An Unsung Hero.

If you've studied American history at all, you've seen the iconic photo by Joe Rosenthal of the Marines raising the American flag on Iwo Jima during WWII. Raising the second American flag, I should say.

"The first flag-raising occurred a couple of hours earlier - shortly after
Marines had gained the top of the mountain after hard fighting. This flag was
deemed too small to be easily seen from the base of the mountain so a second,
larger flag was raised."

Ray Jacobs was part of the group that raised that first flag. His account of it can be read here. Mr. Jacobs passed away today. He was 84 years old.

(h/t The Corner)

History Link.

This has been sitting in my bookmarks for a while now. I came across it while Stumbling, and I thought it was pretty interesting. Some of the comments at the site I found it on are interesting as well. Here is a link to the original source.

Exit Question: The map's purpose is to address the question, "How has the geography of religion evolved over the centuries, and where has it sparked wars?" Did religion itself spark the wars, or were there other factors? Do you think this map shows a bias in favor of or against a particular religion? If so, which one, and why do you think so?

Veteran's Day.

"The Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh month..."

Those words describe the time of the signing of the Armistice between Germany and the Allied Powers in 1918, marking the end of what was called "The war to end all wars." In 1926, Congress marked the day by resolving that the President proclaim that the flag will be flown on all government buildings that day; in 1938, Congress recognized Armistice Day as a legal holiday, honoring veterans of the World War.

War came again.

In 1954, fresh from WWII and Korea, Congress amended the Act of 1938 to honor American veterans of all wars.

" On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those
who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to
preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task
of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in
vain."

All of us have been touched by a veteran in some way. In my case, it is through family. My paternal Grandfather's brother served in Patton's 3rd Army during WWII. My maternal Grandfather served in the Army Corps of Engineers in Korea. My brother-in-law is currently serving in Iraq.

I'm proud that these men, and all others like them, answered their county's call in her time of need. I'm grateful for what they did and are doing to ensure that I have the freedom to write, and you, the freedom to read.

God bless our veterans, past and present.

Veteran's Day History.

Link to image source.

Independence Day

On this date in 1776, the Continental Congress voted to accept the resolution declaring our independence from Great Britain. Never before had a country made a statement like the one written by Thomas Jefferson and signed by the delegates to the Congress. With eloquence not seen in today's legislators, Jefferson laid out the principles that all Americans hold dear - that governments are instituted among men to protect the rights granted to them by Almighty God. I have read the text of the Declaration many times, and each time I get chills, it is so powerful. Happy Birthday America.

Read the text for yourself here.

The Green Man.

If you wander into any medieval cathedral or parish church in England, you may find, hidden among the carvings of angels and saints, a strange figure. He is usually a small grotesque man's head surrounded by foliage or disgorging leafy vines. He is known as the Green Man. I spent some time in Britain during college, in the University's study abroad program. I had the opportunity to see Green Men and Imps in cathedrals and churches from Lincoln to our own small village chapel at Harlaxton. The Green Man was interesting enough from an architectural perspective, but it was the explanation for him that I found fascinating.

In the 11th century, when many of these churches and cathedrals date to, there was a distinct class divide between the peasant builders and stonewrights who built these structures, and the clergy who resided and instructed in them. Thus there was always an element of mistrust, since all that the lower classes knew of Christianity is what the educated, well-fed, and wealthy clergy told them. The vicar I knew at Harlaxton described it this way; "The Green Man was insurance," he told me. "The people who built these churches were not convinced that they would go to heaven, just because the priests told them so." If they did, then they could point to the cathedral they built and say to God, "Look what I built for you." But if the priests were wrong, and the builders ended up in the other place, they could point to the Green Man carved in the rafters and say "You're there too."

The point of this history lesson? I'm thankful that we live in a day and age where we have access to the Scriptures and can know for our own certainty that God loves us, and wishes to save us from our sins. Jesus Christ is our insurance policy, with the premiums paid and the deductible satisfied. Thanks to men like Gutenberg and Luther, we do not need to rely on a clergy class that we mistrust to tell us this.

And the Green Man? He's still there, amusing onlookers and scholars alike; for like other images of carven stone, he had to be lifted into place, and remains impotent.