July 3

Dan Hoppe delivered the pledge with "UNDER GOD"

Marshall just returned from Kiwanis International. in New Orleans. Division 34 had very good representation. Marshall ate a lot of oysters and was glad we beat the British in the War of 1812!

MDL had great help presenting Declaration of Independence talk from Frank, Wils, Dan, Brown, &,Bob. The Revolutionary War really started accidentally with the "shot heard around the world" in April of 1775 in MA.

We again realized the great courage shown by the Founding Fathers when they signed their names to the Declaration.

We had a wonderful audio story provided by Les Cutting of Menlo Park about the "Star Spangled Banner" . Written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 near the end of the War of 1812. Menlo had 5 for an interclub.

The original flag is being reconditioned at the Smithsonian History Museum in Washington DC. This Spring, I happened to see this historic flag spread over a whole room. The workers had an overhead lattice work to carefully "mend" this precious part of our history. The project is lasting years.

The meeting ended on an emotional note as Doc Brown described his return from the Korean War. The fog was lifting as his troop ship approached the Golden Gate Bridge flying the American Flag on top of one pier. There was barely a dry eye in the house!

By MDL

As America celebrated its Independence, an American Icon Ted Williams passed away at 83. Ted Williams was unique in his EXCELLENCE, COURAGE, AND DEDICATION.

He claimed he could see the stitches on a fastball. He proved it by becoming the "rookie of the year" in 1939. Several years later, he voluntarily interrupted his blossoming baseball career by applying his incredible hand-eye coordination to instructing fighter plane pilots during World War II. When he resumed his baseball career after the war, he continued to set records. In 1947, he became only the second player (Roger Hornsby was 1st) to twice win the Triple Crown (leading in batting, HR's, and RBI's).

In 1951, his country called on him again during the Korean War. This time he transitioned into a much more challenging "jet" fighter. Just one day after crash landing his shot up plane, he was "back at bat" and returned to the skies of Korea in another jet.

Ted Williams spent his entire baseball career with ONE team, the Boston Red Sox. He was comfortable in his own skin and often avoided the limelight and went fishing. Six times American league batting champion and the last (60 years ago) player to bat OVER 400, Ted Williams retired from baseball in 1960 hitting a HR on his last at bat! Thanks Ted for ALL your "service".