I was reading some of the articles through SeededBuzz this weekend and I came across one from the Northwood Clinic.  In their article, they asked:

So here’s my BIG thought for the day. If you had a month to do anything you like, how would you spend it. On the beach, with your family, reading book after book, learning a language. The list is endless and I would like to read about how you would spend the perfect month away from the normal daily routines.

My “perfect month.” That is so open ended, it is difficult to answer. I could spend a month watching movies and playing games, or visiting old friends that live out of state, or even start up a new pet project.  Our friends over at This, That, and The Other has stated that traveling to Colorado and Pennsylvania would be on their list if they had a free month.  Then the thought came to mind – how about something for our country?

One of the things I might do is donate a week on the Gulf Coast. With the 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina just around the corner, I could easily spend a week volunteering my time in the communities that are still recovering from the historic storm. Be it building new homes, restoring the natural environment, or helping with charity drives, donating my time to them would be very self-gratifying as well as beneficial to those in need.

For my second week, I think I would give back to our troops. During the day, I could volunteer my time visiting the troops who are recovering from their injuries after returning from the Middle East. This will be very emotionally trying, so in the evenings I would greet our troops who are flying home as a positive emotional balance.

Next, I think a week spending time with the local schools and libraries would be great to influence the next generation. Reading storybooks and helping with their math studies would be activities I could easily assist with, and it would be a positive boost for both the kids and myself.

Lastly, a week visiting our nations historical landmarks would be a nice way to wrap up the month. I could take many pictures of the sites and write up articles about them to share my experiences. How knows, maybe we would discover something new about out pasts.

This would be a very rewarding month; something I could look back on with a sense of pride. Of course, I could do a lot of this right now. Unfortunately, my “excuse” of work and other life activities gets in the way. So maybe it’s not a “free month” that I should be looking for, but rather a change of mindset and priorities. With that, I could actually spend more than a month giving back to the country that has given me so much.

So what would you do for your country if you could spend a month away of life’s responsibilities?

I thought that we could use some Fourth of July trivia this holiday season. While listening to the radio on Friday, the DJ’s were referencing an article from the National Archives back from 2005 with some interesting facts. So, kick back and spend a few minutes to learn more about our nations’ history and the Declaration of Independence.

Who Authored the Declaration of Independence? Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, which was then edited by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. Jefferson took their edits and incorporated them into what would become the version finally adopted.

Independence Day Should Have Been July 2: July 2, 1776 is the day that the Continental Congress actually voted for independence. John Adams, in his writings, even noted that July 2 would be remembered in the annals of American history and would be marked with fireworks and celebrations. The written Declaration of Independence was dated July 4 but wasn’t actually signed until August 2. Fifty-six delegates eventually signed the document, although all were not present on that day in August.

Who Signed and In What Order? John Hancock signed first, with a large hand right in the middle because he was the President of the Congress. The others signed by state delegation, beginning in the upper right in one column, and then proceeding in five other columns, arranged from the northernmost state (New Hampshire) to the southernmost (Georgia).

Who Signed Last? It is believed Thomas McKean of Delaware was the last person to sign. When Congress authorized the printing of an official copy with the names attached in January 1777, McKean’s name was not included. He signed after that date, or the printer made a mistake by omitting him.

On The Road Again: The Declaration of Independence spent many years on the road. After the signing ceremony on August 2, it was most likely filed in Philadelphia. On December 12, threatened by the British, Congress adjourned and reconvened 8 days later in Baltimore, MD, where the document remained until its return to Philadelphia in March of 1777. In the years to follow, it traveled widely with the Continental Congress throughout the Northeast, then moving to Washington, DC in 1800. In 1814, again threatened by war, it was moved to an unused gristmill in Virginia for protection. On August 24, as the British burned the White House, it was moved to Leesburg, VA until September, when it returned to the nation’s capital. With the exception of a trip to Philadelphia for the Centennial and to Fort Knox during World War II, it has remained there ever since.

If By Land or By Sea: The document has also experienced many modes of travel. Initially, like other parchment documents of the time, the Declaration was probably stored in a rolled format. Each time the document was used, it would have been unrolled and re-rolled. It likely traveled by light wagon and by horseback with the Continental Congress it its early years. When it was first brought to Washington, it traveled by boat, down the Delaware River and Bay, out into the ocean, into the Chesapeake Bay, and up the Potomac to the new capital city. During World War II, it was moved by Pullman train to Louisville, KY and transferred under armed guard to Fort Knox for safety and protection.

In honor of Flag Day this year, I want to post something different. 

There are five Federal Service Academies in the United States.  Most everyone knows of the US Naval Academy (Annapolis) and the US Military Academy (West Point), and some are familiar with US Air Force Academy and the US Coast Guard Academy.  However, “America’s best kept secret” is the US Merchant Marine Academy located in Kings Point, NY.  This school is dedicated to training the maritime industry leaders of tomorrow, as well as providing highly trained individuals to all branches of the US Military and intermodal systems around our nation.

One of the trademark icons of the Academy is their 176 foot tall unguided flag pole that towers over the campus.  This flag pole is capped with an eagle with its wings outstretched, and is strong enough to fly the nations largest official flag.  Unfortunately, this icon took a critical blow last fall when a contractor working on the Academy grounds ran into the flag pole, making the flagpole unsafe.  The end result was that the flag pole had to be taken down.

Today – Flag Day – the repaired flag pole was delivered to the Academy in pieces to be assembled on site.  I find this to be a very touching gesture.  My hope is that the flag pole stands tall for at least another 70 years before it has to be taken down again for repairs.

Below you will find some images of the flag pole during the assembly process.  I will update the images as more are posted by the Academy.

Continuing from my earlier post, the following headstones memorialize those who died together in downed aircraft:

Many people often say “Happy Memorial Day,” though I do follow that practice.  While we should be thankful for the sacrifice made by our brave men and women over the past 200+ years, I don’t want to cheapen it by using the word “happy.”  Instead, let us use the word “honorable.” 

The following are a collection of photographs I have taken at Arlington National Cemetery last weekend.  These individuals symbolize the ultimate price paid by our fighting forces over the past 100 years to secure for us the liberties we enjoy today.  So please, take a moment, and read the headstones below and reflect on that period of time and honor those who picked up arms in defense of our nation. The images below represent the individuals that have gone before us. In part 2, I will post the mass grave markers honoring flight crews that died together.