"Tradition"
As part of our musical theme this week,
the song "Tradition" comes from the Broadway musical Fiddler on the
Roof. In the song, the main character, Tevye, explains the roles of each social
class in the village of Anatevka. The song also sets the major theme of the
show.
The word Tradition for me is what I have
been doing all the times that have come here to visit my friend Jenn. On the
Saturday I am here, I make it a tradition to head up to the beautiful grounds of the
state capital of Pierre:
I head over to the World War II monuments that are
part of the grounds. Here, there are statues that represent the veterans of
WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and memorials for those in the public
service ranks: firefighters, police officers and those in the emergency medical
services.
On the memorial for police officers is the name of Virgil Deyo who
was a police officer in the town of Huron, South Dakota.
Virgil lost his life in
the line of duty on November 29, 1966. Virgil was Jenn's paternal grandfather.
Jenn never knew her grandfather due to the time of her birth but he is held up
in the highest regards.
And another tradition: I needed a
hat to wear while on my vacation so I chose the one from the National World War
II Memorial in Washington, DC.
On Memorial Day 2004, this monument opened to the general public and has been quite the crowd attraction. I took my Dad down there in October 2004 as appreciation for the replacement window work we had done on my house that summer. So as I have done the last 3 even years, I chose my National WWII Memorial hat.
On Memorial Day 2004, this monument opened to the general public and has been quite the crowd attraction. I took my Dad down there in October 2004 as appreciation for the replacement window work we had done on my house that summer. So as I have done the last 3 even years, I chose my National WWII Memorial hat.
As we approach Veteran’s Day here in
the U.S., please take a moment to remember our veterans in your thoughts and
prayers. And if you happen to come upon some veterans out there selling their
poppy flowers or if there is a veteran in your family, please say thank you to
them for their service for our independence. It is the least that we can do and
to bring a smile on any veteran’s face is a good thing. And here I mention the
Air Force in honor of my Dad, James A Zocco of Windsor Locks, CT USA:
And those whom he served with in the
15th Air Force, 450th Bomb Group, 720th, 721st,
722nd and 723rd Squadrons. Thanks to them. And thank you,
Dad.
And he would ask you to check out
this website:
The official website of the 450th
Bomb Group Memorial Association. And also this website:
The official website of the Wings of
Freedom Tour. This organization has a few World War II airplanes that are still
flying, including a B-17, a B-24, and a P-51 Mustang. You can see these planes
as they make their tour around the U.S. Check the site for time and location in
your area. And thanks from my Dad.
Now about my friend Jenn?? I have
known Jenn for over 14 years. We met thru the posting boards of the then WB
Network and were fans of the TV show “Dawson’s Creek”. Jenn has 2 daughters:
Miranda who is 22 and just this week married her fiancée Levi. They have an 11
month old son named Noah. Rebecca, who is almost 19, works for the local Boys
& Girls Club in Pierre and works part time at the local movie theater. And
there are the 2 dogs: Nutmeg and Ginger, who are dachshunds. Jenn is the
definitive image of a single mom; having raised 2 kids and owning her own piece
of the rock: a nice cozy two story home in the center of the city. She has
worked in public service for most of her adult life. She works for Hughes County as a deputy
finance officer and voter registrar. And with it being less than 3 weeks to the
presidential election, Jenn has the honors of keeping tabs on the absentee
ballots. Not a job for the faint hearted. Despite all of the duties that are in
her life, Jenn manages to keep a smile of optimism on her face and, plain and
simple, doesn’t take crap from anybody. We keep in touch by phone every Sunday
night and email thru the week. Let’s just say that after a long week, Jenn
appreciates that I am around and it’s a good thing to have an adult
conversation each week with a good friend.
Before we end this day, some parting shots once again from the state capital grounds:
Even the local ducks can keep it lined up in a row:
And finally, a shout-out to the great state of South Dakota, celebrating its 125th anniversary on November 2, 2014 as the 40th state of the USA.
Happy Birthday, South Dakota !!!!
So, that’s it for the slow news day.
Jenn and I will dine on prime rib at The Long Branch restaurant as we
customarily do on Saturday tonight.
Sunday afternoon we bid ado to Jenn and her family as we do a travel day to Thedford, Nebraska for a stopover as we work our way west to the next state on our journey: Wyoming. And my New York Giants are in Dallas to play the Cowboys. Should be able to listen to the game on the rental car's Sirius XM Radio. Come on, Giants!!!
Sunday afternoon we bid ado to Jenn and her family as we do a travel day to Thedford, Nebraska for a stopover as we work our way west to the next state on our journey: Wyoming. And my New York Giants are in Dallas to play the Cowboys. Should be able to listen to the game on the rental car's Sirius XM Radio. Come on, Giants!!!
We are approaching the halfway point
in our journey. So stay tuned.
I’m Philip J Zocco. On The Road. In
Pierre, South Dakota.
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