News from the COMMANDANT S OFFICE Volume 2, Issue 9 November 14, 2006 From the Commandant It s November and we celebrate two major events: Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. In large part, this issue of the newsletter features our Veterans and the celebration of Veterans Day when all of America commemorates the sacrifice of all Veterans who made it possible to live in a land of free speech a land of enormous opportunities and a land blessed with many freedoms not enjoyed by numerous citizens of many countries. On November 11, 1953, the town of Emporia, Kansas organized the town s annual Armistice Day observance as All Veterans Day. The Governor attended and suggested similar observances in every city prompting the introduction of legislation in Congress that would change Armistice Day to Veterans Day. On June 1, 1954, President Eisenhower signed that law and issued the first Veterans Day proclamation: 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. Thank you, Veterans, for your sacrifices to our country to ensure that future generations can live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. In November, we also celebrate Thanksgiving a day set aside for Americans to give thanks for the blessings of a free land full of abundance and time to spend with families and loved ones. It is widely presumed that the first Thanksgiving occurred in 1621 and was celebrated by the Pilgrims, English settlers, and local Native Americans. It will come as a surprise to many that 1) the meal in 1621 was not the first thanksgiving in North America and, in fact, not even a thanksgiving feast, 2) turkey was probably not served and 3) there were no Pilgrims! The Native American people had celebrated the harvest, in one form or another, for several thousands of years prior to European colonization. The first documented thanksgiving observance actually occurred in 1578. An English adventurer, Martin Frobisher, held a formal ceremony in what is now known as New Foundland to give thanks for having survived the long ocean journey. In addition to the settlement in Canada, the Spanish, French, and the Dutch all had settlements in North America and would have carried the old observances marking successful 1 (continued on page 2)
(continued from page 1) harvests to their new homes as well. It is not surprising that the early arrivals to the Plymouth Colony would also have had their rituals. In point of fact, the new arrivals did not know how to farm and it was the Native Americans who, as established farmers, taught the ways of planting and harvest. The First Thanksgiving Day If the event in 1621 wasn t a thanksgiving celebration then the question arises: What was it? A large celebration was held to which important members of the Native American community were invited, and which was, in all likelihood, a secular celebration of the harvest certainly not a day of thanksgiving, as would have been understood by these colonists. In their faith, a day of thanksgiving would have marked the end of a period of fasting and prayer. The huge celebration, which has been described in historical records, certainly did not fit this mold. That this clearly was a singular event is apparent in that there is no record that it ever was repeated. The first real Calvinist Thanksgiving followed the ending of a drought in the summer of 1623. In the manner of their faith, these settlers spent the time in religious ceremony to give thanks rather than at a fully laden feast. Nevertheless, this celebration has become the model for our modern day holiday. Thanksgiving Today Thanksgiving, as we know it today, has come a long way from the Pilgrim s harvest festival in 1621. It is an event that seems, as each year goes by, to reinvent itself and to expand its meaning to larger vistas. Maybe this is the real significance of the occasion; for as we continue to change and grow as a people, there are an increasing number of things for which we can be thankful. Whether at home celebrating with friends and loved ones or spending Thanksgiving Day with our SEVC family, let us all remember to give thanks for the many blessings bestowed upon us. Rebecca A. Kesselring Commandant 2
Support for the Troops SEVC is collecting basic necessities for Guard members deployed overseas, etc: Items needed are: Bar Soap Body Wash Deodorant Music CD s Magazines Playing Cards Toothpaste Toothbrushes Shaving Cream Shampoo Conditioner In addition, items are needed for Guard members to distribute to children overseas to promote goodwill. Items needed are: New Stuffed Animals Soccer Balls Balls Friday, November 17, 2006, is the deadline for collection. Items may be placed in the decorated box sitting outside the HR Office or brought to the Commandants Office. On Monday, November 20th, staff who contributed items to be sent to the troops are asked to gather in the All Purpose Room at 9 AM for a group photo. Upcoming Events Wednesday, November 22 - Thanksgiving Prayer Service @ 10:30 AM All Purpose Room Thursday, November 23- HAPPY THANKSGIVING Wednesday, December 6 American Legion Holiday Party for all residents @ 3:00 PM Thursday, December 7 Pearl Harbor Day Remembrance Service @ AM All Purpose Room Wednesday, December 13 The Adjutant General s Holiday Visit @ 2:00 PM ******************************** The Annual SEVC Employee Holiday Party has been scheduled for Tuesday, December 19. Dottie Clifford has graciously volunteered to coordinate this annual event. Look for updates in the near future. Toys for Tots Thanks for your support. 3 AFSCME is collecting unwrapped new toys for Toys for Tots. A large box will placed in the Hallway outside the HR office on Monday, November 20, 2006. Please consider donating a toy so that a child has something to celebrate at Christmas.
U.S. Colonial Flags This month we will feature the Bennington Flag. The oldest stars and stripes in existence. The Bennington flag flew over the military stores in Bennington, Vermont, on August 16, 1777. The American Militia led by General John Stark, defeated a large British raiding force, thus protecting the military supplies at Bennington. This was the first stars and stripes to lead American Forces on land. The original flag is preserved in the museum at Bennington, Vermont. Note that this flag begins with a white strip. Reminder to Staff: All staff are required to purchase a meal ticket to eat in Tilghman Hall. Meal tickets may be purchased in the Business Office for $2.00 per meal. If an employee does not present a meal ticket, he or she will be charged the visitor rate of $3.00. Exact change will be required. Visit to French Creek Elementary School On Monday, November 13, 2006, Lloyd Davis, Deputy Commandant and Rebecca Kesselring, Commandant, were invited to the French Creek Elementary School in honor of Veterans Day and to participate with the students in the Pledge of Allegiance. Each class then presented to Lloyd and Rebecca cards and letters written by the students for the Veterans of SEVC. Cards and letters were given to the veterans at the Monday afternoon Birthday Party and then distributed on each unit and in the mods. Future activities are being planned for the students to visit SEVC and for some of the Veterans to participate in activities at the elementary school. Stay tuned! EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH Congratulations to November s Employee of the Month Ruth Rambo Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. 4
The following address was presented to the veterans and guests at the November 11, 2006 Veterans Day Program at SEVC. Thank you Commandant. I sincerely appreciated being asked to say a few words this morning as I have always considered it a privilege to speak before fellow veterans. And on Veterans Day, this opportunity truly becomes an honor. We all know the meaning of Veterans Day. It is a day, a very special day, which is a dedicated to honor all those men and women who have served our country in the Armed Forces in times of peace as well as war: to honor their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed 11 November as Armistice Day to signify the end of World War I. In 1926, November 11 was declared an official holiday by the United States Congress. Congress declaration stated in part,...inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other people. As your Commandant said during her welcome, Armistice Day was renamed to Veterans Day on June 1, 1954. So we gather this morning, in this special place, and join with hundreds of thousands of others throughout America who are also gathering at other suitable locations to celebrate this special day...your special day! The primary significance to this day, in my opinion, is to honor those who without whom, we would not have the freedoms that we enjoy today, freedoms that sadly, too many people take for granted. I appreciated the bumper sticker that I once observed that stated, If you are reading this, thank your elementary school teacher. If you are reading it in English, thank a Vet! I believe that President Bush captured the true meaning of Veterans Day when he said, Our veterans have bourne the costs of America s wars and have stood watch over America s peace. From the moment a citizen repeated the oath to the day of that person s honorable discharge, his or her time belonged to America; your country came before all else. For those of you who are Christians, I offer the thought to you that during the entire history of the world, only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you: one is Jesus Christ and the other is the American soldier. But as with Christmas or Hanukkah or the Fourth of July or other such special holidays or festivals, I personally believe that Veterans Day is not a day that should be celebrated or remembered just once a year. Every night before dinner, my mother-in-law, whose husband fought at Normandy, my wife, Rebecca, your Commandant, and I hold hands in our family circle and give blessing for the food that we are about to eat and pray for the safety of our military men and women and the comfort of their families. Without question, that brief pause for prayer and thanks should be taken by all people in this great land, each and every day thanking God for our blessings and thanking those in the Armed Services for our freedoms. For you see, I, like the late Martin Luther King, have a dream. My dream has been the dream of people from ages past for something that has perhaps, never been fully experienced. It is simply said in three words: Peace on Earth. Oddly enough, two of my favorite hymns are: Let There Be Peace On Earth and Onward Christian Soldiers. Perhaps there is a slight conflict, but the meanings of the hymns have always worked for me. 5
I am originally from Baltimore and a little known fact that you may not be aware is that in the Patapsco River, located about one-half mile on the right of the Francis Scott Key Bridge as you cross east to west, a red, white and blue buoy denotes where historians have placed the ship that Francis Scott Key was aboard when he penned The Star Spangled Banner. I am probably the only person that you have ever known who has actually touched that very special buoy. In our National Anthem, there is a question that Key wrote, O say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, for the land of the free and the home of the Brave? The decided answer is yes it does! And forever shall it endure as long as our beloved country has men and women who are willing to give of themselves for the freedoms that we have today! For all of you wonderful people who have dedicated yourselves to care for the residents of SEVC, may you, on this special day, pause for a moment, thank God for being alive and also for being free at the sacrifice of the millions of service men and women dating back to over two hundred and thirty years ago. Let us never forget, from the Revolutionary War to the current war on terrorism and all the wars in-between, that sacrifice was made for our freedom. And ladies and gentlemen, that sacrifice was made by each and every one of you, the Veterans of the Southeastern Veterans Center. For the sacrifices that you made in the past to ensure our freedom of today, I honor and salute all of you! May God Bless America and all who defend it! Thank You Lieutenant Colonel Leonard C. Kesselring, Jr., U.S.A.F., Retired Lieutenant Colonel Leonard C. Kesselring, Jr., retired from the United States Air Force after completing over twenty-four years of distinguished military service that included serving on active duty and inactive duty with the Air National Guard. At the time of his retirement from the military, LTC Kesselring was the Chief of Intelligence responsible for all intelligence operations for the 175th Tactical Fighter Group and 104th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Maryland Air Guard. LTC Kesselring s career spans many years of the Cold War era to include the armed conflicts of Vietnam, Granada, Afghanistan, Desert Shield and Desert Storm. While LTC Kesselring is very proud of his contributions to the military during his many years of service, he is most proud of leading a very select contingency of United States Air Force personnel three months after the Berlin Wall fell to meet in the European theater with Air Force representatives from eight other countries where he assisted in the development of the Joint Air Forces policy on military strategy as the result of the end of the Cold War. LTC Kesselring retired from the Bethlehem Steel Corporation as its Corporate Manager of Personnel after thirty-four years of service and has recently retired from the city of Allentown, PA as its Deputy Director of Finance and Human Resources. LTC Kesselring was awarded a Master s degree in Administrative Science from The John s Hopkins University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Commerce from the University of Maryland. 6
Governor s Office Proclamation Veterans Day November 11, 2006 Whereas, Carefully preserved within the pages of American history lie the cherished memories of the men and women who fought, with valor and fortitude, to defend the ideals upon which our great nation was founded: liberty, freedom, and justice; and Whereas, these dedicated service men and women, our United States veterans, reinforce the belief that heroism is not a gift or a goal, but often a second and sometimes a lifetime of pure selflessness. Our veterans disregarded personal well-being and acted with undeniable honor to endow us, as citizens of this great nation, with a gift of unapproachable magnitude: our freedom; and Whereas, we gather here to recognize all of our distinguished veterans whose service has allowed our nation to prosper and allowed us all to live in freedom; and Whereas, with special appreciation we recognize the dedicated and tireless efforts of our nation s many Veterans Service Organizations whose membership, with unwavering support and devotion, provide care and comfort to America s service men and women and their families: and Whereas, we take the time to honor the memory of those dedicated servicemen who never returned home, having made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our nation and its way of life; and Whereas, we pay special tribute to the courageous and valiant guardians of our freedom who remain listed as Missing in Action. As citizens, communities, and a nation, we offer our strength, courage, and support to the loving families who still hope and pray for their safe return; and Whereas, those who serve our country will forever carry the virtues of liberty, freedom, and the right to independence. As citizens of The United States of America, we owe an inexpressible debt to these men and women and today we ask, with humility and eternal gratitude, that their spirit never be forgotten, overlooked, or underestimated. Therefore, In special recognition of the courageous efforts of all our distinguished veterans, I, Edward G. Rendell, Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2006, as VETERANS DAY and encourage all citizens to participate in activities that bestow honor and commendation on all our American heroes, both past and present. 7 Edward G. Rendell Governor