Dorothy Brush "Random Thoughts" Published June 29, 2005

Patriotism has may faces

"Not to know what happened before one was born is to remain a child." - Cicero

One Saturday morning I visited the Military Memorial Museum located in the large house on Main St. It is located beside the Milo Lemert Memorial building and across the street from the courthouse. For a number of years it served as the historical museum, but just a year ago its focus changed to the military.

Nita Boring serves as president and she depends on volunteers to serve as hosts. Many veterans and their families help to keep the doors open most days of the week. Her son, Chris, is the curator and her 14-year-old granddaughter, Brittany, is a member. She always welcomes new volunteers.

As I browsed looking at the pictures on the wall and the artifacts in the glass cases, I visited with a young man. Daniel Teeple is 10 years old and the youngest member of the museum. He attends Stone Elementary and is the son of John and Ilene Teeple.

Daniel spends many hours at the museum volunteering and he loaned a number of WWII artifacts from his father's service days. He has learned from his father's experiences and from visitors to the museum as they remember their days in the military.

Those words of Cicero came to my mind as I talked with Daniel. Those words carry a message to parents, especially with the approach of the Fourth of July. Unless a child is taught the history of our country, they cannot appreciate the privileges and freedoms they have.

Unless they know the dangers that small group of men accepted when they signed the Declaration of Independence they cannot understand the gift they were given. It is an exciting story.

It has been told that Benjamin Franklin, who sat through all the long sessions of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia's Independence Hall as a republic was being born, told his feelings when in 1776 the act was final. He said he often studied the half-sun on the chair of John Hancock who presided. He wondered if it was a rising sun or a setting sun and at the end he was able to say, "I know it is a rising sun."

Patriotism has many faces for citizens, young and old. We stand when the national anthem is played. We show respect for our flag. We understand the words of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence.

I had never heard of the American's Creed until recently. In 1917, a nationwide contest was held asking citizens to write an essay of not more than 100 words summing up the basic principles of American political faith.

More than 3,000 entries were received and William Tyler Page's words were chosen. Mr. Page was a descendent of President John Tyler and his great- great-grandfather was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. At the age of 13, Page became a page in the U.S. Capitol. From 1919-31 he was clerk of House of Representatives. On his retirement, the members of the House created a special title in his honor. He was emeritus minority clerk until his death in 1942.

American's Creed
"I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people, whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of sovereign States, a perfect union, one and inseparable, established upon those principals of freedom, equality, justice and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

"Therefore I believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag and to defend it against all enemies."

· · ·
Dorothy Copus Brush is a Fairfield Glade resident and Crossville Chronicle staffwriter whose column is published each Wednesday.