Freedom's Price

 Better than honor and glory, and History's iron pen, Was the thought of duty done and the love of his fellow-men. ~Richard Watson Gilder


Memorial Day weekend - the weekend that launches summer. Schools are out or will be soon. Seniors are graduating and getting ready to grab life by the horns and see what's next. Some young men and women came to that stage of life during a time of war. Their next thing was joining the military and fighting for freedom and their country. Many gave their all. This sign I saw at the traveling exhibit of the Vietnam War Memorial tells it all. The toll of dead and wounded and missing number in the thousands in every war. 

But a picture like this one brings home that truth in gut wrenching fashion. Row after row of crosses mark the graves of our soldiers who stepped up to the line for their country and did not come home. Tomorrow, Memorial Day, our nation pauses to remember and honor those soldiers.


These heroes are dead. They died for liberty - they died for us. They are at rest.  They sleep in the land they made free, under the flag they rendered stainless, under the solemn pines, the sad hemlocks, the tearful willows, and the embracing vines. They sleep beneath the shadows of the clouds, careless alike of sunshine or of storm, each in the windowless Place of Rest.  Earth may run red with other wars - they are at peace. In the midst of battle, in the roar of conflict, they found the serenity of death. I have one sentiment for soldiers living and dead: cheers for the living; tears for the dead.  ~Robert G. Ingersoll

My father didn't serve in the army. He was exempted from the military in World War II because he was a farmer, but I've known many men, including two of my uncles and two of my husband's uncles, who did serve our country during that war. Then young men of my generation faced the challenge of the Vietnam War and many served with honor and courage. Still now, men and women are putting themselves in harm's way to defend our way of life and fight for freedom. May we ever keep them in our prayers. 

Do you have family members who have served or who are even now part of the military serving our country? 

Some Gave All - The Traveling Wall

I've never been to Washington DC to see the Vietnam Wall, so when I found out the Traveling Wall was coming to a town near me, I wanted to go. I've researched several different wars for my historical novels but so far, the closest I've come to writing about the Vietnam War was in Jerry's life testimony story, Angels at the Crossroads. Jerry didn't go to Vietnam but being drafted led to some of the crises in his life. 

The draft and the war were very real to kids my age. Boys I went to school with went to war. My brother-in-law worked on airplanes in the Philippines. My cousin was in Vietnam. The news every night showed boys dying in the Vietnam jungles. Those boys whose names now cover that black wall. 

So many names. So many soldiers who stood up for their country and didn't come home. As the sign said at the Wall, I touched the Wall and the Wall touched me. One of the flags had this on it. All gave some. Some gave all. 

I'm at Mom's tonight and the Internet is down. Doing this post on my phone. Not the easiest way to type and the phone sometimes puts words in my fingers I didn't have in my head. I did send out a newsletter this a.m. I'll tell you all about it and my new contest on Wednesday. That will give me the chance to find the recipe for that wicked looking chocolate cake. So come back then. If you can't wait and would like to get the newsletter now, comment with your email and I'll send it out to you. 

But tonight I'm remembering. If you are a vet, thank you! If you have a vet in your family, thank you for your worries and prayers for him or her. 

A Day to Remember Those Who Gave Their All

"It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle." (Norman Schwarzkopf)

Do you know why we have a long Memorial Day weekend? Some people think of it as a day to decorate the graves of their loved ones who have died. And that does happen at cemeteries across the country. But actually Memorial Day began as Decoration Day back in the 1860s after the Civil War. Wives, mothers, and sisters began decorating the graves of the fallen soldiers. It's thought as many as 700,000 men lost their lives in the Civil War, a lot of graves to decorate. Perhaps the women, who began the tradition, picked a day in late May because they had many blooming flowers for the grave decorations. 

It wasn't until 1967 that Federal law changed the name of the remembrance holiday officially to Memorial Day. The next year the date was changed from May 30 to the last Monday in May. Not everybody was happy with that change because they thought the real significance of the holiday - remembering those who'd been killed in wars - might be lost when the day became part of a three day weekend. 

Most communities have special observances to honor our soldiers. In our town, we have what is called the "healing field" where soldiers from our area who died in wars are honored with a flag. When you think about how that kind of memorial could be repeated in every town all across our country, you begin to realize the sacrifice so many have made to keep our country free and to stand up for the freedom of other countries as well. This weekend, thousands and thousands of flags will be placed on veterans' graves in honor of their service and sacrifices.


At our church this morning, we had two Vietnam War veterans. Men who answered the call when their country asked for their service. They made it home. Many did not. Over 58,000 soldiers were killed in that war. 11,465 of those killed in action were younger than twenty. The Korean War claimed almost 40,000 American casualties. World War II saw at least 60 million people worldwide killed. U.S. Military casualties were 416,800. World War I, the war those who fought it thought would end all wars, resulted in 126,000 American soldiers' death. 

My books often have scenes of war in the stories, and in my research for these scenes I have read many great stories of the men and women who have served our country in time of war. Most of these soldiers were ordinary men, and sometimes women, who responded with extraordinary valor when they stood in the gap to defend their country. Wars throughout history have claimed the lives of some of the finest among us and are still doing so today. Let us pray for peace and for our soldiers to come home safely. May we never forget those who did not. God bless America and our soldiers and their families!

Arlington National Cemetery

A Day to Remember

"The dead soldier's silence sings our national anthem." (Aaron Kilbourn)

Memorial Day began as Decoration Day after the Civil War when the wives, mothers, and sisters began decorating the graves of the fallen soldiers. Slowly as the years passed, Decoration Day, observed on May 30, began to be called Memorial Day, but it wasn't until1967 that Federal law changed the name officially. The year after that the Uniform Holiday Act was passed and the observance of Memorial Day changed to the last Monday in May. Not everybody was happy with changing the date just to give people a three day weekend. Many felt it would take away from the original reason for the day - honoring those who gave their all for our country. 

The picture above is of the Memorial Field in my county. The flags represent soldiers from our area killed in service to their country. The memorial could be repeated in every town - big and small - all across our country. Thousands and thousands of flags were put on veterans' graves this Memorial Day in honor of their sacrifices.

At church this morning, one of the men, who served during the Vietnam War, was wearing a pin showing the number of Americans killed in that war. 58,169. The average age of the soldiers killed was 23. 11,465 of those killed in action were younger than 20.

I looked farther back. The Korean War claimed close to 40,000 American casualties. In World War II, 60 million people worldwide were killed. U.S. Military casualties were 416,800. In World War I, the war that people at that time believed would be the war to end all wars, 126,000 American soldiers perished.

The dead in the Civil War is thought to be around 700,000. So you can see how there were many who were left behind to grieve for loved ones. They didn't want to forget and so they remembered by decorating the graves.

We continue to remember today. Tomorrow, Monday, at 3 p.m., a moment of silence will be observed for all those who died in service to our country. May we never forget the debt we owe to those men and women willing to give their all so our flag can continue to fly over a free country. America, the Beautiful!  

More Than Gold at Ft. Knox

The closest I'll ever get to the big screen!

As every thread of gold is valuable, so is every moment of time. ~ John Mason


Can you believe I let Wednesday slip past me again? And this time I went to church and everything. But it was a busy day and not the best day for part of the day. Many of you know that my mother is suffering from dementia. Yesterday was a bad day for her. She was angry and unhappy for much of the afternoon. Some of you who have experienced this with your loved ones understand. It is difficult to see someone you love sliding into confusion. It is difficult for the loved one too. 

So that's one reason Wednesday slid past unblogged. Another reason is that I am working hard to get my goal of so many words each day on my work in progress. That means that every extra minute I'm staring at the computer screen trying to get the scenes in my head to show up there on that blank screen.

Today was better for Mom. So better for us, her daughters. It was fun for me too in a different way because I got to go to Ft. Knox. Where the gold is. I didn't get anywhere near the gold depository, but I was in a place where they had a different kind of gold - books, books and more books. The Ft. Knox Barr Library. If I had to ever make a choice between books and gold, I wouldn't have a bit of trouble choosing. Books, of course. 

The library there is hosting author events once a month through October. What fun for the authors and readers and librarians! I was the launch author and look at me up there on the big screen. Good thing I couldn't see that or I would have probably freaked. I did know they were televising it on their closed circuit out in the main  library in case the room was too full and they had an overflow crowd. When they tell me that while showing me I can't get out of this little square behind the podium, I'm going, yeah sure, but then people kept coming in. Of course, it helped when a church's book club showed up seven strong. Then a teacher at the local school gave her students extra credit for coming. That filled up the back of the room. It might have also helped that the library was offering a great incentive for their series of author visits. They had cards they were punching for the attendees and anybody who makes it to all the events will have a chance to win an e-reader. 

But whether they came for school credit or a chance to win a Nook, it was still fun to talk to a room full of people. And I didn't see anybody dozing off on me. However, it is true that I couldn't see those sitting on the floor in the back. But I didn't hear them snoring! 

Now I can say I've been to Ft. Knox. A great place to be made aware of the many soldiers ready to stand in the gap for freedom. 

Somebody poke me next week and remind me when it's Wednesday. I always enjoy hearing from you. You can tell me what you know about Ft. Knox or if you have a family member serving our country. The lady at the library said they were getting ready to send some troops off to Afghanistan very soon.  May our prayers go with them.

Thanks for reading!