AMERICAN PATRIOT MAY 25, 2011
MEMORIAL DAY ALBERT PUJOLS MORE THAN THE GAME
STAR WARS DEBUTS
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AMERICAN PATRIOT ALBERT PULJOS MORE THAN THE GAME
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6 MAY FLOWERS BRING
MEMORIAL DAY
8 THE POLITICAL LIFE OF RFK
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THE ‘LADIES’ SAVED WASHINGTON’S
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK AmeRiCAn PAtRiot membeRS CliCK HeRe AnD uSe CoDe PSHIP At CHeCKout AnD ReCeiVe A FRee CARD PluS FRee SHiPPinG AnD HAnDlinG!
THIS WEEK IN AMERICAN HISTORY
ALBERT PUJOLS MORE THAN THE GAME Albert Pujols is one of the best baseball players active today and a surefire Hall of Famer when his career ends. Well known for his all-around ability to hit, run and field, what is less widely understood is his climb from dire poverty in the Dominican Republic, his refusal to forget his roots, and his zealous community service work through the Pujols Family Foundation. 4 AMERICAN PATRIOT
First, more about this baseball prowess. Pujols’ consistency over a decade in the Major League Baseball has earned him the reputation as a legend, with a rare combination of power, speed and smarts. He unanimously won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2001, has since been selected to the All-Star team nine times, was awarded the National League Most Valuable Player Award three times, was presented with the Hank Aaron Award as the most feared hitter in the game, and has a World Series ring from the St. Louis Cardinals title in 2006. As of the end of the 2010 season, he leads all active players in batting average and on-base percentage, and is among the 50 leading home run hitters in the history of baseball. But for the deeply religious Pujols, this achievement has provided the basis — money and recognition — to give back to society. His Pujols Family Foundation, organized with his wife Deidre, has a tripartite mission: to promote awareness, provide hope and meet tangible needs for children, like his step-daughter, who live with Down syndrome; to provide extraordinary experiences for children with disabilities and/or life threatening illnesses; and to improve the standard of living and quality of life for impoverished children in his native country of the Dominican Republic through education, medical relief and tangible goods. Born in Santa Domingo in 1980, he was raised by his grandmother though he knew of his father, who was a great pitcher in the local Dominican leagues. The Pujols were dirt poor. They lived in a communal setting which resembled a camp site. In the early 1990s, members of the Pujols family began migrating to the U.S. Their first
stop was New York City, where they hoped a better life awaited. But eventually, they settled in Independence MO. Though he knew very little English, Albert made the transition to U.S. culture easily. Baseball was key to this adjustment as he starred in high school, in amateur leagues and at community college. Despite success at each stage, there was very little interest in him among big league teams. The Cardinals took a chance, using a late round draft pick, and he after a brief sojourn to the minor leagues, joined the St. Louis team and immediately made his mark. The rest is baseball history. Once established financially, Albert and Deidre Pujols launched the foundation in 2005. Since that time, Pujols has taken many trips to the Dominican Republic, arriving with supplies as well as a team of doctors and dentists to the poor who need medical care. A major medical mission is planned for the Fall. The Foundation also holds an annual golf tournament in which members from the Cardinals and other people play golf to raise money for dental care in Santa Domingo. Pujols personally hosts many parties and events for victims of Down Syndrome and recently cut the ribbon on a center for adults with Down Syndrome that bears his name. It is located in Chesterfield MO. As to why Albert and Deidre are so committed to volunteerism, they state simply that “God has blessed us richly” and they want to share their journey with those less fortunate. CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF ALBERT PUJOLS GIVING A BASEBALL CLINIC IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
MAY FLOWERS BRING
MEMORIAL DAY 6 AMERICAN PATRIOT
Soon after the Civil War ended, in 1868, an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Major General John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30 because flowers would be in bloom all over the country. The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The ceremonies centered on the veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Robert E. Lee. Various officials including President Ulysses S. Grant and General James Garfield presided over the ceremonies. After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers, reciting prayers and singing hymns. Nearly 5,000 people participated. Local springtime tributes to the Civil War dead already had been held in various places. Among the earliest were in Columbus MS, Macon and Columbus GA, Richmond VA and Boalsburg PA. (In 1966, Congress declared Waterloo NY the “official birthplace.”) By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies, as they were now called, were being held on May 30 throughout the nation. State legislatures passed proclamations designating the day, and the Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper observance. It was not until after World War I, however, that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress. It was then also placed on the last Monday in May. Today, Arlington National Cemetery remains the center of the national observation, since veterans
and other distinguished Americans have a special place there. On Memorial Day, the President or Vice President gives a speech and lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Several Southern states continue to set aside a special day for honoring the Confederate dead. Many other traditions have grown up around the holiday, including parades down the main streets of cities and towns; the wearing of red poppies which were originally sold to help promote the idea of a Memorial Day; the placement of small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery and on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery near St. Louis; and Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts placing a candle at 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. In 2000, Congress asked Americans, wherever they are at 3 p.m., local time, on Memorial Day to pause in an act of national unity. The Moment does not replace traditional events; rather it is an act of national unity in which all Americans, alone or with family and friends, honor those who died for our freedom. HEAR TAPS PLAYED AT MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONIES
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
THE POLITICAL LIFE OF
RFK
"SOME MEN SEE THINGS AS THEY ARE AND SAY WHY. I DREAM THINGS THAT NEVER WERE AND SAY WHY NOT.”
8 AMERICAN PATRIOT
Nobody was surprised when Robert Francis Kennedy entered the political world. “Bobby” was destined to participate from the moment he was born, though how it played out took an unpredictable and tragic twist. Born in Brookline MA in 1925, Robert Kennedy
He was considered the second most powerful
grew up with the influence of some of the greatest
person in the country.
political minds of the era including his grandfather John Francis Fitzgerald, a mayor of Boston, and
Along with the rest of the nation, RFK was stunned
his father Joseph Kennedy, a wealthy industrialist,
by the assassination in 1963. At the 1964 Demo-
political operative, confidant and rival of Franklin
cratic convention, he introduce a film about his late
Roosevelt, and ultimately Ambassador to England.
brother. The crowd at the convention applauded
He also watched his older brothers — Joe Jr. and
for 22 full minutes before he spoke. Never com-
John — be tutored by their father, who dreamed
fortable with new President Lyndon B. Johnson,
ambitious dreams of having a son as President.
Kennedy left the cabinet and ran for U.S. Senate in New York. During his term, he worked to end
RFK was enthusiastic about serving his country. By
poverty in New York and continued his campaign
his eighteenth birthday, Kennedy enlisted in the
for civil rights.
U.S. Naval Reserves. He served from 1944 until 1946 on the USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., named
In a fateful last minute decision, RFK entered the
for his oldest brother, who had perished on a bomb-
presidential race of 1968, adding his voice to the
ing mission. After that, Kennedy enrolled in Harvard
anti-Vietnam War chorus. He declared to the public,
and earned a varsity letter in football. Upon grad-
“I do not run for the Presidency merely to oppose
uation, he wrote for the Boston Post on the Middle
any man, but to propose new policies. I run because
East, and eventually enrolled in the University of
I am convinced that this country is on a perilous
Virginia’s law program. In 1951, Kennedy began
course and because I have such strong feelings
practicing law at the Internal Security Section,
about what must be done, and I feel that I'm
investigating suspected Soviet agents. From there,
obliged to do all I can.”
Kennedy held several staff jobs in the government. Then the turning point came. RFK was instrumental in John’s presidential campaign of his brother and, as a reward, was appointed as Attorney General of the United States. Robert had outsized influence on policy in his brother’s cabinet, and became a
Kennedy’s victory in the California primary gave him momentum. But addressing his supporters at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after the win, he was shot three times and died the next morning. He left an important legacy as a politician who fought for what he believed in.
close personal advisor to his older brother on all FORWEBSITE A CLIP OF RFK IN AN CHECK OUTCLICK THEHERE FAIR’S issues, including landmark civil rights legislation. ELECTORAL DEBATE FOR VISITOR INFORMATION JUST BEFORE HIS DEATH
AMERICAN PATRIOT 9
THE ‘LADIES’ SAVED WASHINGTON’S
MOUNT VERNON
One of the most inspiring preservation and restoration programs in U.S. history was led by Ann Pamela Cunningham, who almost single-handedly saved a deteriorating Mount Vernon, home of George Washington. 10 AMERICAN PATRIOT
First, a little background. Mount Vernon is located near Alexandria VA and was the plantation home of George and Martha Washington. The first President loved the property and inherited it from his half-brother in 1761. He added to the estate, operated it as several separate farms, held it through the difficulties of the Revolutionary War, returned there after the war, and during his Presidency was in residence for 434 days. The remains of George and Martha are entombed on the grounds. After his death, the estate passed to several relatives who let it run down. The State of Virginia and the U.S. governments refused to purchase it and, by the 1850s it was largely in disrepair.
Enter Ann Pamela Cunningham. She was an invalid, having had a riding accident as a teen. In a letter, Cunningham's mother described to Ann the sad condition of the estate as she saw it in 1853. This inspired Cunningham to initiate a campaign to save the estate. Largely from her room, she raised funds to purchase Mount Vernon by appealing for donations through letters and newspaper articles directed toward “the Ladies of the South” under the auspices of her Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. She often signed her pieces “A Southern Matron.” The Association still owns and manages Mount Vernon today, and stands as the largest preservation society in the country. Cunningham raised enough money to buy the property by 1859 and, with no tax dollars, managed to restore the mansion. The restoration is complete with period furniture and decor, and today is a popular tourist attraction. The estate is also well known for its exceptional landscaping and ancillary buildings. There are also related educational programs and activities. Work goes on regularly to preserve, renovate and enhance the 500 acre estate. Mount Vernon was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and is now in the National Register of Historic Places. As for Cunningham, she was honored during her lifetime for the energy she brought to the Mount Vernon project. In the last year of her life she presided over the Grand Council of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, and lived to see the fruition of its purpose. She died in 1875.
AMERICAN PATRIOT 11
AMERICA’S NATIONAL PARKS
THE EVERGLADES
The hunt for saber-toothed cats, sloths, and bears some 15,000 years ago brought the first prehistoric settlers to the Southern portion of Florida. The hunters were the Paleo-Indians, among the first settlers on the American Continent. As climate changed and civilization evolved, these indigenous people gathered into huntergatherer tribes, and the land became wetter and more verdant, creating the sub tropical wetlands now known as the Everglades. 12 AMERICAN PATRIOT
The Everglades stands now as a unique feature of the American landscape. This “River of Grass” is presently 4,300 square miles of often flooded, sometimes drought-stricken, stunningly diverse subtropical wetlands. About 50 percent of its original area has been preserved, owing to decades of constant conservationist campaigns from Teddy Roosevelt to the present day. The environment is unlike any other region of the continental United States — sawgrass marshes that contain estuarine mangrove forests, tropical hardwood hammocks, bays, islands, and pine rockland. As the tribes fell into decline following the arrival of the Spanish, they were absorbed into the larger, newly arrived Seminole tribe. Having largely escaped the ravages of Andrew Jackson’s Indian wars, they still number in the few hundreds, have maintain their way of life and would never be “officially” conquered. American exploration of the Everglades dates back to 1840, coinciding with the Indian Wars. It would remain largely unmapped until about 1900. The earliest written records were unkind to the Everglades: of the region, one Army Surgeon wrote “It is in fact a most hideous region to live in, a perfect paradise for Indians, alligators, serpents, frogs, and every other kind of loathsome reptile.” Drainage of wetlands was the accepted method of land settlement in the 19th century, with the assumption that the recovered soil would be suitable for farming. Millions of acres were purchased and canals were built, but the land proved largely resistant to agriculture. Still, the investment and construction of railroads spurred tourism and development of large parts of South Florida, notably Miami.
Many newcomers would make their living by trapping the exotic animals. Raccoons and otters were harvested for their skins, and alligator populations declined rapidly. No species, however, suffered as much as the Egret. In 1886 alone, an estimated 5 million egrets and wading birds were killed for their plumage, a prized accessory for women's hats. By 1915, the price by weight for egret plumes, or aigrettes, was the same price as gold — $32 an ounce. The rapid draining of the wetlands and slaughter of birds sparked a conservation movement in the region. The widely read Marjory Stoneman Douglas book “The Everglades: River of Grass,” which characterized the area as a vibrant river rather than a stagnant swamp, generated popular support for the designation of the Everglades as a national park. It was officially recognized by Congress in 1934. Already settled areas grew in population as farmers adapted to the soil, growing increasingly large crops of sugarcane. Today, the economy of the Everglades depends largely on tourism and conservation. Sugarcane production is being phased out and wetlands are being restored, owing to the efforts of groups like the Everglades Foundation. The area is popular for airboat and nature tours, with around one million visitors annually. TAKE AN EVERGLADES AIRBOAT TOUR AMERICAN PATRIOT 13
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“This is a challenge to every segment of American society to take action, to support and engage military families in their communities. It can be something as simple as mowing the lawn for that [military] family down the street. This is about the responsibility we have to each other as Americans.” — FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA announces a new White House Initiative, called the Joining Forces campaign, to encourage citizens and the private sector to volunteer time and services to benefit the spouses and children of troops. Sears, Wal-Mart, Siemens, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, NASCAR, Major League Baseball, Disney, and the National Math and Science Initiative are among the early volunteers committed to the program.
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THIS WEEK IN
AMERICAN HISTORY
1977. This week in 1977, the George Lucas blockbuster Star Wars opened in American movie theaters. Groundbreaking special effects and a huge marketing campaign, made it a bona-fide pop culture phenomenon. Seven Oscars, 800 hundred million dollars in gross, five sequels or prequels later, and innumerable product spinoffs, the brand remains an icon to generations of movie fans. SEE THE ORIGINAL TRAILER AMERICAN PATRIOT 15
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