steel frame and cladding the outside with metal, Van Alen created an architectural beauty. The intricate design on top was inspired by automobile patterns used on Chrysler cars. On the corners of the sixtyfirst floor stand eagles that are replicas of the 1929 Chrysler hood ornaments while on the thirty-first floor are representations of the Chrysler automobile radiator caps. Chrysler was a competitive man and his building was being constructed at the height of the race to build the world’s tallest skyscraper. Van Alen hid the spire, 185 feet tall and specifically requested by Chrysler, inside the building until the very end of the project. On October 23, 1929, the lower part of the spire was hoisted to the top of the building. After the bottom section was secured, the rest of the spire was hoisted up and erected in just ninety minutes. Standing at 1,046 feet tall, the Chrysler Building was the world’s tallest building — for seven months — beating out the Eiffel Tower. It reigned until the Empire State Building was completed. Currently, the Chrysler Building is still in the top ten in the U.S. Despite Van Alen’s success, he was never paid for his work on the building. Chrysler refused to pay the architect because he believed the man was involved in shifty financial dealings with the building’s contractors. In his autobiography, Chrysler left out Van Alen’s involvement in the building.
The architect was largely dismissed from the public eye until after Chrysler’s death when The New York Times reintroduced him to posterity. The building has grown to be a favorite in New York City. The Art Deco design appeals to each new generation of New Yorker. AERIAL SHOTS OF THE CHRYSLER BUILDING AT SUNSET
AMERICAN PATRIOT 13
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“WorriedaboutanIRSaudit?Avoidwhat'scalledaredflag. That'ssomethingtheIRSalwayslooksfor.Forexample,say youhavesomemoney leftinyourbankaccountafterpaying taxes. That's a red flag.” — COMEDIAN JAY LENO FEDERAL TAXES ARE DUE APRIL 18
14 AMERICAN PATRIOT
THIS WEEK IN
AMERICAN HISTORY
1917. US ENTERS WORLD WAR I America formally entered World War I after Germany violated the U.S. attempt at neutrality by attacking U.S. ships, and British ships with U.S. passengers, in the North Atlantic. In 1917, the Germans intensified their war of attrition and the U.S. broke diplomatic relations with Germany, after which the American liner Housatonic was sunk by a German U-boat. Congress then passed a $250 million arms appropriations bill intended to make the country ready for war. After several more incidents, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress for a Declaration of War. By late June, more than 10,000 American troops landed in France. AMERICAN PATRIOT 15
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