Having recently returned home from Northern New Mexico; I went to funeral services for a long time friend of mine, A fellow veteran. One of the prayer cards that was being given out had the following, so today I thought I would share it...,

The Soldier stood and faced our Lord, Which must always come to pass. He hoped his shoes were shining just as brightly as his brass."step forward now, soldier, How shall I deal with you? Have you always turned the other cheek? To My Church have you been true?" No Lord, I guess I have not. Because those of us  who carry guns can't always be a saint. I've had to work most sundays, and at times my talk was tough;  and sometimes I've been violent because the world is rough.

Though I worked a lot of overtime, When the bills got just too steep and I never passed a cry for help, though at times I shook with fear... and sometimes, God forgive me, I've wept unmanly tears. I know I don't deserve a place among the people here. They never wanted me around, except to calm their fears. If you have a place for me here, Lord it needn't be so grand. I never expected or had too much, But if you don't I'll understand. There was a silence all around the throne where the saints had often trod. As the soldier waited patiently, for the judgement of God. Step forward soldier you've borne your burdens well. Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets, You've done your time in Hell.       ........... AUTHOR UNKNOWN ..........

I would like to share some of the places and areas visited by my wife and I on our recent trip to Northern New Mexico.

We began our excursion by flying into Albuquerque, after spending some time visiting friends in Denver. We decided to

stay in Albuquerque having arrived in late afternoon. We decided to visit "Old Town"; It was a total disappointment.

Dinner was okey. The next day  we headed out to Sandia Peak and took The Aerial Tram and had a bite to eat at the top.

It was then time to head to Santa Fe via Madrid and Cerillos. This places do not seem like what I remember. I swear that

a couple were the same ones I had seen at Haight Ashberry in the 70"s. Can someone give me an update on Madrid?

What do the people do to make a living?

Arriving in Santa Fe, the first order of business was to find a nice B&B to stay a couple of Days. While in Santa Fe, we visited

relatives, went out to eat with them. The next day some of the relatives joined us on a trip along The High Road to Taos,stopping 

at Chimayo, Corduva, Truchas, Las Trampas, Penasco and others. We visited the Santa Fe National Cemetery, and took some

pictures of the "Navajo Code Talkers" monument. Took a trip to Hyde Park,Canyon Road and visited with relatives in Tesuque.

We visited the San Isidro Church in Tesuque and left some flowers for my grandma and my father, We went back to Santa Fe and

had a late lunch at the famous Plaza Cafe.

We took a second visit to Chimayo to worship at the "Santuario".  We had the best meal at the Rancho de Chimayo Restaurente".

On the way out I shook hands, and very briefly talked to el senor Jaramillo, inquired about Maria, He stated that she was in california;

I asked him to give her my regards. I wanted to attend The Hispanic Genealogical Research Centers Conference in Albuquerque, however

due to a lack of time was unable to do so. So, that was my most recent excursion into the Northern Part of The Land Of Enchantment.

I am  writing to highly recommend the above mentioned documentary to all of you. - You will not be disappointed. This is a MUST SEE for the entire family, especially teenage school students. Sadly we are losing upwards of 800 or more WWII veterans per day. The WWII memorial was completed in 2004 - It took 60 years to build a memorial to honor them.  The documentary deals with the escorting of WWII VETERANS to see the memorial in Washington D.C. at NO COST to the individual. It tells the stories of veterans Joe Demier and Harvey Kurz. Joe was pictured in Life Magazine as "The Human Skeleton" upon his liberation  from a German POW Camp. Days from death, He weighed just 70 lbs. Harvey, saw our flag go up at the Battle Of Iwo Jima; Unbeknown to the shoppers He bags groceries at the local Pick N' Save. As a result of this documentary Honor Flight Organizations now exist and more are being formed all over the U.S.A. If you would like to get involved, please visit www. honorflight.org  also visit www.stars and stripeshonorflight.org.

My friend in Santa Fe sent me the following, which was written by Capt. Steven R. Ellison, M.D. US Army and in honor of Memorial Day I share it with you.

I am a doctor specializing in the Emergency Departments of the only two military Level One-Trauma Centers, both in San Antonio, TX and they care for civilian emergencies as well as military personnel.  As a military doctor, I work long hours and the pay is less than glamorous. One tends to become jaded by the long hours, lack of sleep, family contact and the endless parade of human suffering passing before you. The arrival of another ambulance does not mean more pay,only more work. Most often, it is a victim from a motor vehicle crash. Often it is a person of dubious character who has been shot or stabbed. With our large military retiree population, it is often a nursing home patient. Even with my enlisted service and minimal combat experience, I have caught myself groaning when the ambulance brought in yet another sick, elderly person from one of the local retirement centers that cater to military retirees. I had not stopped to think of what citizens of this age group represented. I saw "Saving Private Ryan." I was touched deeply. Not so much by the carnage, but by the sacrifices of so many. I was touched most by the scene of the elderly survivor at the graveside, asking his wife if he'd been a good man. I realized that I had seen these same men and women coming through my Emergency Dept., and had not realized what magnificent sacrifices they had made. The things they did for me and everyone else that has lived on this planet since the end of that conflict are priceless.  Situation permitting, I now try to ask my patients about their experiences. They would never bring up the subject without the inquiry I have been privileged to an amazing array of experiences, recounted in the brief minutes allowed in an Emergency Dept. encounter. These experiences have revealed the incredible individuals I have had the honor of serving in a medical capacity, many on their last admission to the hospital. There was a frail, elderly woman who reassured my young enlisted medic, trying to start an IV line in her arm. She remained calm and poised, despite her illness and multiple needle-sticks into her fragile veins. As the medic made another attempt, I noticed a number tattooed across her forearm. I touched it with one finger and looked into her eyes. She simply said, "Auschwitz.."  Also, there was this long retired Colonel, who as a young officer had parachuted from his burning plane over a Pacific Island held by the Japanese. Now an octogenarian, he had a minor cut on his head from a fall at his home where he lived alone. Still spry for his age, he asked to use the phone to call a taxi, to take him home, then he realized his ambulance had brought him without his wallet. He asked if he could use the phone to call his daughter who lived 7 miles away. With great pride we told him that he could not, as he'd done enough for his country and the least we could do was get him a taxi and pay for it ourselves. My only regret was that my shift wouldn't end for several hours, and I couldn't drive him myself.  I was there the night M/Sgt. Roy Benavidez came through the Emergency Dept. for the last time. He was very sick. I walked to his bedside and took his hand. I said nothing. He was so sick, he didn't know I was there. I'd read  his Congressional Medal of Honor citation and wanted to shake his hand. He died a few days later. The gentleman who served with Merrill's Marauders, the survivor of the Bataan Death March, The former POW held in frozen North Korea.  I may still groan when yet another ambulance comes in, but now I am more aware of what an honor it is to serve these particular men and women. It has become my personal endeavor to make the nurses and young enlisted medics aware of these amazing individuals when I encounter them in our Emergency Dept. Thier response to these particular citizens has made me think that perhaps all is not lost in the next generation.

          On March 15, a Dinner - Dance was held at the Santa Fe Elks Lodge to celebrate the 40th anniversary

of the release of former Vietnam Prisoner Of War Juan Jacquez.  Juan was one of the last American Prisoners

released by the North Vietnamese after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973.

          Juan and two fellow Army Infantrymen were captured while on patrol, on May 11, 1969 ;  (Mothers Day)

and only 20 days until the end of his tour.  Juan was one of the last Americans to leave Vietnam on March 29, 1973

Please don't forget Flag Day on May 11th, and may God bless Juan and keep him safe.

On March 28, 2013, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich presented Mr. Orville E. Kirk the WWII Victory Medal. Mr. Kirk, a long time resident

of New Mexico, is a WWII Army veteran who qualified for the WWII Medal, but never received it after its creation in 1945. Senator Heinrich

and his staff worked with the D>O>D> to ensure Mr. Kirk received his long overdue Medal.  Mr. Kirk is also the recipient of a Silver Star,

Bronze Medal, and a Purple Heart.  The WWII Victory Medal is awarded to any member of the United States Military who served on active 

duty. or as a reservist, between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946.  Congratulations Mr. Orville E. Kirk, and God bless you.

A veteran friend of mine from santa fe sent me the following message, which I am sharing with all of you.

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.

Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.  It took the remainder of the class period

to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.  That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each

student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about the individual.  On Monday, she gave each student his or her list.

before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and , "I didn't know others

liked me so much," were most of the comments.  No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after

class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose.  The students were happy with themselves and one anothewr.

That group of students moved on.  Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special

student.  She had never seen a  serviceman in a military coffin before.  The Church  was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took

a last walk by the coffin.  The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.  As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her.

"Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded: "yes." Then he said; " Mark talked about you a lot."  After the funeral, most of Mark's former

classmates went together to a luncheon.  Mark's mother and father were there, waiting to speak with his teacher.  "We want to show you something,"

his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket, "they found this on Mark when he was killed...We thought you might recognize it."

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times.

The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about

him. "Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."  All of Mark's  former classmates started to gather around.

Charlie smiled and said, "I still have my list at home. Chuck<s wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album."  "I have mine too." Marilyn said.

"It's in my diary" It went on with other  classmates. That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried.  She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would

never see him again. The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day.  And we don't know when that will be.

So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important.  Tell them , before it is too late.

If you have never had the opportunity to visit The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier, I hope you do someday, it is truly fascinating.

Recently contestants on aTV program were asked questions about the guards at the Tomb; all of them missed the questions.

So here is some information:  How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why?

21 steps, It alludes to the 21 gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?  21 seconds, for the same reason as answer #1.

Why are his gloves wet? His gloves are moistened to prevent losing his grip on the rifle.  Does He carry his rifle on the same shoulder

all the time?  He carries his rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, He executes an about face and moves

the rifle to the outside shoulder.  How often are guards changed?  Guards are changed every thirty minutes - 24 hours a day, 365 days

per year. (plus one for leap year)  What are the required physical traits of the of the guards? They must be between 5' 10" and 6'2" tall

and waist size cannot exceed 30" There is a two year commitment, in order to serve. After two years, they are given a wreath pin that is

worn on their lapel signifying they served as a guard of the tomb.  In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC,  

The U.S, Senate/House took two days off in anticipation of the storm. ABC news reported  that due to the dangers, members assigned

were given permission to suspend their duty. They respectfully declined the offer "No Way Sir" marching in the pelting rain of the storm,

they said that guarding the Tomb was not an assignment, It was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person.

The Tomb has been patrolled  continuously 24/7, since 1930.  God Bless Them And Keep Them.

          I recently obtained and viewed the movie "THE WAY" starring Martin Sheen and directed

          by his son Emilio Estevez. A trip is undertaken to recover the body of his son. "El Caminio

           De Santiago" ("The Way Of St. James") is a spiritual journey undertaken by Martin Sheen,

            and in life is one that pilgrims of all faiths and backgrounds have traversed for thousands

           of years. The starting point is St. Jean Pied De Port - France and through Spain. It takes

            several weeks to reach the Cathedral De Santiago, where the remains of St. James the

            Apostle are buried. For those of us who have traveled or lived in Spain, it is especially 

            significant. If you haven't viewed it, I highly recommend it.

It is my sincere hope that in the coming year (2013) El Santo Nino allows me one more trip to "The Wall", to visit some friends from Northern New Mexico.

A little history most people do not know about "The Wall".   There are 58,267 names currently on the wall. The first known casualty was Richard B.Fitzgibbon,

of North Weymouth, Mass. killed on June 8, 1956. His name is listed on the wall with that of his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B, Fitzgibbon III, killed

on Sept. 7, 1965.  There are three sets of fathers and sons on the wall. 39,996 were just 22 or younger, 8,283 were 19 yrs. old, the largest age group, 33,103

were 18 years old, 12 soldiers were 17 yrs. old, 5 soldiers were 16 yrs. old. One soldier, PFC Dan Bullock was 15 years old. 997 soldiers were killed on their

first day in Vietnam. 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. 31 sets of brothers are on the wall. 54 attended Thomas Edison High School in

Philadelphia.  8 Women are on the wall.  244 soldiers were awarded the Medal Of Honor during the Vietnam war; 153 0f them are on the wall.

The Marines Of Morenci, Arizona (pop. 5,058) enjoyed roaring beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses along the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in

the Apache National Forest. In the patriotic camaraderie typical of the mining families, the nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine

Corps. Their service began on Independence Day, 1966. ONLY 3 RETURNED HOME.  The Buddies Of Midvale; - LeRoy Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, Tom

Gonzales were all boyhood friends and lived three consecutive streets in Midvale, Utah; on fifth, sixth and seventh avenues, and they all went to Vietnam.

In a span of 16 dark days in late 1967, all three would be killed. LeRoy was killed on Wed; Nov. 22, the fourth anniversary of J.F.K.s assassination. Jimmy

died less than 24 hours later on Thanksgiving Day. Tom was shot dead assaulting the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. The most

casualty deaths for a single day was Jan. 31, 1968 with 245 deaths.  Most in one Month was May 1968, with 2,415 deaths.

We must always remember, They were and are our friends, fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters. There are NO noble wars, just noble warriors.