Chicago Under the El

Train arrived in Chicago at 9:00 am. I found s Dunk’n Donuts under the El about two blocks east of the Willis Tower, which used to be the Sears Tower. Ruth and I went the top on our honey moon in 1987. The El is very loud when it goes by overhead. I’m sitting outside at a table next to two huge pumpkins on top of a couple bales. Many people stop by to admire them. One man said, “Nobody’s going to steal them things.”

“Nope,” I said, “not as long as I’m guarding them.”

“Is that why you’re sitting out here?” He asked.

I just smiled. I felt like saying, “Here’s your sign.” But since it was Chicago, the murder capital of America, I held my tongue.

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President's Graves

On this trip with David we are going to visit the graves of five Presidents. One of the greatest, George Washington at Mount Vernon. One of the worst, James Buchanan at Lancaster, PA. Three in the middle. Woodrow Wilson at the National Cathedral in Washington. John Kennedy and Howard Taft at Arlington Cemetary in Virginia. The two most impressive Presidential graves I have been to are Lincoln's in Springfield, IL, and Grant's in New York City. I have been to 17 of the 39 Presidential graves. Most of them are very humble. many are located in regular cemetaries. Their grave stones are less remarkable than many others in the same cemetary. I found this to be true of Buchanan's in Lancaster and Tyler's in Richmond. Many are buried at their Presidential libraries, such as Hoover and Truman. Some are buried at their homes, such as Washington, Jefferson, and FDR. I think Lincoln and Grant have such magnificent tombs because of their rolls in the Civil

The Battle of New Orleans

The Battle of New Orleans was fought in late December, 1814 and early January, 1815, culminating in the final battle on January 8. The Americans, a ragtag bunch, made up of some regulars and some militia, plus volunteer free Blacks, Creoles, Natives, and s few French pirates We’re led byAndrew Jackson. The British had more soldiers and they were better armed and better trained. However when the final battle was over the British had suffered 2000 casualties and the Americans less than fifty. It was one of the most lopsided battles in the history of warfare. Ironically the battle was fought after the Treaty if Ghent had ended the War of 1812. The Americans victory ensured that the British would honor the terms. It also propelled Andrew Jackson into the awhite house. The pictures above were taken at the battlefield. A tell oblisk monument marks the center of the battlefield. The other picture is if the raised earthe n redoubt the Americans had thrown up, stretchin

My friend Wil Adams

Will Adams and I served together in Mortar Platoon, Charlie Company, 1/11th Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Ft. Carson, Colorado, in 1975-1976. He was in charge of the Fire Direction Center and I commanded the squad of the number two gun. He and I climbed Mount Elbert, the highest mountain in Colorado. We also played on our platoons football team which was not only unbeaten in about eight games, but was in scored on. Wil was one of my closest friends. We shared a lot of good times. In this picture we are standing on the corner of Houston and Elm, directly below the window Oswald fired from. Will waited for Ruth and me to do the museum. Then we went out to Denny’s for lunch. It was great to see him again.

Pastor Skar

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