03/16/13 - NNHS Newsletter
Bridgit O'Malley

“In Ireland, the inevitable never happens
and the unexpected constantly occurs.”

 - Sir John Pentland Mahaffy
(26 Feb 1839 - 30 Apr 1919)

         Paul (Harty - Bardolph HS, IL - '61 - of NC) and I are planning to leave here Wednesday morning (March 20) to drive out to Missouri to pick up

 

   

   We'll visit some with family in Missouri and Illinois, and at the moment we're thinking of returning home by Friday, April 5.

   My access to the internet will probably be non-existent during this time, so we will miss celebrating the First day of Passover, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday,  Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, and the Last day of Passover together this year.

   If y'all could watch the obituaries on the Daily Press for those two weeks and send any relevant obituaries to me, I'd really appreciate it, as I doubt I'll be able to locate them upon my return.  Any volunteers??

   Thanks so much!
 

Saturday, March 16, 1963 - Actor Kevin Smith was born Kevin Tod Smith in Auckland, New Zealand. He died from a fall of several stories on 15 Feb 2002 in Beijing, China at the age of 38.

        

   Thanks so much, Butch! Fun stories, eh?? I'll see what we can do!

   Thank you so very much, Hannah! These are very wise words coming from one so young!

Viet Nam 1966

Richard, (my husband), never really talked a lot about his time in Viet Nam, other than he had been shot by a sniper. However, he had a rather grainy, 8 x 10 black and white photo he had taken at a USO show of Ann Margret with Bob Hope in the background that was one of his treasures. A few years ago, Ann Margaret was doing a book signing at a local bookstore. Richard wanted to see if he could get her to sign the treasured photo so he arrived at the bookstore at 12 o'clock for the 7:30 signing.

When I got there after work, the line went all the way around the bookstore, circled the parking lot, and disappeared behind a parking garage. Before her appearance, bookstore employees announced that she would sign only her book and no memorabilia would be permitted.

Richard was disappointed, but wanted to show her the photo and let her know how much those shows meant to lonely GI's so far from home. Ann Margaret came out looking as beautiful as ever and, as second in line, it was soon Richard's turn.

He presented the book for her signature and then took out the photo. When he did, there were many shouts from the employees that she would not sign it. Richard said, "I understand. I just wanted her to see it."

She took one look at the photo, tears welled up in her eyes and she said, "This is one of my gentlemen from Viet Nam and I most certainly will sign his photo. I know what these men did for their country and I always have time for 'my gentlemen.''

With that, she pulled Richard across the table and planted a big kiss on him. She then made quite a to-do about the bravery of the young men she met over the years, how much she admired them, and how much she appreciated them. There weren't too many dry eyes among those close enough to hear. She then posed for pictures and acted as if he were the only one there.

That night was a turning point for him. He walked a little straighter and, for the first time in years, was proud to have been a Vet. I'll never forget Ann Margret for her graciousness and how much that small act of kindness meant to my husband.

Later at dinner, Richard was very quiet. When I asked if he'd like to talk about it, my big, strong husband broke down in tears.. ''That's the first time anyone ever thanked me for my time in the Army,'' he said.

I now make it a point to say 'Thank you' to every person I come across who served in our Armed Forces. Freedom does not come cheap and I am grateful for all those who have served their country.

If you'd like to pass on this story, feel free to do so. Perhaps it will help others to become aware of how important it is to acknowledge the contribution our service people make.

   See the images that accompany this story here - and it's all true!

http://www.ann-margret.com/uso.html

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/margret.asp - True

   Thanks so much, Billy!

http://www.corningamericanlegion.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/January2013.pdf

   Thank you, Haul Party! There were at least ten online sites that carried this amazing story, but this was one of the few which ran the images, and the typeset made it easier to read than the others, so even though it might take a little while to load, it is certainly worth the wait!

     Thanks, Joan!

     Sounds about right! Thanks again, Billy!