A Day I will Never Forget

A DAY I WILL NEVER FORGET

   “Let’s go to the top of the building” said Greg, “We can get a better view from there. He’s going to be right in front of the Texas Hotel and we can see it all.”

   Donnie smiled and said, “Nobody will be going topside today, the roof is sealed off and swarming with federal agents. They’ve been there since late last night.” Donnie was the senior guy in the mailroom, he knew all the secrets and he was in good with the boss, so we knew that he was telling the truth.

   “When is he supposed to give his speech?” I asked.

   Donnie smiled and said, “He’s going to speak from a temporary platform out in front of the hotel around 10:00 o’clock.”

   I thought about my mail schedule and decided that I had just enough time to finish my first route and still get to the rally. It was such an exciting event; the President of the United States would be right here in Ft Worth, and I was going to get to see him in person. President John F Kennedy and Jackie had flown into Carswell Air Force Base the evening before and they had spent the night at the same hotel where my Senior Prom had been only a year earlier. The whole city was in a carnival-like atmosphere, everyone was so excited to see the man who had energized his country so strongly and given us all so much hope. I didn’t agree with his politics, but I so admired and respected the man. His charisma transcended party lines and just captured the heart and soul of America. I didn’t know a single person who did not esteem and respect him.

   By now everyone knew that he was a war hero and that he had displayed great courage throughout his life. I had just finished reading his Pulitzer Prize award winning ‘Profiles in Courage’, so I knew that he respected the intrepid spirit of many great Americans himself. He was currently battling a chronic back problem that required the use of a back brace to walk. He was acquainted with persistent pain, but he prevailed over his personal dilemmas to perform his duties as President. He himself was a profile in courage over his personal health and his strong civil rights agenda. President Kennedy strongly supported the rights of all Americans to have equal access to the American way of life. He was a man who stood strongly for what he believed was right and for what he believed was right for America. It was going to be a great honor to see him.

   I virtually ran through my intra-company mail route, chatting very little; as I was intent on getting through early enough to secure a good spot to hear the President. Greg finished about the same time, so we quickly hurried together and found a spot only fifty feet away from the front of the platform. I glanced around the surrounding buildings and noticed Secret Service men standing on the tops of every building within sight of the stage. Donnie smiled as he joined us and pointed to the top of the SW Bell Telephone building where we worked and said, “See I told you so”. There were indeed four men atop the building, and some were holding rifles. It was November 22nd; the weather was a typical cloudy and misty Fall day in Fort Worth. The crowd had grown to several thousand standing in a light misty rain by the time the dignitaries emerged from the lobby of the hotel.

   First out of the hotel was Governor John Connally, followed by Vice President Lyndon Johnson, Senator Ralph Yarborough and then all cheered as President John F Kennedy came into view and climbed up the stairs to the podium. We applauded with the growing throng as we caught our first glimpse of the great man. We continued clapping, as it were, in a standing ovation since there was no where to sit. It was an exhilarating moment to be there and be a part of the history that was unfolding on this day. He only spoke for a few minutes, giving Governor Connally and Senator Yarborough a couple of minutes each to pay their respects. I remember how handsome and witty he was, and how much he seemed to care for his wife. He appeared hatless in an impeccable business suit, while all the others wore rain coats. He enthralled all of us with his words, he excused Jackie for not being there in a humorous way. His speech was political and was intended to heal a rift with Texans before the next election; it didn’t matter what he said, we were buying whatever he was selling. His charming Boston accent and his command of an audience were overwhelming; I decided I would probably vote for him in ‘64. None of my group thought to bring a camera, a decision we will always regret.

   I thought then, that this was an historic occasion, and a day that I would never forget. When the elocutions were ended, the President was whisked away by an entourage of Secret Service back into the Texas Hotel for the final speech of his life to the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. A half hour later President Kennedy and Jackie were ushered into a waiting Cadillac convertible and we watched them drive down Houston Street with thousands of well wishers waving and cheering as they passed. It looked like a tickertape parade in New York City. It was a thrilling moment that I knew I would forever keep in my memory. None of us knew his schedule, other than that he was driving back to Carswell AFB and then flying to Love Field for a similar appearance in Dallas.

   Greg said, “It seems really dumb to fly thirty miles to Dallas when he could probably drive there in the same time.”

   Donnie smiled and said, “If he did that, he’d have to drive back to Carswell AFB when he left Dallas. This way he’ll have the plane in Dallas and he can fly back home from there. And anyway, it only takes 15 minutes to fly to Dallas”

   “I don’t know about you boys, but I’m hungry,” I said. “Why don’t we celebrate and go to eat at the Zuider Zee.” It was my favorite restaurant and I was starving. It didn’t take much encouragement to recruit the others so we piled into Donnie’s Corvair Monza and headed for the restaurant. We were all so impressed by the President and the little bit of history that we were honored to witness. We shared our views and our pure utter joy as we waited for our lunch. Our food orders had just arrived at our table when the canned music abruptly stopped and we heard the excited voice of an out of breath reporter,

   “ The President has just been… shot… in Dallas. His condition is not known at this time …all we know is that he was shot during a motorcade…. in downtown Dallas …..and he was taken to Parkland Hospital”

   An inexplicable despair immediately arose from within as I fully absorbed what he said. I had never realized that brilliant sunshine could change so rapidly to pitch black darkness. I was filled with anger and shock; I felt robbed and cheated, I felt ashamed that it happened in Texas. Why would someone shoot him? Who did it? How did they do it? These are questions that are not satisfactorily answered even today. I remembered the man; the enormous integrity he exuded, the charming charisma that flowed through his very being. More than fifty years hence, I still cannot imagine why anyone would choose to end his brilliant life. I left my favorite meal untouched on the table, and for the first time that day, Donnie stopped smiling. It was a day I will never forget.

From the John F Kennedy Presidential Library

            

         

  

Ode to the Chickadee

Watch me dart and swiftly fly

'Tween the trees and through the sky

It’s very hard to see my flight

In morning sun, or evening light

Sometimes, I drop from up above

Sometimes, I glide in, like a dove

It’s hard to know from whence I flew
Or where I go to keep me true

Though tiny in the scheme of things

My heart is brave and often sings

For all is well and food is here

To share with all, both far and near

When I sing, it sounds like chatter

What you hear, it does not matter

For others of my feather hear

And let me know to have good cheer

I’m black and white with a golden touch

No reds or blues, nor any such

Just woven grays to make me blend

And an angel face, help me transcend

I am smaller than most of my kind

And yet our souls are intertwined

For I am larger than all can see

I am the intrepid, chickadee

Written by David Warbritton Sr - do not duplicate, publish or print
 without express permission from D L Warbritton Sr

Yorktown - A Passage to Freedom

A strange Place to end a War

Why would a British general position himself to be surrounded and trapped on a peninsula in the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia. Why indeed, with the superiority of the British army and navy who had their will since 1776, why would a premier British general place his army in such a vulnerable position? Most unusual circumstances led to the downfall of the mighty British military and laid the cornerstone for the birth of this new and prosperous nation. 

First of all, Cornwallis got his butt kicked by an American general named Nathanael Greene at Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina. Greene withdrew from the battle, but the British army was bloodied like it had never been before in America. Smaller victorious had occured at Trenton, Princeton, Cowpens and at Kings Mountain earlier, but in March of 1781, Greene gave the redcoats all they could handle and left Cornwallis' army busted, bloodied and broken. When Greene withdrew from the field of battle, Cornwallis claimed victory and sneaked out in the opposite direction to replenish his troops at Wilmington, NC.

While there Cornwallis got an order from General Clinton in New York City to bring his army there to support him in warding off an attack from George Washington. Then, Clinton changed his orders and told Cornwallis to build a deep water port at in Virginia. He relocated his army to the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia during the summer of 1781 and started construction in Yorktown. General Lafayette had a small army in Richmond, whose job was to keep Washington aware of Cornwallis's movements. After learning of this new move by the British, Washington moved his army down to join Lafayette, and he was also joined by a new army recruited from Pennsylvania. 

The British had enjoyed command of the seas, but the French had recently bested them off the coast of Virginia. Clinton intended to have Cornwallis's army available to board ships and come to New York if needed. Instead the French fleet under Admiral Compte DeGrasse sailed from the Caribbean, blocked the new harbor and landed a French army to join Washington's growing army. In the meantime, the French Navy continued to block any attempts to reinforce or extract the British army from Yorktown.

By September, General Greene had joined his forces with Washington and the trap was set. The allied armies now doubled the force of the British and Cornwallis was encircled. In late September the allied forces of the American army and the French under General Rochambeau began the siege with heavy artillery bombardments of the British lines. On October 14th, combined forces stormed two earthen forts (redoubts) and forced the British out of their final outer outposts This enabled Washington to bring his cannons even closer to the town and forced Cornwallis to capitulate. He surrendered his entire army to the Americans on October 19th, 1781. The war for independence was not ended until The Treaty of Paris in 1783 but this was the victory that enabled these United States of America to become a free nation.

Much is owed to the French and particularly their navy, who bested the British and bottled in the British army. I believe America has come to the aid of the French in modern wars and the debt is repaid over many times, but without a doubt, it would have been a much more difficult task without their help in 1781.

British artillery defending Yorktown

The Martin house where the British surrendered 

Ode to Joy

Many things in life make us smile, make us laugh or cause us to chuckle deep inside. But what does it take to bring real joy, a deep and satisflying feeling that penetrates our souls and brings unbelievable delight at the very thought.  What grabs us, and stills our hearts, and touches our innermost being with feelings of complete peace. Wow, you think, I don’t know if I have ever felt like that before. Well, you have.

It all started when you were in your mother’s womb, can you imagine a feeling of greater contentment; no worries, no concerns, no need for anything because everything was being taken care of. You may have kicked and turned because you were ready to get out, but you should have stayed where you were. The womb is a place of joy.

It works for the mother too. Have you ever visualized the transformation in an expectant mother’s face, as she gets closer to the due date for her baby? The worries and apprehensions of the unknown change to a fathomless expectation of the joy that will encompass her whole being. A satisfaction that is measureless and lasting for the rest of her life. The miracle of birth is the pinnacle of joy in her life.

Dads contribute very little during the process, but they get to share in the utter and complete gratification of seeing their offspring for the first time. Pride, hope and joy fill their cup. With Mom, they see the fulfillment of a gift from God that gives them so much hope for the future. Like the corny line in the movie, “You complete me”, the phrase is  totally applicable with the birth of a child. Complete joy is felt by Mom and Dad. And oh! how your joy is multiplied when you live long enough to hold your grandchildren in your arms and you feel the pride of knowing that this is your seed and they are reflections of yourself and your children. Unbridled joy that knows no bounds.

Then there was the time when you met that someone special and "zing went the strings" of your heart. It was not complete until she responded and acknowledged that her feelings were reciprocal. Then wow what a feeling for both of you; what a deep satisfying sensation that you have found your soulmate and what joy that someone shares your love with them. It doesn't get any better than that. 

What about all those other times, like when another newborn is brought into the family, or when you have finally accomplished an extremely difficult task that took months to complete, or when you finally walk across that stage and accept that diploma that you have ardently pursued. Maybe you are a physician and you have correctly diagnosed an illness and performed surgery that has healed a precious life; maybe you are an attorney and you have skillfully defended the rights of a client that you have developed strong feelings for their issue; maybe you are a teacher and you see one of your students excel and receive recognition for their contributions. Maybe real joy is contentment that something extraordinary has been accomplished.

And what about those times in your life when you were burdened with the weight of unbearable debt that could not be satisfied. Salary that wouldn’t stretch to keep things current and keep the wolf away from your door. There is no despair worse than waking everyday and wondering how you are going to solve your finances. Then one day, maybe after months or years, something happened and you find a way to make it happen. You get a promotion, a new job, a gift from a family member, a new loan that pays off your debt; something that eradicates your debts and chases away the creditors; something that puts a smile on your face and replaces your anxieties with complete peace. Now there is a peace and joy that starts at your tippy-toes and stretches to the hairs on your head. Maybe you have never experienced that level of joy, but many have.

Ludwig Beethoven became completely deaf by age twenty-five, never to regain the gift of hearing sound, but he continued writing and composing magnificent, lasting pieces of music that are still enjoyed today. When he composed his ninth symphony, the final score was entitled, “Ode to Joy”. It was modeled after a poem written by a German poet named Freidich Schiller, the following translation doesn’t rhyme in English but the words ring true in any language.

O friends, no more of these sounds!
Let us sing more cheerful songs,
More songs full of joy!
Joy!
Joy!
Joy, bright spark of divinity,

All men become brothers,
Under the sway of thy gentle wings.
Whoever has created
An abiding friendship,
Or has won
A true and loving wife,
All who can call at least one soul theirs,
Join our song of praise;

For Beethoven, the joy was in writing and composing music. Though he could not hear the notes on his piano, he could hear them in his heart. He could hear the crescendos and the fortissimos and the gentle pianissimos with the same joy that you and I feel when we hear them played today. “Ode to Joy” is more than a piece of music, it is a testament to the ability of each of us to find true contentment, and peace, and joy in our hearts. It is my prayer that you will understand and experience true joy in your own life, and you will know a genuine peace and contentment in whatever circumstances you are in.

When God looks down and examines our hearts and deeds, He finds ways to allow us to find joy. Pure unfiltered joy that transcends our earthly struggles. Joy that makes life worth living. Joy that is intoxicating and worth all the trials that we endured to achieve it. I wish you such joy.

  

ODE TO JOY

A little bit of history:

By Aaron Green 

Updated December 29, 2018

Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” was composed in 1824, in the final movement of his last, and arguably most famous, symphony, Symphony No. 9. The premiere took place in Vienna on May 7, 1824, and despite its unpracticed and under-rehearsed presentation, the audience was ecstatic. It was the first time Beethoven had appeared on stage in 12 years.

At the end of the performance (though some sources say it could have been after the 2nd movement), it was said that Beethoven continued conducting even though the music had ended. One of the soloists stopped him and turned him around to accept his applause. The audience was aware of Beethoven’s health and hearing loss, so in addition to clapping, they threw their hats and scarves in the air so that he could see their overwhelming approval.

Bluebirds and Butterflies

Bluebirds and Butterflies

Often times we see our kids 

And think how we've been blessed,

"Don't know what we would do"

We have oft confessed.

"If God had not sent them to us

To share their love and joys",

It matters not whether they

Are little girls, or little boys.

Like God's creations in the air

That fly throughout the skies,

Kids are really nothing more,

Than bluebirds and butterflies

Scattered toys and games are all

In our fondest thought,

Our kids have blessed us everyday,

In ways that we never sought.

But life is short and kids grow up

Toys and games are left behind,

 Memories are stirred within,

Our hearts are silver lined.

Like God's creations in the air

That fly throughout the skies,

Kids are really nothing more,

Than bluebirds and butterflies.

Beautiful and filled with love

They dart across our souls,

They leave their mark upon our hearts

And fill the countless holes.

If one perchance, does leave this earth

And go to a fairer land,

We simply try to trust and hope

That one day we’ll understand.

Like God's creations in the air

That fly throughout the skies,

Kids are really nothing more,

Than bluebirds and butterflies

And so we watch and hope to see

The things that makes us sigh,

Like the face of a lost loved one

In a bluebird,.....or butterfly.....

Coach Patterson's Philosophy

One, by One

“Play them as they come, and when the day is done

Then all you have to do, is win the game by one”

Seniors show the path and lead the mighty purple host

All fall in behind, the freshmen learn the most

You cannot help the fact that some will fall away

Just do your job and win this one to live another day

Critics quickly slam you down and tell you what you’re not,

Reach way down and prove them wrong, every tittle, every jot

Horned Toads don’t give up, man, they do their part and more

For years we’ve fought the fight and landed on the shore

"Just play them as they come, and when the day is done,

Then all you have to do, is win the game by one"

By David Warbritton Sr.

  

Butterflies and bluebirds

Butterflies and Bluebirds

Another little girl I prayed

Is what I really need

Two boys I already have

No more required-Indeed!

For girls are soft and full of curls

With dresses lined in ruffles,

Bats and balls and boyish things

Aren't needed in their duffles

They're butterflies and bluebirds
Who light up their beauteous spaces,

And all the world around them

Wear smiles upon their faces

And Lo! the wish was granted

Number four was not a laddie

A precious wee-little lass she was

And forever loved by Daddy.

(Written on the occasion of my baby girl's birthday in 2019. Sweet Amy.)