patriotism

Preserve our Freedom

/ Leland Olson Hoel / Leave a comment

Douglas Brent Hegdahl III 

POW
This story is about a young man who was born in Clark, South Dakota, USA. He got held as a prisoner of war in Vietnam at the Hanoi Hilton. It is a good history lesson about what one more United States military member went through as prisoners of war in Vietnam.

Dedicated, patriotic men and women fought and died to protect and preserve the freedom that far too many take for granted today in the United States. “Freedom is not free” millions have suffered and died so we can have a free country, be able to vote, and have faith in God and free, honest elections.

Today, unpatriotic Politicians would destroy all of this to protect their selfish greed and power. These people need to be dealt with severely, their political actions are a form of treason. Modern-day politicians who never served in the Armed Forces see POW’s as losers because they got captured.

Doug Hegdahl – Wikipedia

Service to Country

/ Leland Olson Hoel / Leave a comment

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Men and women from the small community of Estelline, South Dakota U.S.A. who served in the military during World War II.

My mother belonged to the American Legion Woman’s Auxiliary at Estelline, South Dakota during the Second World War. She had seven brothers six served in the military. She also had two female cousins who served, one was in the Women’s Marine Corps at Quantico Virginia. The other one was a radio operator in the Army Air Corps in England.

The state of South Dakota in the U.S.A. only has a population of 865,000 people. The town I was born in Estelline, has a population today of 655 people, it was much less in 1940. The eastern part of the state is made up of farms and small towns. The towns are situated about 10 miles apart.

Almost every one of these towns has or has had a service club for veterans, either a Veterans of Foreign Wars or an American Legion Club. These service clubs and organizations started after the First World War. They continued to grow rapidly after the Second World War and through the Korean War. Today these Veterans groups and organizations are dying, for the simple reason all of the veterans have died or are dying. Most of the Second World War veterans have now passed away. The Korean War and the Vietnam Era Veterans are next to go.

Every one of these clubs had a mission, teaching about good citizenship, service to country and patriotism. Teaching the truth that freedom is not free, some people have to fight to preserve the freedom that we all enjoy and some will give the Supreme Sacrifice. Countless brave men and women have lost their lives in the line of duty, serving their country on every continent in the world. Many American Legion and V.F.W. Clubs have closed. We cannot become complacent and watch service to country and patriotism disappear. This Vital Mission will have to be carried on by private citizens and by the many Gulf War Veterans who have served their country so well.

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A Legacy of Service Not Self is Born. A group of 20 officers who served in the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I were asked to suggest ideas on how to improve troop morale. One officer, Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt Jr., proposed an organization of veterans, which we know today as The American Legion.

https://lghoelson.wordhpress.com/

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Kenneth Wayrynen served in the Philippine Islands, Japan and Korea.

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Betty Grape

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Marvin Wayrynen served all over Europe.

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Edmond Wayrynen on left Belgium 1944

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Marvin Wayrynen in Germany 1945.

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Arthur Wayrynen served in Alaska and Aleutian Islands.

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Wayno Wayrynen was in the Battle of the Bulge.

 

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A Purple Nose Knows

/ Leland Olson Hoel / Leave a comment

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Purple

Write a new post in response to today’s one-word prompt.

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Purple Nose
Lonnie was a big, tall, proud man who was blessed with a large purple nose. That nose, above his wide smile, was like a neon sign advertising his outstanding, happy, outgoing personality. He didn’t have an enemy in this world except those he was ordered to fight against on Flanders fields and other battlegrounds in Europe, during the First World War.

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He served his country proudly in the United States Army. He saw many friends die in battle, some survived to spend a lifetime suffering from lungs damaged by mustard gas. He spent his life as an active member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars organizations. Promoting, teaching and practicing patriotism was his life story, He was proud to be an American.

He liked a beer and took a drink in memory of his fallen comrades but his nose was not purple from alcohol abuse.

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Opinions About Causes of Purple Nose

“There are also a lot of other opinions about what causes a purple nose. Many people believe that nose might turn purple as a simple result of constant vomiting, sneezing, smoking or alcohol abuse. The best way to treat such a condition is to visit your doctor to rule out any serious conditions.”
“That’s the story anyway, and when we see someone with this an enlarged red and cratered nose, we tend to pre-judge them as heavy drinkers. But the truth is that so called drinker’s nose is not caused by alcohol at all, and that people who have abstained for life can still fall prey to the condition that is more accurately known as Rosacea”.
‘So don’t judge that book by its cover! Too many Rosacea sufferers are unfairly labeled alcoholics, due to this popular misconception”

https://lghoelson.wordpress.com/

Has Waning Patriotism Caused the Statue Of Liberty To Cover Her Face?

/ Leland Olson Hoel / Leave a comment

FLAG

Patriotism

Oh, my country so faithful to me.
Where now is my allegiance more?
Is it in that grand old flag?
“Or is it in my own credit score”

How many who have gone before?
“Fought and died for this great land”
They sacrificed, some gave all,
“so the rest could have a life so grand.”

“We love our Independence Day”
Parades, picnics, and fireworks are all on display.
How much longer can this last?
“Our identities now bring out looks of dismay.”

“Our lives are consumed with trivial stuff.”
We see the enemy each place we look.
How can this be?
We gave up on reading the good book?

“Only through patriotism can our freedom endure.”
“A revived National Patriotism that is real.”
“Not just the use of the word”
“to make a political deal.”