On this day nine years ago
Three places were veiled in a cloud of smoke
Fires burned strong
While ash fell like snow
A flood of people came pouring out
From buildings that once stood
So strong and proud
In horror we watched
As some jumped to escape
The inferno spreading fast
It’s goal to overtake
“Somebody call 911!”
Is something we might have heard
As fast as they could
Emergency vehicles arrived
Armed to the teeth
To fight this deadly onslaught
They weapons they carried
Were strong and uniques
A medical bag, a hose, an ax, a horn
For the rest of the day
And all through the night
And for many days still to come
These unsung heroes fought with all their might
To bring things back under control
And in the midst of chaos and fear
Reminiscent of the Marines on Iwo Jima
Three firemen raised a flag above the carnage
To spread hope through the nation
And show “We will not give up”
And so was seen
911’s strong and symbolic response
On that fateful September day
In 2001

September 11, 2010

The Web address is http://www.theamericanwars.org.
You can get to the blog from the Web site.
The social network is http://theamericanwars.ning.com/
Facebook group is http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=9493135179.
YouTube Channel is http://www.youtube.com/user/theamericanwars.
Photo album is http://picasaweb.google.com/TheAmericanWars.
Skype name is theamericanwars.
Twitter name is theamericanwars.
Library Thing is http://www.librarything.com/catalog/theamericanwars.
There’s just an account for Blog Talk Radio, so not really anything there, but that url is http://www.blogtalkradio.com/user/home.aspx. I’m not sure if this will actually pull up my account or not, but that’s what’s listed.

Over the years, I have had several message boards up and running for The American Wars. These boards held a few different purposes including to provide a place for researchers, students, and history buffs to come together and discuss the wars in which America has fought and to provide a place where those in the military can connect with civilians (this last one has never happened thus far).

The American Wars conglomerate (as I like to call it), includes the following: a Web site, a facebook group, an online photo album, a YouTube channel, a twitter account, a Skype account, a social network, a Blog Talk Radio account, an email account, a blog, and a Library Thing account (I may have left something out). The dream is to one day create an archives and museum. Since I have worked as a volunteer for Pioneer Day at the Natchez Trace Visitor’s Center in Tupelo, MS, I am considering the idea of having living history programs as part of this museum or to have the museum be a living history museum.

Overall, my goal is to educate students (young and old) and anyone else about the American wars. I want it to portray truth and not the fiction that so many are trying to show today. I want to show the horrors of the Holocaust just as much as the triumphs of the American Revolution.

One other thing I’d like to do is create not only documentaries, but also what if programs (as in video). I have an idea in mind for such a what if program which would (hopefully) show what would happen if we had limited or no military.

This is just a little of what I have in mind.

Victoria B. Roberts

Sunday, December 7, 1941

Was a day like any other

Nothing new under the sun

But the silence was shattered

By the roaring of warplane engines filling the air

We thought they were our own

Until something happened

That told us this just wasn’t so

A rain of bullets fell upon aircraft, ships, and land

Destroying the life we knew

Thundering bombs fell to the harbor

Bursting holes into our ships

That were docked here at Pearl Harbor

The Arizona was hit

Wrenching it upwards then sinking it to the bottom of the harbor

The Oklahoma rolled over on its side

With men trapped in the capsized hull

Complete chaos spread across the land

Fighters manned their battle-stations

As the medical staff worked to patch up the wounded

We saw our friends, our family, our comrades

As they fought and died

Then just as suddenly as it began the attack was over

Remember the Alamo, the cry was heard
We remembered for awhile, then forgot all the lessons we learned
Remember the Lusitania, rang out loud and strong
We remembered it then, but no longer recall the ship that was sunk
Remember Pearl Harbor, was heard in a march
We recalled for awhile, then the lessons were lost
Remember 911, was heard across the land
We recalled for a time, then forgot what happened that day
We forgot the Alamo and the stand those people took
We forgot the Lusitania and all those who died
We forgot Pearl Harbor and the lives that were lost
We forgot 911 and the tragedies that occurred
Let’s remember the past in order to prevent further attacks
Let’s remember the past so as not to make the same mistakes as others
Let the horrors of war flash before our eyes
Lest we forget those who fought, died, and won the freedoms we enjoy

It was sixty-seven years ago on this day, that Japanese forces attacked and bombed Pearl Harbor leading us to join the fight of World War II.  To all those who served at Pearl Harbor, THANK YOU!!  I will never forget.

After I grabbed my camera, I returned inside and stopped between two tables with the most guardsmen and told them thank you.  One of them responded by thanking me (which always makes me laugh simply because I have more reason to thank them) and then added “Thank you for wearing the shirt.”  WOW!!!!  That really made my day.  I explained to him that I just realized what shirt I had on while going back out to my car.

Later, as I left the restraunt, I made a point to stop by another table where a couple of guardsmen were sitted and thanked them too.

The whole experience was truly amazing!

To all who read this and either have or are serving in the United States military:  THANK YOU!!!!

The details are as follows: Place: Starkville, MS in front of the Oktibbeha County Courthouse (Main Street)  Time: 11:30 am.

I will be there looking quite patriotic and carrying a camera.