AMERICAN PATRIOT MAY 4, 2011
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MOTHER’S DAY FREEDOM RIDERS PRAISE THE LORD AND PASS THE AMMUNITION
AMERICAN PATRIOT THE MOTHER OF MOTHER’S DAY
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6 SKATING FOR
LORD STANLEY’S CUP
8 PATTON A CONTROVERSIAL AMERICAN HERO
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AMERICA’S PARKS
WHERE THE DINOSAUR ROAMED
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
THIS WEEK IN AMERICAN HISTORY
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THE MOTHER OF
MOTHER’S DAY
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Mothers Day in America takes place the second Sunday in May. This year, the date is May 9. Now one of the most popular and observed of holidays, it did not easily take root in the New World. The idea of a day to honor mothers has a
Burkett proposed the idea of Mothers Day
rich history; spiritually the roots lie in early
as a national holiday on the Senate floor, but
Egyptian worship of goddesses. The Ancient
the proposal was initially dismissed. Despite
Greek and Roman also both had maternal
this federal defeat, the commemorative day
goddesses. The actual holiday originated in
spread to 46 states, with Jarvis’ own West
the 1600’s as Mothering Day in England. But,
Virginia leading the way.
oddly, the notion did not translate easily to colonial America. When the pilgrims settled
Bowing to the trend, in 1914 President
in America they ignored the practice of
Woodrow Wilson signed the holiday into a
Mothering day and, for centuries, the practice
national observance. Wilson originally intended
not adopted in the United States. Never-
the day to be one of solidarity with mothers
theless, several attempts were made over
who had lost children in war, but the holiday
the years to institute the holiday, if only as
expanded to a national celebration of mother-
a chance for mothers to gather to honor
hood. In 1934, Franklin Delano Roosevelt
sons who had died in the Civil War. A woman
approved a stamp commemorating the hol-
named Ann Jarvis was among those who
iday and, in 2008, every single member of
organized such events.
Congress voted on a resolution commemorating Mothers Day to show their support for
In 1908, Ann’s daughter,
American mothers. They dared not.
Anna Marie Jarvis, took the lead, petitioning her
So buy your chocolates and flowers and
church for a Mothers Day
decorate that macaroni card because the
celebration. Jarvis was
second Sunday of May is now officially a
from a small town in
nationwide celebration of mothers in the
Webster WV; after her
United States. And give a nod to Anna Marie
mother, the activist Ann, passed away, she
Jarvis by wearing a carnation, the flower
came up with the idea of a national holiday
which has come to represent Mothers Day
to celebrate mothers. The YMCA and many
because it was Anna’s mom’s favorite.
church groups adopted the cause and petitioned the Congress. Nebraska Senator Elmer
LEARN MORE ABOUT ANNA MARIE JARVIS
SKATING FOR
LORD STANLEY’S CUP 6 AMERICAN PATRIOT
The Stanley Cup may seem worth a fortune to professional hockey players, but the actual trophy was purchased for a mere $50. Lord Stanley of Preston, who was Canada’s Governor-General, bought the cup in 1892 to be presented to the “championship hockey club of the Dominion of Canada.” For years, it went to whoever was deemed the top amateur club in the land. The professional National Hockey Association took possession of the cup in 1910, and since 1926 only National Hockey League teams — indisputably the top professional league in Canada — have competed for the prize. There have been numerous alterations to the
it is presented on the ice to the captain of the
Cup itself. Early on, tiered rings were added
winning team after the ultimate game; each
periodically to the bottom of the bowl. Because
member of the victorious club carries the trophy
the Cup is the only professional sports trophy
around the rink; and the captain, upon receiving
where the name of every member of the win-
the Cup, hoists it overhead and skate around
ning team is inscribed, bands are often retired
the rink.
to make room for new champions. Retired bands, along with the original Stanley Cup
There are many whacky stories involving the
bowl, are proudly displayed in Lord Stanley's
cup, among them: Colorado Avalanche defense-
Vault in the Verizon Great Hall. Currently, the
man Silvain Lefebvre christened his child in it;
Cup consists of a bowl, three tiered bands, a
Doug Weight filled it with ice cream and
collar, and five uniform bands. It stands at 35¼
marshmallows so his kids and friends could
inches and weighs 34½ pounds.
have the largest sundae; and the owners of Madison Square Garden burned the mortgage
In a unique tradition, each of the players and
to that arena in it.
staff on the championship team enjoy 24 hours with the Cup. In its many years of existence,
For the record, the Montreal Canadiens have
the Stanley Cup has traveled around the world,
won a record 23 Stanley Cups since the for-
including stays in Russia, Japan, and Switzer-
mation of the NHL, with the Toronto Maple Leafs
land as well as atop mountain peaks through
a distant second at 13. The 2010 winner: the
the Rockies and inside igloos in extreme
Chicago Blackhawks. The Stanley Cup playoffs
Northern Canada. Among the other traditions
are going on now, and the finals will commence
surrounding the Cup: the winning team drinks
in late May.
champagne from the top bowl after their victory;
TOP 10 STANLEY CUP STORIES
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.
PATTON A CONTROVERSIAL AMERICAN HERO George S. Patton Jr. is considered one of the most influential, important and controversial American army officers of all time. Born in San Gabriel CA on November 11, 1885, Patton traveled east to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He served in World War I as a first officer assigned to the Tank Corps. Stationed in France, he saw battle and earned the Distinguished Service Cross for Heroism — the first of many medals he was to own. 8 AMERICAN PATRIOT
“Better To Fight For Something Than To Live For Nothing.” – GENERAL PATTON His greatest achievement lay ahead, during World War II. Before the U.S. had officially entered the war, Patton himself convinced Congress that America needed a stronger armored striking force. His early work with tanks had made him a staunch advocate of tank warfare. In 1940, Patton was named commanding officer of the new Armored Force. When in 1941 the U.S. sent troops overseas, Patton commanded the only allAmerican force: the Western Task Force. He successfully invaded North Africa with his troops, and then moved on to invade Sicily in 1943 and restored its previous government. Having commanded the Seventh Army until 1944, Patton was sent to take over the Third Army in France. He fought the Germans over a span of 600 miles from France to Belgium, to Luxembourg, all the way to Germany. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment came during the Battle of the Bulge, when Patton anticipated German movements, turned the Third Army abruptly north with logistical brilliance, disengaging from the front line to relieve the surrounded and besieged U.S. troops holding the Belgian crossroads town of Bastogne. This repositioning of the Third
Army, within twenty-four hours, helped send the Germans into retreat, and it is still considered one of the great achievements of his or any Army. Ultimately, his troops liberated Buchenwald concentration camp on April 4, 1945. Later that year, Patton took over command of the Fifteenth Army that was occupying Germany at the time. He suffered injuries in car accident on December 9 and died 12 days later. He is remembered as one of America’s most heroic, devoted, and successful soldiers. He once said: “Better to fight for something than live for nothing.” Not everyone was so enthralled with General Patton. An infamous incident during which he slapped a soldier recovering from battle fatigue left him spurned by many. Supreme Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower removed him from his role in the Normandy Landings. However, he was later reintroduced into heavy combat during which he accomplished his many triumphs. LISTEN TO PATTON’S GREAT SPEECH TO THE THIRD ARMY AMERICAN PATRIOT 9
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HARPER LEE’S LEGACY This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the literary classic: To Kill A Mockingbird. Written by Harper Lee in 1960, To Kill A Mockingbird was an instant American favorite; it remained on the bestseller list for 88 weeks and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1962. The book, which captured the challenges of lingering racism in the South, was the only book Harper Lee ever published. Lee grew up in Monroeville AL. Her father was a lawyer who served on the Alabama State Legislature. She was the youngest of four children. Her best friend and schoolmate, Truman Capote, lived right next door. Lee admitted that Capote inspired one of the characters, Dill, best friend of Scout and Jem, in the book. Lee graduated from the University of Alabama in 1949, moved to New York in 1950, and finished writing the famed book in 1959. While Harper Lee took several key plot points from personal experiences, the book addresses many longstanding American issues. The children wrestle with coming of age in a small town while watching their lawyer-father Atticus Finch handle the racial tensions of the Old South with as much grace and dignity as possible. Although narrated from young Scout’s perspective, the narration is wise and articulate. The most quoted line from the book is still often used today. Atticus tells Scout, “‘you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . .
until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” In 1962, the beloved book was made into a film. Gregory Peck excelled in the role of Atticus Finch as the characters came to life on screen. The movie won three Oscars the year after its release. Lee approved thoroughly of the movie production of her book. Peck even got a chance to meet Lee’s father, who was inspiration for his character, before the filming of the movie. After the movie was released, Lee gave Peck her father’s pocket watch as a gift. Peck and Lee remained good friends, and when Peck’s grandson was born, he was named “Harper” in her honor. Between book and movie, To Kill A Mockingbird had a great impact on American culture. Its legacy remains and most every American schoolchild will come across To Kill A Mockingbird at some point in their school reading career. GREGORY PECK WINNING THE OSCAR FOR HIS ROLE AS ATTICUS FINCH AMERICAN PATRIOT 11
AMERICA’S PARKS WHERE THE DINOSAURS ROAMED Dinosaur Valley State Park is located in northeastern TX along the Paluxy River. The geologic formations have been dated at over 113 million years old, and in those limestones and sandstones deposits, dinosaur footprints were discovered. Hence the park’s name.
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“Home, home on the range, where the tyrannosauruses and the velociraptor play.”
gists have now devoted much time in the park further excavating and exploring the tracks.
Dinosaur Valley State Park contains some of the best-preserved dinosaur tracks in the entire world. The tracks can be found in the Paluxy Riverbed; most are 15 to 20 inches long and belong to three-toed theropods. These types of dinosaurs had sharp claws for hunting prey. There are some tracks that are even larger than the theropods. These were made by four-legged, long-necked herbivores. And some of these footprints are over a yard long. The footprints had been buried by dirt and rock over time, and were not discovered until modern times when weathering and erosion have newly exposed these tracks. Paleontolo
Summer is the best season to visit the park because the river typically runs very low and so it is an ideal time for viewing the most dinosaur tracks. There is a sink-hole — the Blue Hole as it is known — located at a deep bend in the Paluxy River where some of the best tracks can be found, visitors have to descend a set of stone steps to the river and cross a series of stepping stones. The park is fun for the whole family. Kids and adults alike will love measuring and comparing the size of their hands and feet to those of a dinosaur. There are 12 miles of fun hikes in the park as well as many serene picnic areas. CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT DINOSAUR STATE PARK AMERICAN PATRIOT 13
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition” — LIEUTENANT HOWELL MAURICE FORGY This US Navy officer coined the phrase during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was exhorting men of an ammunition party to keep bringing shells to the anti-aircraft guns in a desperate attempt to repulse the Japanese air force. His words were later popularized in a song written by Frank Loesser and performed by Kay Kyser and his orchestra.
LISTEN TO THE SONG
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THIS WEEK IN
AMERICAN HISTORY
1961. As the battle for Civil Rights raged, student volunteers this week in 1961 began taking bus trips through the South to test out new laws that prohibit segregation in interstate travel facilities, which included bus and railway stations. Several of the groups of so-called “Freedom Riders” were attacked by angry mobs along the way. The program, sponsored by The Congress of Racial Equality and (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), involved more than a thousand volunteers, black and white, who helped inspire the nation to change. SEE A DOCUMENTARY ON THE FREEDOM RIDERS AMERICAN PATRIOT 15
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