What a great time we had with family at Gloria’s in Allen. I love the pictures we got and, as I look through them, I’m only sorry I didn’t take more.
Addressing the crowd gathered for soft opening of Gen. Tommy Franks Museum and Leadership Institute in Hobart, Okla. Nov. 6, 2008
On this Veterans Day, I remember a speech I heard from Gen. Franks when he first started his museum and leadership institute in Hobart, Okla. It’s come a long way since then. I think its something everyone should see. On the opening day in November 2007, Gen. Franks said the following:
You honor us by being here. All of you honor us by being here. You gentlemen (motioning toward veterans) honor us by what you did. Isn’t it amazing, one nation under God. (Members of the crowd could be heard saying amen followed by applause).
How many of you are either veterans of service or family of veterans of service or love those who served? (Everyone in the crowd raised a hand). This is a special day for us because we get a chance to open the doors on a little interim — kind of a museum. Some of y’all who went to OU are wondering what that word means — interim (with a smile). Now, all the people from Oklahoma State would be able to tell you that interim is somewhere between where you start and where you’re going.
That’s what we are opening today just for you. We want you to be able to walk through there and think about where you were, when. And think about our kids, grandkids and all the things that made this country what it is. We have more than 230 years of American history and if you were anywhere around my wife at any particular time in your life, she would have given you an education about history because she’s a history teacher. She’s been giving me an education on history for a lot of years, going on 40 of them. She has had a lot to do with what you see when you go walking through the little exhibits next door.
What a wonderful community (referring to the Hobart, Okla. Community) we have here that opened their arms to an outsider and said “come on down.” You can think back a long, long time. Think back to Lexington and Concord more than 230 years ago when Americans first stood up and said “hey, hey, hey, we’re Americans and we’re going to live in a country that’s free.” And you can go from there to Gettysburg and Vicksburg while we were all trying to figure out as a young nation what we were ultimately going to be.
And you can go from there to remember places like the Muse and the Argonne in World War I a long time ago, when none of us were here to see it, but the fact is that these young men and women, who wore uniforms like that one standing over there (pointing to a service man in uniform) didn’t come home until it was over, over there. Then you can go from there to Omaha Beach, Pearl Harbor, the greatest generation, and you can think about those who served. You can go to Inchon, the Frozen Chosin and think about all those who served.
And you can go from there ….. (pause) …. to An Loc and you can go to the Highlands and the Delta and recognize that we as Americans have never done the best job we could have done, and we didn’t do what we should have done, when we should have said “welcome home” to all those who served over there a long time ago in a place called Vietnam. (Applause). You can go from there to 1983 in Beirut, Lebanon where we lost our Marines and you can go to 1993 in a place called Mogadishu, Somalia where we left so many of our dead in the streets and didn’t even bring them home — Mogadishu, Somalia.
Then you can go from there to 1996 to Kobart Towers, Saudi Arabia and in the middle of that you can go to Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990 and 91 and you can go on, all the way through where we are today, with young men and women serving a long way from home in Afghanistan and Iraq, not for the purpose of celebrating war but for the purpose of guaranteeing peace and freedom, and the ability for you and me and my family and my daughter and her husband and our grandkids standing right over there (motions in the direction of his family) to be able to live in the land of the free because of the brave. It’s time this time of year for us to recognize our veterans, recognize their families, recognize those who served, and raise our heads up and not be ashamed that we are the land of the free, home of the brave, and if you don’t believe that, just try to take it away from us. That’s enough bawlin‘ and everything like that. I get a little emotional when I talk about this kind of stuff and when I look in the eyes of people who really and truly care about what they are doing like my son-in-law who, as we speak, serves in our military and I’m honored that you are No. 1 part of my family, and No. 2 that you are here. So what we are fixin‘ to do is some of us are going to eat donuts over here and drink coffee and whatnot; some of us are going to go through that little trailer and see what kids at 130 schools in Oklahoma are going to see this year because what we do is we drive it up to the school grounds and kids and their teachers get a chance to go through to see things they’ve never seen before about a part of the world that’s very important to our country. And some of us will go down and go through the little museum. And I encourage you not to get in there and get in a rush. Take your time. There are some exhibits and stuff to look at but there’s lot of words and I encourage you to just slow down a little bit on this day and read some of the words and things about some of these wonderful people that serve this country. Thanks for being here on this most magnificent day and for holding your head up and being proud to be an American. God bless all of you, and God bless America.
Perhaps you’ve noticed in the past few days that Monarch butterflies are becoming more visible. It’s not just a coincidence. When you see them these days, they will always be moving in a southwestern direction. Their movement will be the characteristic drift of the butterfly, and they are gracefully floating on the migration toward central Mexico; their only map is the one imprinted on their genes. 
Most adult butterflies live only about a month, but the final generation, the ones we are seeing today, lives about seven to eight months — the time required to make the “incredible feat” of flying from Canada and the U.S. to central Mexico. The multi-generational migration of the delicate Monarch is rare.
Somehow, at this time every year, the Monarchs know to head southwest until they arrive at the overwintering place in central Mexico. Researchers are still not sure how the butterfly knows where to go, but think it uses a combination of the magnetic pull of the earth and the position of the sun among other things.
Monarchs roost for the winter from October to late March in the Oyamel Fir forests at an elevation of nearly two miles above sea level. Caretakers of the overwintering area measure the space they cover in hectares and this is one way the Monarch population is measured from year to year. There is much concern because that measurement has decreased by as much as 90 percent according to a recent Newsweek article.
In 1991, more than 75 percent of the wintering Monarchs from North America froze to death in Mexico as a result of three days of rain and sub-freezing conditions. Before that, estimates of up to one billion monarchs made the epic flight each fall from the northern plains of the U.S. and Canada to sites north of Mexico City, and more than one million monarchs overwintered in forested groves on the California Coast. Now, researchers say that only about 33 million monarchs remain, and that represents a drop of more than 90 percent across North America. Threats to the Monarch include the loss of milkweed — the key plant that monarch caterpillars need to survive — from agricultural and natural areas, degradation of overwintering sites, and climate change.
There are several groups dedicated to promoting awareness of the flight of the Monarch, and information may be found on line at their websites. One of the best is www.monarchwatch.org. One of the solutions recommended to help the Monarch population is for landowners to plant milkweed. Another website, www.livemonarch.com calls for people across the U.S. to help the Monarch. “The Monarchs need your help NOW. Please plant seeds and ensure their survival. A Milkweed in every yard! You have the power to instantly change the world!.
Retired Gen. Tommy Franks during Celebration of Freedom festival. Franks has backed Romney for President. Continue reading “Gen. Tommy Franks backs Romney for President” »
The big C word returned to the Godwin household just a few weeks ago when we learned Billy’s cancer has come back. This time in his throat — on a tonsil.
Strange how that word affects you. It brings a fear you can’t identify or pinpoint. It brings uncertainty for every part of your life. As the partner who’s watching this happen to the love of her life, it’s tough to find ways to relieve his worry, and mine. So, we take care of business — together, and we turn it over to God.
It started with a swollen gland that wouldn’t go back to normal size after a bout with pneumonia. A specialist was consulted who took a sample for biopsy and the results told us his cancer had come back. One of the worst experiences is the time between the diagnosis and the appointment at the cancer center when we heard the details his cancer and options of what we can do.
We’ve been here before. So, we know it can be beat. On the other hand, we’ve been here before so we know the suffering that comes with beating it. But Billy Wayne is strong willed and will find a way to handle the pain, the sickness, the depression and the other things that come along with treatments to kill the cancer.
I’ll be writing about Billy’s journey to health in the coming weeks and months. We covet your prayers and well wishes.
Veterans and their families will flock to Hobart, Oklahoma this weekend to spend the time with retired, four-star Gen. Tommy Franks for the third, annual Celebration of Freedom.
The event has a host of sponsors dedicated to providing activities for parents, grand parents and children of all ages. The parade down Main Street will be led by a Native American color guard and will feature everything wonderful about small town, America, including Miss Oklahoma 2010, Emoly West, as Grand Marshall.
The Freedom Motorcycle Rumble parade through downtown Hobart will take place around 2:30. Onlookers will see Franks leading hundreds of motorcycle riders through town stopping at the Tommy Franks Leadership Institute and Museum.
Sunday night will host a concert featuring country-western singer Aaron Tippin.
Since Franks’ 2003 retirement Franks and wife Cathy have put together a stunning museum displaying scenes from Franks’ military career and much education about Middle East countries. In association with the museum, Franks has begun a leadership institute to bring together youth of varying countries to learn to debate, and discuss the tough issues of multiple cultures on the same planet.
The General Tommy Franks Leadership Institute and Museum has grown exponentially since its “soft” opening for Veterans Day weekend Nov. 8, 2008. Friend of the Franks have come from around the world at various times to attend a Celebration of Freedom and to tour the museum.
Franks is a leader revered by privates as well as colonels. He as wounded in Vietnam and led the Allied forces to Baghdad in 2003 before his retirement in July. When he autographs his book “American Soldier” for Vietnam veterans, he almost always writes “Welcome home” because a large number of Vietnam veterans did not have the experience of a joyful homecoming.
The small town of Hobart, Oklahoma will transform itself for the Memorial Day weekend to host thousands of folks who come to celebrate freedom with the general whose troops call him “a Soldier’s General.” Hobart will also be celebrating its heritage and honoring local veterans. It’s a place with patriotism is common and military individuals revered.
Hobart is located in the heart of southwest Oklahoma, 40 miles south of Interstate 40 on U.S. Highway 183 and about 40 miles north of Vernon, Texas.
For a schedule of events or more information about Celebration of Freedom, visit the Website at www.celebrationoffreedom.net
I did a similar story back to school that ran in the Herald Democrat in 2010.
Recent stories we ran in the paper about the first day of school triggered flashes of my own first day more than 50 years ago.
I went to a parochial school in Toledo, Ohio and my first day was for kindergarten. I remember other kids in the classroom crying and I didn’t understand the why of that. There were mothers out in the hallway peeking through the glass window in the door to get one last glimpse of their little prince or princess, all grown up for kindergarten. I’m not sure if my mom was one of those.
As I recall, I was pretty “matter of fact” about the event. I was excited because I was going to learn to read. I couldn’t wait for back to school.
Up to that time, my dad read to me. It was especially fun on Sunday mornings before church when he read the Sunday comics from the Toledo Blade. I stood behind him to follow along with the pictures in the comic strip. When I saw a frame that looked more interesting than the one he was one, I would point to it and say “Read that one, Daddy,” in the middle of whatever he was trying to read.
If he was reading a book to me, I sat in his lap but whenever he was reading the comics, I stood behind him and sometimes combed his hair. It strikes me as I write these words, my dad was a really patient man when I was little.
For weeks I told my brother and sister, 12 and 13 years my senior, over and over that I was going to school and I would be able to read. I’m sure I gloated to my younger sister by one year, the same brag to let her know I’d have something she wouldn’t have.
I was dressed in a little pleated skirt with matching suspenders, a white blouse, little white socks and black patten shoes, and so was each of the other girls. We wore uniforms. But that never bothered me. That day, everything was right for me because I was going to learn to read.
The disagreeable part of the day for me and my big disappointment, came when I went home from school that first day and I still couldn’t read. My parents hadn’t understood that I expected to be able to read as soon as I went to school until they were trying to reason with a wailing 5 year old to help me understand — it’s a process.
I wrote the following for the Herald Democrat Life section for last Sunday (June 2010):
When I think about Father’s Day, I always remember my own father first. Luckily he was serious about his role in raising my brother and two sisters and me. He spent time with us, shared himself with us and taught us about life and more. His last words to me came as I was leaving his hospital room before he had surgery from which he never recovered. “I’m going to love you all of your life,” he called to me. He was my special knight in shining armor who could fix anything for me.
I know another special father who lives in Van Alstyne. You might think I’m going to write about my husband Billy Wayne here, but although he is a special father, he’s not the subject of this writing.
This special father is younger and has more children — all girls. He always thought he would have a son and teases about it now, because he has four beautiful girls who were born to him and others he’s adopted emotionally.
I’ve been blessed to be close to this family almost from their beginning. When Griff and Kristi Servati came to Van Alstyne, they were two youngsters themselves just starting out. Kristi was a coach and teacher at the high school and Griff was the youth minister at First Baptist. They made a difference in the youth of Van Alstyne almost immediately. My daughter is one they influenced.
I remember her saying she wouldn’t get married until she found someone just like Griff. She eventually found her ‘Griff,’ but that is another story.
Over the next 13 years or so, Griff became a father to Raigan, then Kerrigan, then Jaidan and finally Kailan.
One special thing I remember is a Valentine surprise Griff orchestrated for Kristi. It was nothing elaborate, but he did it all himself. It was a portrait he had made of the girls, I think there were three of them then. He had to fix the girls’ hair for the picture, and although he didn’t do it as well as Kristi would have, he did it for his family.
He says now, he’s happy having just girls. A boy child in their house might upset their balance at this point. As Raigan began to participate in youth league sports, Griff always stepped up to be a coach for softball and then soccer. He didn’t know anything about soccer when he started, other than he wanted his girls to play because it would be good for them. So he set about teaching himself. He has coached Raigan’s team and Kerrigan’s team and will, no doubt, coach Jaidan’s and Kailan’s teams if they decide to play.
All of the things I’ve mentioned are wonderful, but there’s more.
Griff and Kristi have both mentored countless teenagers over the past 13 years. Some of the young men who’ve grown up watching the Servatis have said they know how to be a father by watching Griff.
One young woman who is about to have her first baby told me just the other day that she wouldn’t be the person she is without the Servatis’ influence. They took her into their home for her last few years of high school and she learned by watching them. She said she doesn’t want to think about who she might be now if not for the way she was influenced during those years. Now she knows how she wants to raise her children.
This year the Servatis have opened their home to a foreign-exchange student. JaJa has been a wonderful addition to the family and they will all miss her when she leaves for Thailand this week. So will I.
There is yet one more dimension to Griff’s fathering abilities. He will say he’s not doing anything special. He will say he’s just doing his job, and that’s right. But one of the things that impresses me is his faithfulness to his mission. There is no fanfare, he just does what needs to be done. He will never know how many lives have been changed because of the lifestyle demonstrated to and shared with the teenagers in Van Alstyne. When Raigan was little, she referred to the youngsters in Griff’s youth group as “Daddy’s kids.”
That’s exactly what they are.
Charlie and Gloria Morton of Denison will go through the motions many of us go through on Easter morning while thinking of the US Air Force. Wake up, maybe have breakfast and probably take in a church service before heading back home to take care of regular duties at the Inn of Many Faces in Denison.
But this Easter will be like no other for the Mortons. No matter what they do, they will not be able to nor want to let go of thoughts of their US Airforce son Airman 1st Class Dimitri Morton, who is on the first day of his deployment to Iraq.
I know Gloria because she and I are in Bible study together so we, as a group, have prayed for Dimitri the past couple of years — this is not his first tour to a war zone.
The Mortons are not the only family in this area with loved ones in dangerous areas. There are many young men and women from Texoma who serve proudly and whose families are proud of their service, just as the Mortons are.
Gloria has the worried heart of a mother whose child wakes up every day in danger, and it’s likely, she won’t draw a relaxed, free breath until her son is back on U.S. soil. But she has faith in a redeemer who takes care of our lives here on earth and so do her children.
This day (Easter) is the most important in the Christian faith because it celebrates the day Jesus emerged from the tomb after being laid there three days before. Jesus suffered three hours on the cross, gave up His life, spent three days in the tomb and rose again for the next chapter of His earthly ministry.
Last week our study was in John 17 where we saw how Jesus understands what we feel and our difficulties because He came from glory to live in an earthbound body. He suffered and died as the redeemer of mankind.
This faith is often what helps people get through tough times whether it be the loss of a loved one, a long illness, any illness, the struggle with finances and more.
The Morton family will have ups and downs in the months Dimitri is away and they’ll rely on a strong faith to carry them when they’re down. Today, I’m praying for the Mortons and all the families in our area with empty seats at the dinner table and I’m worshipping the Prince of Peace and Risen Redeemer on this holiest of holy days.
Happy Easter.
