The American Creed

The American Creed
By Patrick W. Tuttle

When asked to name the wars that the United States has been involved in since the Civil War there is one most people overlook. It is a forgotten war for America, yet one with valuable significance. From April to August 1898 we were engaged in the Spanish-American War.

The War was mainly fought over the liberation of Cuba. The most notable events history has recorded are the mysterious sinking of the USS Maine, and the tales of Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders. The Spanish-American War marked the first real entry of the United States into world affairs, and in contrast marked the end of the Spanish empire in Asia, the Pacific and the Americas; a decline in Spanish Imperial power began early in the 19th century as a result of Napoleon's invasion.

In the outcome of the Spanish-American War the United States became the protectorate over the territories of Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Cuba.

The most valuable significance of the Spanish-American War was that this was the first time since the end of the Civil War in 1865, that Northerners and Southerners, whites and blacks had cause to fight against a common enemy of the United States, this helped to ease the scars left from the Civil War. This was an important development since many soldiers in this war were the children of Civil War veterans on both sides and from their service many friendships were formed between soldiers former only know as Union or Confederates, now they all became United States soldiers.

Also, as part of the healing process, across the Nation there grew a heightened level of patriotism. This can truly be found in an entry to a Patriotic Poetry Contest in 1917, submitted by William Tyler Page. The entry hit such a cord with people that on April 3, 1918, the U.S. House of Representative officially made it the American Creed. It reads:

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 many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I therefore 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.

It appears that as American conflicts fade in and out of history, so does American Patriotism; brought to the forefront when convenient then put back on the shelf for another time. Too, the American Creed has followed this same path. Unknown to most Americans its direct references to our citizenship and powerful meaning are timeless. It deserves a more prominent place in our society.

Patrick Tuttle lives in Joplin, Missouri. He is a writer and speaker on the historical interest of etiquette, protocol and social decorum; from the times prior to World War II. Writing in a style that mixes nostalgia with interesting social tales, Patrick gives his readers, "Something Worth Thinking About."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patrick_W._Tuttle
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-American-Creed&id=2295798

The tomb of the Unknowns

On Jeopardy the other night, the final question was How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns ---- All three missed it --

This is really an awesome sight to watch if you've never had the chance, Very fascinating.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why?

21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is

the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?

21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1

3. Why are his gloves wet?

His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing

his grip on the rifle.

4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time

and if not, why not?

He carries the 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.

5. How often are the guards changed?

Guards are changed every thirty minutes,

twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?

For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be

between 5' 10' and 6' 2' tall and his waist size cannot exceed

30.' Other requirements of the Guard: They must commit 2 years

of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and

cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives.

They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot

disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way.

After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on

their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are

only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the

rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.

Their shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the

heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that

extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as

they come to a halt.

There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress

for duty in front of a full-length mirror.

The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor

watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable

people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery .. A guard must

memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the

notables are: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal

of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {the most decorated soldier of

WWII} of Hollywood fame.

Every guard spends five hours a day getting his

uniforms ready for guard duty.

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington , DC , our US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, 'No way, Sir!' Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be
afforded to a serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.



God Bless and keep them.