AMERICANPATRIOTCOLONIALWILLIAMSBURGLEARNING FROM THE PAST

BUSH AND OBAMACELEBRATING CITIZEN ACTION

TED WILLIAMSBASEBALL STAR ANDMARINE PILOT

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CLICK ABOVEDECEMBER 17, 2009

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BUSH + OBAMACELEBRATINGCITIZEN ACTION4

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TED WILLIAMSBASEBALL STAR AND MARINE PILOT

COLONIALWILLIAMSBURGLEARNING FROMTHE PAST

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Contents

THE GREATESTGENERATIONSFOUNDATION

TRAVELING BACK IN TIME

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THIS WEEK INAMERICAN HISTORY

QUOTE OFTHE WEEK

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MERIWETHERLEWISFORGOTTEN HERO

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BUSH AND OBAMACELEBRATE CITIZEN ACTIONOn October 16, President Barack Obama

joined former President George H. W.

Bush (“Bush 41”) to commemorate the

20th anniversary of the vision of a thou-

sand "Points of Light," which catalyzed

the modern volunteer service movement.

The leaders hosted a presidential forum

on community service at the George Bush

Presidential Library and Museum at Texas

A&M University. The event honored the

advances of the service movement that

started 20 years ago, and the contribu-

tions of Presidents Clinton, Bush and

Bush to sustain the movement, as well

as President Obama’s expansion of the

movement with his leadership of the bi-

partisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve

America Act. The forum addressed the

role of service in American communities

and in sharing innovative ideas about

service as a solution to pressing issues.

The event also celebrated the contribu-

tions of more than 4,500 Daily Point of

Light Award winners.

"This is a significant moment in history

as these two leaders come together to

celebrate their shared vision of service

and volunteerism in America," said

Michelle Nunn, chief executive officer,

Points of Light Institute. “In 1989,

President Bush called the nation to

service with the signing of the National

and Community Service Act of 1990,

the first piece of federal national service

legislation that sparked a movement of

service, leading to the creation of what

is now Points of Light Institute. This call

was rooted in a great national tradition —

the compassionate and innovative power

of citizen action. President Obama has

lifted up this call to the nation and has

said that he wants to make it a central

cause of his Presidency."

Said President Bush: “Dating back to

our nation's inception, and even before,

the uniquely American neighbor-helping-

neighbor spirit has sustained us, and

strengthened us, through times of peace

and prosperity, as well as crisis and

challenge. I salute President Obama

both for his leadership in renewing this

call to community service and for his

vision for engaging the next generation

of Americans in volunteerism.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT THEPOINTS OF LIGHT INSTITUTE

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Colonial Williamsburg is the crown jewel of Virginia’s Historic Triangle of Williamsburg,Yorktown and Jamestown, which welcomes roughly four million tourists a year. ColonialWilliamsburg itself is a several hundred acre historic district filled with the buildings,streets and squares that, from 1699 to 1780, formed Virginia’s colonial capital. For much ofthe 18th century, the city was the center of government, education and culture in Virginia —hence the American Colonies — and its inhabitants, at one time or another, includedGeorge Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, James Monroe, James Madison, anddozens more who shaped early America.

The motto of Colonial Williamsburg is “that the future may learn from the past,” and theHistoric Area is an interpretation of a Colonial city with exhibits that include dozens ofauthentic or accurately recreated colonial buildings. Not just a museum, however, the townis alive: interpreters work and dress as they did in the era, speak as the colonists did, andvisitors can move among them to get the flavor of life in the colonial era.

Colonial Williamsburg has become a destination spot for world leaders, including severalU.S. presidents. In 1983, the United States hosted the first World Economic Conference there,and Jamestown (the original Virginia settlement) and Yorktown (where the Revolutionary Warended) are linked to the historic area by the bucolic Colonial Parkway, operated by the NationalPark Service. A popular but distinctly non-colonial family destination, Busch GardensWilliamsburg, a Europe-themed park with rides, is nearby.

COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURGLEARNING FROM THE PAST

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SEE SCENES FROM THE STORY OF A PATRIOTA WELCOME MOVIE SHOWN AT THE VISITOR’S CENTER

Bruton Parish ChurchThis Episcopal Church is both a part of the historic area and the most active parish in SouthernVirginia. It has been restored to the colonial era, and name plates on its pews commemoratefamous worshippers like George Washington and John Tyler. The church still uses a bell castin 1761, which rang to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

The Governor’s PalaceThis is one of the two largest buildings at Colonial Williamsburg. When the city was thecapital of the Virginia Colony, the Governor's Palace was the official residence of the royalgovernor. The original building took 16 years to construct and was completed in 1721. Oneof its other illustrious residents was Thomas Jefferson.

CHECK OUT THESE WILLIAMSBURG SITES

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TED WILLIAMSBASEBALL STAR AND MARINE PILOT

Baseball fans know Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox asone of the greatest hitters ever. His achievements — Williamswas a two-time American League MVP, won the batting titlesix times and the Triple Crown twice, had a career battingaverage of .344 with 521 homeruns — propelled him to theHall of Fame in Cooperstown.

But not every fan knows that Williams’career was twice interrupted by militaryservice as a Marine Corps pilot, once forWorld War II and again in Korea. InWWII, he enlisted in the Navy. Thoughhe could have drawn an easy assign-ment playing or coaching baseball,he joined the V-5 program to becomea Naval aviator. He received his wingsand commission in the U.S. MarineCorps in May 1944, taught pilots to fly,and was in Pearl Harbor awaiting orderto join the China fleet when the warended. He returned to baseball in1946. Then, again, in 1952, Williamswas recalled to active duty for servicein the Korean War. After eight weeks ofrefresher flight training and qualifica-tion, he was assigned to Korea. Williamseventually flew 39 combat missions

and was awarded an Air Medal. In1953, he was back on the field.

As good as Williams was as a baseballplayer, fans wonder what might havebeen. What if five of his prime yearshad not been spent in the military?Would he have been the greatest hitterever? That debate continues to thisday at bars, stadiums and on sportsradio stations around the country. Oneway to think about it is this: few everplayed so well for so long so thosemilitary years would likely have beenproductive baseball years. Indeed,Williams won an MVP before and afterhis WWII service, and won the AmericanLeague batting title at the age of 40,long after the Korean War had ended.It is reasonable to believe that, in theintervening years, he could have passedBabe Ruth’s career home run record(now held by Hank Aaron) and been ator near the top of every career category.

But life, of course, is a balancing act.For Ted Williams’ 40th birthday,General Douglas MacArthur, hiscommander in Korea, sent an oilpainting of himself with the inscription“To Ted Williams — not only America'sgreatest baseball player, but a greatAmerican who served his country.”

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MERIWETHER LEWISFORGOTTEN HERO

PICTURED ABOVE:Lewis and Clark on the Lower

Columbia by C.M. Russell

This fall, two centuries after leading the famousexpedition that bears his name, MeriwetherLewis was finally honored as a genuine Americanhero at his grave site just off the Natchez TraceParkway in Tennessee.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition took placefrom 1804 to 1806 and was the first over-land expedition undertaken by the U.S.government to the Pacific coast and back.Lewis, along with William Clark, laid much ofthe groundwork for the westward expansionof the new country. When they returnedfrom the exploration, Meriwether Lewisand William Clark were hailed as heroes,but history soon pushed Lewis into the back-ground, in part because of his untimelyand, some say, mysterious death.

Lewis was born in 1774 on a plantationnear Charlottesville, Virginia. He spent hischildhood in the wilderness and devel-oped a love of hunting and exploring. As ayoung man, Lewis fought against theWhiskey Rebellion. From there, he becamean officer in the army and fought againstNative Americans in the NorthwestTerritory. He became expert on NativeAmericans and their languages.

President Thomas Jefferson recruited Lewisto be his private secretary in 1801. Fortwo years, Jefferson prepared him to leada group of explorers across the LouisianaPurchase. To prepare, Lewis studied naviga-tion, plants, and animals. He also recruitedClark as his assistant. The epic trip itselftook three years, with the members of theexpedition suffered many hardships as theynavigated the Missouri River, crossed theRocky Mountains, and followed the ColumbiaRiver to the west coast and the Pacific.During that journey, Meriwether kept adetailed journal of events, drawn maps,collected plant specimens, and managedto pass peacefully through Indian territory.

Upon his return, Lewis was named aBrigadier General, given a land grant, andappointed governor of the Louisiana Territory.Then, in October 1809, he was found deadfrom gunshot wounds at an Inn. Historianshave long debated whether Lewis committedsuicide or was murdered; the mystery hasnever been solved.

Among the hundreds attending the recentgravesite event was Peyton “Bud” Clark, adirect descendent of William Clark spokeabout how is ancestor respected Lewis,his partner and mentor: “They were ‘sonsof the Revolution,’ drawn together by anunmistakable chemistry. William Clarkwrote that Meriwether Lewis was a manof impeccable integrity... This celebrationto honor Meriwether Lewis is long overdue.He truly is an American hero.”

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FOLLOW LEWIS ANDCLARK’S TRAIL

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Americans do their best to honor themen andwomenwho foughtfor them on the frontlines of freedom. The Greatest GenerationsFoundation is one such organization whose primary mission is tofund trips for veterans to return to their former battlefields.

THE GREATESTGENERATIONSFOUNDATIONTRAVELING BACK IN TIME

29TH DIVISION VETERAN,SGT. AUSTIN COX RETURNS TOTHE CHATEAU COLOMBIERESIN NORMANDY, FRANCE.Photograph: Copyright 2009-The Greatest Generation Foundation

The idea is that the journeys helpveterans achieve some measure of closureon their war experience, share thegratitude of the people for whom theyfought, and educate others on theirindividual experiences in a broaderhistorical context. The Foundationservices men and women who foughtin World War I, World War II, Koreaand Vietnam, and has it expanded itsefforts to education and preservationefforts as well as the visits.

Interestingly, the Foundation wasformed by an Australian native,Timothy Davis, who was inspired byhis grandfathers’ service in World WarII. He came from a military family.Many of his ancestors fought alongsidethe U.S., Britain and other Alliedpowers in both world wars. After travel-ing through Europe and Asia to seethe sites of many battlefields, he cameto America and, as he explains, "Istarted talking to veterans. I wantedto learn about the American veterans'experience. I traveled to Europe forthe 60th anniversary of D-Day. ManyAllied veterans attended, but few werefrom the United States. I wondered why."

He came home and began to researchWorld War II veterans. “I asked them

three questions: Would they go back ifthey could; would they like to go withfamily members or other veterans; andcould they afford the trip?” Mr. Davissaid. He discovered that most veteranswould go back if they could, that theywould prefer to go with other veterans,and that few could afford to do so ontheir own.

Mr. Davis, who now lives in Colorado withhis wife and two sons, started to raisefunds in 2000; by 2004 the effortcoalesced into a formal non-profitorganization. On the first official trip,Davis took 15 veterans to the 60thanniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.Since its inception, the Foundationhas directly touched more than 11,000veterans. This includes battlefieldtrips, organized tours of nationaldestinations, and other educationalactivities. Journeys in 2009 include,or will include: Normandy for D-Dayactivities; Holland, to mark OperationMarket Garden, a major World War IIair battle; the 65th anniversary of theBattle of the Bulge; and Hawaii forPearl Harbor survivors. Iwo Jima is onthe schedule for 2010.

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GET MORE INFORMATIONON THE FOUNDATION ANDSEE PHOTOS OF THE TRIPS

QUOTE OFTHE WEEK

And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what yourcountry can do for you; ask what you can do foryour country. My fellow citizens of the world;ask not what American can do for you, but whattogether we can do for the freedom of man.

— JOHN F. KENNEDYINAUGURAL ADDRESS, 1961

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SEE A VIDEO OF JFK’S SPEECH

1789.The first American holiday is proclaimed by PresidentGeorge Washington. It is called Thanksgiving Day, and isdedicated as a day of prayer and public appreciation for thesuccessful establishment of the new American democracy.

THIS WEEK INAMERICAN HISTORY

AMERICAN PATRIOT 15

Pictured Above: THE FIRST THANKSGIVING,painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (1863–1930)

Itonlytakesa

moment.Make a difference in the lives of the men and women who protect our freedom.

VOLUNTEER. DONATE. REMEMBER. USO.ORG

US01-1452_8.5x11_Layout 1 11/30/09 10:28 AM Page 1

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