AMERICAN PATRIOT DR. JONAS SALK MEDICAL MIRACLE WORKER
BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS GREAT BUT LATE VICTORY
THE GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP
AMERICAN PATRIOT
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BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS GREAT BUT LATE VICTORY
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6 THE GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP
DR. JONAS SALK MEDICAL MIRACLE WORKER
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PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER RISES TO DIRECTOR
Contents LEE GREENWOOD THE TRADITION CONTINUES
14 QUOTE OF THE WEEK
12 15 THIS WEEK IN AMERICAN HISTORY
In 1814 we took a little trip Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip. We took a little bacon and we took a little beans And we caught the bloody British in the town of New Orleans. We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin. There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago. We fired once more and they began to runnin' on Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. — BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS by Jimmie Driftwood SEE ALL THE LYRICS > 4 AMERICAN PATRIOT
BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS GREAT BUT LATE VICTORY As the jaunty hit song of the 1950s attests, Americans vaguely remember the Battle of New Orleans as a smashing victory for our side. Indeed it was cause for celebration: Andrew Jackson defeated a large invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast lands of the Louisiana Purchase, winning the greatest land victory of the War of 1812 and forcing the British to flee. An interesting historical twist, however, is that the battle need not have been fought. It actually reached its peak on January 8, 1815 — but a peace treaty between the American and British governments had already been signed in Ghent, Belgium, on Christmas Eve, nearly two weeks earlier. Remarkably, given the slow methods of communications in those days, news of the peace did not reach the combatants until February. Although the Battle of New Orleans had no influence on the war itself, many historians believe that the defeat at New Orleans compelled the Britain to honor the treaty. It also helped burnish Andrew Jackson’s reputation as a fighter and
THE BATTLEFIELD ON JANUARY 8, 1815
strategist, which eventually propelled him to the White House. Perhaps most importantly, it electrified the young country and gave it a needed boost of self-confidence after a lackluster military performance throughout the War of 1812. The anniversary of the battle was celebrated for many years and a federal park was established in 1907 to preserve the battlefield; today it features a monument and is part of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. And, of course, we all benefitted from the lighthearted song which, when sung by Johnny Horton, topped the Billboard chart in 1959! WATCH A VIDEO OF JOHNNY HORTON’S HIT THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS >
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THE GREAT AMERICAN
CLEANUP
The results are in for the biggest spring cleaning of all time. Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization, reports that its 2009 Great American Cleanup involved over 3 million volunteers and participants, 1,000 grassroots organizations, 5.2 million volunteer hours, and more than 30,000 events taking place in 32,000 communities nationwide. The 2009 campaign, themed "Green Starts Here," encouraged communities to declare that being "green" begins with the actions of individuals. This included educational events, litter cleanups, recycling drives, graffiti paint-outs, planting a community gardens and the like.
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AMONG THE NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP: 64 million pounds of litter and debris were removed from public lands and rights-of-ways. 3,200 parks and community recreation areas were improved, restored or constructed. 4,750 illegal dumpsites and 15,600 graffiti sites were remediated. 243 million plastic (PET) bottles were collected for recycling, a 30 percent rise. 6.9 million pounds of electronics collected for recycling representing a 30 percent increase over 2008. Volunteers kept 14.5 million pounds of aluminum and steel out of landfills, a 42 percent increase. 870,000 tires were collected for recycling as were 36 million pounds of newspaper were collected for recycling.
"Keep America Beautiful is grateful for the remarkable achievements of our Great American Cleanup participating organizations and volunteers," said Matthew M. McKenna, head of the group. Among the companies supporting the effort were: American Honda, Arm & Hammer, Colgate-Palmolive, Dow Chemical, Glad, Pepsi, Scotts Miracle-Gro, Solo Cup, Troy-Bilt, University of Phoenix, Waste Management, Wrigley.; Educational Partner: and Rubber Manufacturers Association.
6,400 gardens, xeriscapes and green spaces were created nationwide, and 157,000 trees were planted. 2.3 million flowers and bulbs were planted to create lasting, colorful beauty. AMERICAN PATRIOT 7
DR. JONAS SALK MEDICAL MIRACLE WORKER With all the discussion of the need for national healthcare reform and focuses on the shortcomings of our medical system, it is important to remember that American medicine has been second-to-none in terms of breakthroughs and innovations. One such triumph came from Jonas Edward Salk, developer of the first successful vaccine for polio.
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PICTURED ABOVE:
Dr. Salk gives a test inoculation to his son
Born in New York City and the oldest son of Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, Salk was the first in his family to go to college, working for his education at City College of New York, and then at NYU School of Medicine. After graduation, but still at NYU, Salk began to look for a flu vaccine and, along with a colleague, actually developed a vaccine used by the military during World War II. Salk moved on to the University of Michigan and then to teaching at the University of Pittsburgh in 1947. While in Pittsburgh, Salk developed a relationship with the March of Dimes. Since the turn of the century, polio outbreaks had exploded — nearly 58,000 cases occurred in 1952. He decided to devote his research to its prevention. Years of work paid off: in 1952, he developed a trial vaccine for polio composed of "killed" polio virus, which retained the ability to immunize without the risk of infecting the patient. He first inoculated volunteers, including himself, his wife, and their three sons. In 1954, he published his findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and nationwide testing was carried out. Nearly two million school-
children took the vaccine, and the results proved it to be safe and effective. News of the discovery was made public in April 1955, and Salk was an instant national hero. The impact was dramatic: in 1955 there were 28,985 cases of polio in the U.S. and by 1957 that number had fallen to 5,894. Since he wanted it to be distributed freely to everyone, Salk never patented his polio vaccine. Though an oral vaccine developed by Dr. Albert Sabin gained popularity in the early 1960s, Salk's vaccine is still popular because the risk factor is low. Today, in the U.S., cases of polio are extremely rare and the World Health Organization hopes the disease will be eradicated worldwide soon. In 1963, Salk established the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and eventually settled it in San Diego. He had received a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation and support from the March of Dimes. Salk's last years were spent searching for a vaccine against AIDS. He died in 1995 at 80 years of age. DR. JONAS SALK IS ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE OF THE 20TH CENTURY > AMERICAN PATRIOT 9
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LEE GREENWOOD THE TRADITION CONTINUES In a world that is increasingly secular, country music star Lee Greenwood says that he has crafted a new Christmas themed album that reaffirms “the real reason for the season” as the centerpiece. Vocal about his faith and his patriotism — he is, after all, the composer of the patriotic mega-hit “God Bless the USA” — the new collection is entitled “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. Greenwood has been outspoken about the importance of keeping God in American life and culture. The two-time CMA Male Vocalist of
more than thirty-five singles on the
the Year focuses on traditional holiday
Billboard country music charts.
songs including a mix of childhood
Greenwood’s best known song
favorites such as “Jingle Bells” and
continues to be “God Bless the USA,”
“Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”,
which first appeared in 1983, and
with classics like “Little Drummer Boy”
has had surges of popularity during
and “Joy To The World” in medley
the Gulf War and following 9/11. It
with “Hark The Herald Angels Sing”.
is said to be the second most played patriotic song in the U.S., behind the
Greenwood has been singing music
National Anthem. The singer is
that affirms what he sees as tradi-
currently serving a 6-year term on
tional values since the early 1980s,
the National Council on the Arts, and
when he was discovered by a major
recently turned 67 years of age.
record label. He now has released
SEE LEE GREENWOOD ON THE CBS EARLY SHOW>
more than twenty albums and charted
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PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER RISES TO DIRECTOR One of Barack Obama’s election pledges was a call to public service through organizations such as the Peace Corps and Teach for America. Both groups, and many others, have seen upticks in applications over the past year. To lead the Peace Corps into a new era — it was founded in the early 1960s as an initiative of President John F. Kennedy — Mr. Obama has picked Aaron S. Williams as the 18th Director of the organization.
Williams is the fourth director to
Upon completing his service,
have served as a Peace Corps
Williams became the coordinator of
volunteer. He was in the Dominican
minority recruitment and project
Republic from 1967 to 1970.
evaluation officer for the Peace Corps in his hometown of Chicago.
“I am deeply honored to be the
He has since pursued a career in
Director of the Peace Corps and I
the development, including posts at
want to thank President Obama for
the U.S. Agency for International
the trust that he has placed in me.
Development (USAID) and the
I look forward to making his call to
International Youth Foundation.
public service a reality for more
As USAID Mission Director in South
Americans,” said Director Williams.
Africa, Williams led a billion dollar
“I am committed to recruiting,
foreign assistance program during
training and supporting the next
President Nelson Mandela’s admin-
generation of skilled and enthusiastic
istration. He has been awarded the
volunteers eager to serve side by side
USAID Distinguished Career Service
with members of Peace Corps host
Award and, twice, the Presidential
communities around the world.”
Award for Distinguished Service.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.
— ROSA PARKS Her refusal to move to the back of the bus, and subsequent arrest, led to the birth of the modern American Civil Rights movement. Her arrest led to a year long boycott of the city bus system in Montgomery, Alabama. It happened December 1, 1955.
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THIS WEEK IN
AMERICAN HISTORY
1823. President James Monroe declared the “Monroe Doctrine” in a speech to Congress. This doctrine prohibited any further colonization of the American continent by European countries and effectively made the U.S. the preeminent power in the Western Hemisphere. AMERICAN PATRIOT 15