THE SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN SOLDIER

I am a whisper on the wind,
of times past and places long forgotten:
Valleyforge, Gettysburg, Batan,
Pearl Harbor, Normandy, Seoul,
Saigon, Loas, Kuwait, Iraq.

I am the heart of the countless numbers:
scarred and maimed American Veterans
And the soul of the buried unknowns

I am the integral part of each
white cross in Flanders Fields.

And I am sealed within each name
on the wall. I am part of each and
every headstone of every
American veteran in every cemetery
around the world.

I am deeply enmeshed in every tiny
undiscovered bone fragment of an
American veteran left behind, on foreign soil.

I am the unseen shadow,
the unheard voice in those many
empty cells that once held my
brothers in unspeakable torture.

I am the unbearable pain in the hearts of
every Mother, Father, Wife, Husband,
Brother, .Sister, and Child of the missing
American Veterans from all wars

I am within each and every
teardrop shed by family members for
their unaccounted loved ones.

I am the essence of each and every
drop of blood shed in the past or
the future, by an American Veteran
in the name of freedom.

I am the lifeblood of the colors
of the American Flag:
Blue for my loyalty and dedication
White for my steadfastness
Red for my pride and love of my country.

I am the spirit of each name on
the black granite wall.
..Of all those unaccounted for in every war.

Of those who went away to war,
galant young soldiers and came
back older than time or not at all.

I am:
The Spirit Of The American Soldier

God Bless America
Land of the free
Home of the brave.

Dedicated to the memory of
T/Sgt. Richard M. Cole Jr. MIA 6/18/72
By Beverly Haire© 1998

TO CHANGE YOUR LUCK

TO CHANGE YOUR LUCK

A band of young car thieves thought they'd found the perfect plan.
They set to work stealing cars in a mall parking lot on one of the
busiest days of the year. Unfortunately, their first choice was their
worst choice. They spotted a nice-looking van and began picking the
locks. In no time at all the door opened, and inside they found …
police officers, who were using the vehicle as an undercover
surveillance van!

One might say that they ran into some bad luck. (Or maybe stealing
cars was a bad decision to begin with and luck had nothing to do with
it.)

Many people DO try to manage their luck, however. So they believe in
rituals and talismans to aid in their success. According to Jeanne
Ralston ("What's Luck Go To Do With It?" Ladies Home Journal, Jan.,
1999), athletes, as a group, are often superstitious. Home-run king
Hank Aaron wore the same shower shoes for twenty years because he
thought they brought him luck, and basketball great Michael Jordan
felt more confident with his University of North Carolina basketball
shorts under his Chicago Bulls uniform.

Some of us go for four leaf clovers, a superstition from the Druids of
medieval Europe who believed that the plant imparted to those who
found them special powers to see invisible witches and evil spirits.
Others may carry a rabbit's foot. It was because of the great
bunny-making capabilities of rabbits that ancient Celts believed they
should be associated with luck and prosperity. Still other people
speak of knocking on wood, a custom that seems to have grown from a
belief that the noise may prevent evil spirits from hearing you
mention your good luck.

I understand that basketball player George Underwood once said this
about luck: "I have just two superstitions. One, don't call someone a
bad name if they have a loaded pistol. Two, don't call your girl
friend Tina if her name is Vivian."

Robert Collier instructs that all of us have bad luck and good luck.
But the one who persists through the bad luck - who keeps right on
going - is the one who is there when the good luck comes. This person,
says Collier, is the one who is ready to receive that opportunity when
it is presented.

In other words, luck really does favor the prepared. And those who
persist and work hard. "The more I practice," said golfpro Arnold
Palmer, "the luckier I seem to get."

To change your luck, change your attitude from pessimism to optimism.
Something good really IS around the corner. Then work hard and be
ready. When that next opportunity comes, you'll be the one to seize it
a MAKE something happen. It can be your next lucky break!