Blog Archives - North Florida Writer

HIP, HIP, HOORAY! IT'S FRIDAY

5/31/2019

Friday afternoon after school. (Saturday Evening Post)

Oh, the memories that revisiting Friday afternoon after school in the good old days bring and nothing could show it better than a classic picture from the Saturday Evening Post. But even today, everyone goes to work on Friday with a bit of a bounce in the step, knowing that when the five o'clock whistle blows, two glorious days of the weekend will begin. Many of us start with a little Margaritaville Friday night gathering while others just go home, kick off their shoes and relax. Sometimes it's home movie night with popcorn or maybe just a pizza, freeing up kitchen duty for at least one night.

Not wanting to be a killjoy, but might I suggest that we not put the cart before the horse? On Friday morning, we probably have lots of things left undone which, if not attended to, will leave us with anxiety come Monday morning. So focus long enough to finish Friday with a bang and a clean desk, knowing that will mean Monday will start fresh with new challenges to take on and conquer. After all, we are no longer kids who spent their spare time playing games, likely performing family chores or even making spending money cutting the neighbor's yard and, of course, doing homework, but then putting things aside and not having to worry about the house payment, grocery bill and all the things the grownups must face. Amazingly, we yearned to be a grownup not fully appreciating what we would have to learn to handle. No, we're not kids, but adults and now responsible for a host of responsibilities that we face.

So, on Friday, just get it done, knowing that if we do that, our weekend will be so much more fun and relaxing. What's more, we won't have to fret next Monday with the backlog to start the week staring us in the face. Instead, we can unwind with a clear mind and sonscience. Come Saturday, we can go and do what we want or lie under the shade tree and read that good book we've wanted to start.

Lastly comes Sunday, a day when we need to recharge our Spiritual batteries so that when Monday arrives. we can face the secular world with the strength of the Lord within us. Couple that with the rest, fun and relaxation and we'll be fully ready to face the challenges of the new week on Monday and that means the day won't be blue. Be blessed, be happy and enjoy the weekend which is drawing very near. Hip, Hip, Hooray!

PAIN: Like it or Not, It's a Fact of Life, Especially as we Age

5/30/2019

Oh, my aching back

Pain. It's something that we can't go through life without experiencing. It can come on gradually or slowly. Someone can break a leg or arm in work or play, we can get a bad sprain, a sudden medical condition can cause it and, of course, if we are getting old, deterioration of bones and joints and nerve failure can become chronic and never ending. The Bible talks about pain having the positive impact of developing perseverance, patience and even faith as a result but nonetheless no one really wants to experience pain if it can be avoided.

As I have grown older myself, I have experienced pain that I never noticed ten years ago, including neuropathy in my extremities and an increase in arthritis in my back. At times the pain can be enough to keep me awake, yet I have an exercise routine and a few medications, some herbal, that give relief. I look at it this way, if I can manage to get out of bed in the morning and have an eye opening cup of coffee and do my exercise regimen first thing, then I am ready to rock and roll along with life. On almost every day that is the outcome, yet there are times when I must rest and then feel better, but I know if I make it a habit, at some point I'll give up on walking and that means mobility is done. With my goal of being on my feet until I die like my grandfathers before me, I will labor on and it does make my feel both better and like I've accomplished something worthwhile.

But what about pain other than physical pain and are there other types of pain? Well, yes there are and they are every bit as hard to live with as physical pain. Oh, you might not hurt as in sharp pangs that double you over, but mental anguish, psychosis and, of course, dementia and alzheimer's are also pain that can be even more debilitating than the physical variety. Depression and hopelessness are very painful as we lose the zest for life and really just want to end. Suicide can often be associated with such a condition if not dealt with. Psychosis can take it to the point to change our personalities and lose all contact with reality and lose all of our loved ones while we are very much alive. If we become insane, we become incapable of taking care of ourselves and can become very violent not even knowing why as all reason is removed. And then two common old age issues, dementia and alzheimer's robs us of the joys of the reality that we once knew, yet the pain is probably more acute for those loved ones witnessing it than the patient who may be enjoying a day in the park as a child from many years ago. All, however are not preferred experiences.

Lastly, I mention a type of pain which some won't even acknowledge. Here I refer to spiritual pain, a pain which must be dealt with by those who have learned about Jesus and His purpose in life and have chosen not be believe it as they become "enlightened" by the secular world. Yet the more they look at the nature of things as they mature, the more their "enlightenment" supposedly proves their position, the more holes they find and it troubles them, creating spiritual pain. They must learn to deal with the pain and accept it, or come to the realization that the pain can be removed when they decide to accept what they learned in the first place. And trust me, the dilemma is present in many who may not show it, some even in church, but the turmoil between the evil one who is cheering them on to keep the secular view is in constant battle with the Spirit within him. Talking about a spiritual headache, it is strong.

Now I'm sure that we can come up with other categories of pain, but these three are covered her to give a look at how pain can inflict us in so many different ways and I think it's important to recognize it, for some could easily turn into physical issues as well since stress and worry and the loss of the mind can have major impacts which sometimes we don't even know.

So, my friends, pain is a reality and certainly so in our later years when we learn the truth about the old saying, "getting old is not for sissies." But at the same time, when we fight through it, we gain the joy of watching a grandson hit his first home run or the granddaughter receive accolades for her ballet recital performance. It's the pleasure of taking a walk in the park on a beautiful spring day or fishing on a pier off a beautiful beach. And what's more, the magic of the activity is that for a time, while we are focused on the fellowship and fun, we also find that the pain almost disappears as we experience the joy of life, not the agony of pain. And, what's more, if it is spiritual pain we suffer from, think about what it must be like in the Kingdom of the believers when this life is done as they inherit a new life in a new body, one free of pain and allowing us to enjoy those things we could do when we were young and pain free. Who knows, maybe that might bring us all to the Spirit and truly make us free.

The Amazing Lessons Nature Can Teach Us

5/29/2019

A mama camel and her baby

We humans are a strange lot. We take so much for granted as we try to change things, to make them easier and allowing us more time for ourselves and often less for the things that are really important. Nothing is more critical than to take the time to provide good parenting for those we have brought into this world, yet so many of us pawn those precious gifts of God off on long-term childcare services as we go about our merry way. In some cases it's even worse, with parents giving up on responsibility while allowing children to decide things for themselves even though they are emotionally unprepared for the results. And then, of course, there are the schools where so many parents don't attend parent meetings, don't track what their children are learning and allow teachers to develop their views which are often at odds with the parent. Such lack of involvement in critical learning times can lead to many unintended consequences. Among them are bad habits which can lead to huge problems later such as use of cigarettes, alcohol and illegal substances. Inattention can also lead to failure to do school work, hanging with the wrong crowd and, of course, unwanted pregnancy.

When I think of such issues which impact so many families, I also compare and contrast those things to the animal world. Now I know most are familiar with family pets such as dogs and cats and it is truly amazing to watch a new mother of that variety feed, care for and teach the puppy or kitten until she knows it's time for them to start fending in life on their own. But if you ever have the opportunity to witness an animal in the wild or even one that you are unfamiliar with in a zoo, like the mother camel and her offspring shown above and how she cares for the little one while she rests. I, for one, have had the opportunity in the past to be up close with a camel and they are not very pretty and when they spit at you and hiss, believe me when I say you don't want to be in the line of fire. But when I see that large mother caring for that little one, it certainly puts things in a much different perspective.

Animals live in a cold and violent world of reality where things change rapidly and the young are often the target of a predator. The parental job then is to as quickly as possible raise the animal to start learning the rules of survival and when that point is reached where they have a reasonable chance of survival, the youngster goes out on his or her own. It's the way things are in the cycle of life in the animal world; they learn to survive or they die.

Compare that with humans, while acknowledging that some parents do an excellent job in one that has no guarantee of results, and we'll find that many parents either just ignore the parenting job or try to make up with it by buying the child's love. We all know the spoiled kid who is given a fancy and shiny new car that is wrecked in a week. But we also know the kid that never was given anything and yet toils diligently to become a top honor student. We just can never fully come up with the formula since most need good guidance but some are fully motivated to reach their goals on their own. But we do know this, the young person who reaches maturity will soon be in a position where he or she has to survive in the world. Sometimes it can even be a life or death matter, but more often it's the difference between living with reasonable comfort or living without. And while some might end up as twenty-somethings in their parent's basement, they may be alive but they will become worthless if it doesn't change.

Now I know there are many who became parents without caring enough to make a commitment which God desires and that is another issue in itself. But in referring to parenting as it unfolds naturally in the sacrament of holy matrimony, parenting isn't a sport nor is it a game, it's hard work that takes those who enjoyed the gift that God gave to two people joined as one when they face up to the responsibility that comes with the outcome: the requirement to be a good and loving parent. Next time you see an animal with his or her mate. Think about what they can teach us about raising children. A little common sense as taught naturally is always a blessing.

Darkness versus Light: Which Will We Choose?

5/28/2019

Dark clouds can be disturbing when caught out in the open.

Have you ever been caught outdoors with shelter nowhere to be found when a beautiful sky turns dark and foreboding? Perhaps you were on an adventuresome hike through nature and enjoying God's earthly beauty. Perhaps, and possibly much more adversely consequential, it's on a fishing boat miles out on the Atlantic when the distant haze to your west turns out to be a large gathering thunderstorm rapidly moving your way. It becomes clear that you cannot avoid it as you try to get back to port and the storm envelops your vessel. All you can do is try and stay calm and take the best course of action that you can to return to safety.

Light and darkness, two words that are used so often in the Bible and add such meaning to the Word. Light, of course, represents goodness and life. When we are in the light, we can see clearly what is about us and therefore can contemplate what we should do if anything is taking place. In the dark, however, when it is pitch black, a strange noise or movement, or even a pain in our body is noticed readily yet we know there is very little we can do. We are helpless because we can't even move without running into things around us.

Both of these words are very important to we humans as we try to figure out what to do and how to do them in our earthly life. If we are exposed to the Light of Life, Our Lord and Savior and believe in Him by faith, then we have guidance readily from the Holy Spirit who resides in us, the Third Person of God. It is that same Holy Spirit who channels us to the Savior, who is our direct intermediary and advocate with His Father.

If we are not exposed to the Light of Life, then we face a different guiding factor, the Fallen One or the Dark Angel, who will beguile us and lead us down the path he has taken which led to his banishment from heaven in the first place. God granted his free reign on earth since through free will each of us has to make our own choice. So, the choice is The Light or Goodness, where we live as our Creator teaches us, or the Darkness or Evil, choosing the choice of earthly desires as a reason for living which will only take us down. God wants us with Him when earthly life is done in the glory of His Kingdom where a place has been prepared for us. The Evil One wants us with him as well, only it's in the bottomless pit of the soulless for which we will suffer for eternity.

So, the next time we are faced with a decision that can be frightening due to a mistake we have made and we witness what is about to befall us, we must open our hearts and ask God to provide His love and protection and let Him know that we have chosen His way. We will be glad and we will never have to worry no matter what happens, because we are His. And we won't want to ever make the same mistake, even though we will still occasionally make mistakes. After all, we are mortal and frail and He knows that. Yet He will forgive us when He sees what is in your heart. What could be greater than that?

MEMORIAL DAY 2019: A Day of Remembrance

5/27/2019

"Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hope and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world."
- Opening portion of the remarks by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Allied Powers Europe, prepared and sent to the troops just before the commencement of the D-Day invasion and released to the press in written and radio format once fully underway, June 6, 1944

With those words, which ended with a request for Almighty Providence to guide and protect our warriors and lead them to victory, the long awaited push across Europe began to put a stop to the madness of Adolph Hitler and the Third Reich. It is, of course, one of the most written about and studied events in military history and large numbers of American soldiers died on that first confusing and fateful day to gain a beachhead in France. Yet, it was just one of hundreds of huge confrontations that America has faced in her history beginning with the American Revolution and many battles and places that are never talked about yielded the same result, large numbers of Americans dying for freedom.

The slide show above is labeled to show where each picture was in time and place and conflict, but they are just a few examples. Americans have died in untold numbers where they have been called. We don't have to like it, just acknowledge it and realize in so doing, they gave their country the ultimate sacrifice.

It happened at Valley Forge, Saratoga, Gettysburg, Richmond, Verdun, Normandy, El Alamein, Guadalcanal, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and many more. Sadly, it will continue from time to time as long as evil tries to gain by force the destruction of freedom.

They died that we may live and it is only appropriate that on this day we take a moment of silence and offer a prayer of thanks for what they did. If you are with friends or family, perhaps it is just a great time to gather around the flag as we honor them. Perhaps those in attendance who have had their lives personally touched by the loss of someone dear to them in combat will offer comments. Regardless, remembering and never forgetting them is so important for our future if we ever want to try and end war, as unlikely as that might be in a troubled world. But remembering them is the least we can do.

God bless America, sleep well, fallen heroes and I trust that those of us who live with God always in our hearts may see those heroes again. I truly believe they all have earned a special place at His table. Have a blessed day.

SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: Real Freedom Comes From God

5/26/2019

The Light of Life shines through the Cross of Death.

On the Sunday before Memorial Day, as on every Sunday, we are given a great opportunity to display our freedom. On any given Sunday, our use of the right to freedom of religion and the freedom of speech are both constitutional acknowledgements of the God-given rights. So, I thought this unusual photo, photographer unknown, showing the Light of Life shining on the Cross representing Christ's death is an important remembrance of His promise and offer to us. If we accept his Light and believe in His Son who was viciously and slowly put to death to forgive our sins, we become truly free. Real freedom can only be attained when we break the chains of sin which so easily control and destroy lives.

So, freedom in His Spirit is the ultimate freedom because we bathe in His light of His love and leave behind the earthly sins that tempt us but only lead to darkness. But God's methodology also uses earthly means to make the opportunity for us to learn of Him, follow Him and believe by having the opportunity to openly and honestly accept his offer. In the worldly sense, our development of the Constitution and it's endorsement of self-government of those godly freedoms would have never been with us had God not assisted those great patriots of long ago to strive for the document's creation. And ever since, when tyranny threatens, there have been those among us who took on the challenge of maintaining that freedom. And tomorrow, America's official Memorial Day, we honor and remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for earthly freedom through a document ordained by God. And even if you don't acknowledge the Spirit and live in this grand land, for the time you are here, you benefit from the freedoms that were fought for and for whom many died, giving the ultimate sacrifice for so many they would never know.

On this Sunday, the day before Memorial Day, we should all thank those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and then remember that, while that is a great gift, we still must take the next step and spiritually commit to the Lord who offers us freedom beyond all dreams. Not only does our separation from sin give us freedom to focus on the things that are really important, it offers the Light of Life eternally. And the steeple of that rural East Texas church and the glory it displays, is a great example of the love He gave for us with his offer of Paradise. The combination of the two great gifts, one given by our mortal patriotic heroes of years past and our fallen military heroes who helped maintain, combined with the magnanimous gift of God by offering up his Son for us, offers the perfect combination to bring to our remembrance and I know both the souls of those dead and the gift of the Living God are with us this day. Just be thankful for both.

The Memorial Day Weekend, 2019, Begins: Honor the Fallen!

5/25/2019

As the Memorial Day weekend opens and we all want to enjoy ourselves and play, we must remember its purpose and drop to our knees, bow our heads humbly and pray. Pray for the oft forgotten warriors who died for the nation they served, and remember how valiant they were as they never returned to a grateful nation, never celebrating the welcome they deserved.

As we enjoy the traditional cookout, or the refreshing swim at the beach. Or maybe it's the glorious hike in the mountains, or the professional baseball game in the city. But wherever we are, ponder the young recent high school graduate in 1966, who proudly finished training and came home toy displaying his uniform, then went to Viet Nam and lost his life in his first day of battle. And also the seasoned old leatherneck who died in a final battle in the South Pacific and never saw his baby girl who grew up with only pictures of her daddy. These are the events we never hear of and have often never come close to experiencing ourselves, but they were commonplace in the aftermath of combat and they deserve our honor, respect and remembrance.

Despite all the movies that glorify war and the stories of victories attained, war is hell, plain and simple. People are wounded, bloodied and die and places are destroyed. Yet while we pray that we never have to fight as a nation again, as long as evil dictators have visions of domination, America must be prepared to fight. And those who have already been through it and gave the ultimate sacrifice must be remembered and honored by we, the fortunate. Do so with reverence and dignity, then have a wonderful weekend. God bless everyone and God bless the United States of America.

HISTORY: "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny"

5/24/2019

Welcome to Old Virginny!

With Memorial Day upon us, I've been thinking of my upbringing and some of the many memorable days and experiences I was afforded as a boy growing up in Tidewater Virginia. It was a great place to grow up, and we learned history early with a full year of Virginia history being taught in elementary school. The Commonwealth of Virginia, a land that produced so many great patriots in the origination of our nation as well as seven Presidents, also offered wonderful historical sites close to my hometown of Newport News. Within thirty miles and also on the Virginia Peninsula was the Historic Triangle, which ran from Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement on the River James to the west, to Williamsburg in the center, a Colonial governmental center and home of the College of William and Mary, the first college opened but the second to be in permanent operation, to Yorktown on the York River to the east, where Lord Cornwallis surrendered his British Army on the battlefield ending the Revolutionary War. There was and still is a beautiful and scenic roadway, the Colonial Parkway, offering a scenic drive to or through through all three sites. I traveled it many times and never tired of the beauty and history along the way.

But nothing was more memorable then the occasions when we would sing the official state song on special school and celebratory occasions, "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny." It was a beautiful song, written by a former slave, James Bland, about his love of the beautiful state despite his background and status as a slave there. He wrote in his later years as a free man about how he loved the beauty of the corn, potatoes and cotton growing in the fields and the sweet singing of songbirds that filled his ears and heart with joy. Bland wrote the song in the cold bleak winter in New York City. His body may have been in New York, but his soul was back in Old Virginny where he was born. And the words that were later deemed offensive in the 1990s and caused the song to removed as the official state song were his own words and they added so much meaning to to the story it told. And so, Carry Me Back, which had been the official state song since 1940 by legislative action was retired, supposedly honored by its status as the state song emeritus, which really meant it was placed in the dusty archives to be forgotten. The earlier stages of political correctness had taken their toll as cowardly legislators rushed to action, just another blow to history, and with it, the end of a beautiful song.

As I sadly think about it, I think it's worthwhile to pull out and reproduce the words for all to see. If you love Virginia or history, I think any reader with an unbiased mind would see where Mr. Bland was going with his song and I think you will get a positive vibe. And somehow, some way, I believe that the dear departed Mr. Bland is probably smiling as he sees his beautiful lyrics in print, so here they are.

CARRY ME BACK TO OLD VIRGINNY

Carry me back to old Virginny,
There's where the cotton and the corn and taters grow,
There's where the birds warble sweet in the springtime,
There's where this old darkey's heart am long'd to go,
There's where I labored so hard for old massa,
Day after day in the field of yellow corn,
No place on earth do I love more sincerely
Than old Virginny, the state where I was born.

Have a wonderful and blessed day. Real history tells an honest story and when we try to water it down or change it, it loses its purpose and we make the same mistakes over and over again. History always shows it will repeat itself if we don't even know where it has been.

Changing Weather: Natural and Normal, So Get Used to It!

5/23/2019

Major changes in climate have always taken place and always will. Get used to it.

I am constantly amazed how every time a significant change in weather takes place, the alarmists start talking about the end of the world. The moniker changes frequently, such as global warming now being called climate change as they try to come up with a lingo that will sell broadly. I'll never forget back in my days in Washington when we had a blizzard and they attributed it to global warming. Finally, they realized that when people were freezing and they couldn't start their cars that it wouldn't sell so they changed it and I'm sure they'll do it again when it suits their needs. But the funny part is that no one disagrees that the climate changes, the disagreement is over the cause and whether or not there is a solution.

Think about it for a minute. If the good old USA and her use of fossil fuels and generation of methane is the cause of world wide weather changes, what about nations like China and India and others and their non-requirement to change. Oh, they all give it lip service, even the Russians, but no one has done a better job of cleaning up emissions than America. Meanwhile China continues to build massive numbers of coal plants and they don't even use the cleanest grade of coal. My eldest granddaughter a number of years accompanied a couple as a nanny to adopt a child in Peking, only to report that she couldn't breathe on the streets without wearing a filtering mask. No, some of the hottest periods of heat and change on earth had nothing to do with man and industry as they were way before the industrial age. One Krakatoa had the ability to change weather patterns and cool temperatures in Europe and beyond from a major eruption in the 1800's. Winters were colder and longer, yet the earth with time healed itself.

That doesn't mean that man doesn't do stupid things that create problems for our land. Man does and it's usually tied to the primary cause that always shows itself, power and money. And it's why we overdevelop the coastline in what were pristine and delicate places. It's not the ocean rising that causes the problem. It's too many people crammed into too many places in excessively multi-use properties right where major and disastrous storms are routine. The same applies to inland areas where we design and build cities in flood zones and swamps and wonder why so many disasters strike. These situations will continue to happen unless and until we change the way we operate. Good luck on that.

But no, we can't control the heat of the sun, which runs hotter or cooler depending on sunspot activity. We can't control volcanoes, earthquakes or any other natural events. And man and the earth and the atmosphere and all other creations of God are just what they are, creations of a much greater power who has the final say in everything. And while we can look at the way we build and place facilities and how large they should be, until citizens decide that they are willing to act, but always honorably and in a socially acceptable way, nothing we do will change while the overarching climate continues to march on.

Some might call me crazy, but all of the climate change doomsday projections have never come true and science is never made by consensus. Computer models, the modern way to claim what will happen is at the mercy of the validity of the data that it massages. So when we manipulate the data, the data will of course say what the source of the program manager wants. Contrast that with empirical experience. Red skies in morning will always indicate sailors should take warning. What you see in that case is what you will get.

How about if we put a little more faith and trust in God than we do in the computer and old slide rule users. I think we would all be better off. Have a blessed day.

As We Go Down the Hump, Remember the Special Weekend Ahead

5/22/2019

Sacred ground: Normandy American Military Cemetery.

DO SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR THE UPCOMING MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY. HERE'S SOMETHING SIMPLE WE ALL MIGHT CONSIDER.

As we begin our descent from the Hump on this Hump Day, I want to ask everyone to spend some time pondering the great holiday weekend that is coming up. It will be Memorial Day weekend, a moment in time many call the unofficial beginning of summer but, more importantly, it's a time to honor the brave men and women of our Armed Forces going all the way back to the Revolution. There is no greater gift that a person can give and each of those we honor did just that, giving their life so that others might remain free. The reason I mention it this day is I hope all of us, but particularly parents, will do a little research in the interim and decide to celebrate over the weekend and next Monday, the official holiday, some of the wonderful sacrifices they made. Some are buried at Normandy American Military Cemetery in France shown above, not far from where they stormed the beaches to embark on the march through Europe and end the reign of Adolph Hitler.

Sadly, most schools don't study or even spend any time on the foundations and meaning of this holiday. Even sadder, even some of our churches ignore it, but all Americans need to remember it and teach our children of its meaning and relevance since it represents so much sacrifice by Americans in uniform past, present and future for those who never have known the terror and fear faced, nor the bravery they displayed while often knowing they would never make it home to American again. It's special, it's sacred and it' s not the day to thank all service members for their service, no, it's a day to remember our dead from from combat.

A good way to discuss it is look up Bunker Hill, look up the Normandy invasion, the assault of Iwo Jima or even the war in Vietnam to find some stories to tell your children about and the valor that those who died displayed. And, of course, there are so many more examples. We so often try to hide some of the horrific events in our past as if Americans don't need to be bothered with the difficulties in our history. But history, and particularly the gallantry and honor of our fighting forces need to be saluted and remembered, for if we forget our past, it will repeat itself. History proves that over and over again. So, while I'll write more about Memorial Day as it nears, especially as part of a special Sunday blog and on the actual holiday itself, sit down with your family and teach what it means to be the ultimate patriotic American, the ones who were willing give up their own lives so that the rest of us remain free. And I pray that from this endeavor, it might instill the understanding of how hard so many worked to give us that very freedom that we so often take for granted. Freedom isn't free, sometimes it is bloody and ugly to achieve, but it is far better than cowering as tyranny envelops us. God bless you, God bless America and God bless the souls of those who never came home.