Showing Respect to the Flag and the Pledge

 

Whitney Houston, Superbowl 2011

When the Music Stopped

 

For those who are unaware:  Since before the 1960s, at all military base theaters all over the world, the National Anthem is played before a movie begins. What did the soldiers do?

I recently attended a showing of “Superman 3” here at LSA Ananconda.  We have a large auditorium that is used for movies as well as memorial services and other large gathering.

As is the custom at all military bases, we stood at attention when the National Anthem began before the movie began.

All was going well until three-quarters of the way through the National Anthem, the music stopped.

Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-to-22-year-olds back in the States?  I imagine that there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments, and everyone would sit down and yell for the movie to begin. Of course, that is, only if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place.

Here in Iraq, these 1,000 soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward.  The music started again, and the soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention, Again, though, at the same point, the music stopped.  What would you expect 1,000 soldiers standing at attention to do?

Frankly, I expected some laughter, and everyone would eventually sit down and wait for the movie to start.

No!!  You could have heard a pin drop while every soldier continued to stand at attention.

Suddenly, there was a lone voice from the front of the auditorium, then a dozen voices, and soon the whole room was filled with voices of a thousand soldiers, finishing where the recording left off:

And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say, does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, o’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.

It was the most inspiring moment I have had in Iraq, and I wanted you to know what kind of U.S. Soldiers are serving you/us. Remember them as they fight for us

Written by Chaplain Jim Higgins, LSA Anaconda at the Ballad Airport in Iraq, north of Baghdad.

National Anthem, Super Bowl 2011, 

sung by Marvin Gaye

Infinite Jest--Time will find us

From one media to another

Times change, without a doubt.  As technology made photographs more accessible and cheap, almost every family documented big events.  Burgeoning photo albums showed the styles of the 1960s and the 1970s.  Silly hair styles and mini-skirts were part of the albums.

Just don't bend over.

Movie cameras shrank from complicated monsters with four blinding headlights to hand-held quiet 8mm cameras, capturing the silliness of my era. 

We were the hippy generation, the postwar baby boomers.  Long straight hair and ‘hot pants’ were the style; leisure suits were dressing up.  We documented our life together with photo and film. 

Hot babe

At Christmas 2012, I arranged to transfer a big box of 8 mm film to DVD, with my narration and background music. 

From our early marriage days, through our children era, and then to the mid 90s, I soon found myself smiling big and a little teary.  I don’t know what reaction I expected from our now adult kids. Oh, Mom! These are so great! Thank you so much!

Because we were diligent in recording our history and obsessive about keeping those films, we have a new position in the minds of our grown children:

                           We are their source of INFINITE JEST.

  

What we did get were peals of laughter, OMG-dad-you-were-such-a-geek, and LOL-mom-you-were-so-hot.

Our grandchildren will have hours of diversion and entertainment with our visual legacy to our progeny.  

Hours and hours of infinite jest. Yes, our legacy is digital.

Roll in ze hay

Another re-post, but edited.  How we loved this show, these actors....

One of the best and probably defining movies of my generation was the brilliant version of “Young Frankenstein” with Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Terri Garr, Madeleine Kahn, and Marty Feldman.  Even now, some almost 40 years later, my husband and I quote phrases that we remember and we chuckle.

“Roll in ze hay”  or  

“Franken-shteen!  Not Franken-shtine!”

The one that I remember today is “Oh! Sweet Mystery of Life, at last I’ve Found you!” sung by Madeleine Kahn.  I won't post it, but it is great.

Strangely, anyone of the generation before us know nothing about this gem. Nothing of Silverado, The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid...movies we of the 1960s remember and can quote line by line.

But then, we know nothing of Stranger on a Train, Dial M for Murder, 42nd Street, Broadway Melodies....

Perspective is the issue.