By FRANK DESORBO
Don’t think the title means sacrifice is a now and then thing. Sacrifice was key some 80 years ago when the world was at war. The million of stories of the veterans, families and friends are seldom spoke of today; most of those people would be in their 90’s. I sponsored the first D-Day Recognition & Remembrance Day on June 4, 2011. I still have booklets of the first three years I sponsored the events and met some memorable and touching people.
Harold Williams, an Army Veteran of the 1st Army, was at Normandy on June 6, 1944. He is still alive and told this story a few times. Williams was a forward observer with Lt. Colonel Bennett; he eventually became a Four Star General and wrote a book ‘Honor Untarnished.’ They moved deeper into Germany and came upon a German family of husband and wife. The husband asked Bennett who they were. He responded “Americans.” The man then asked where are the troops and Bennet advised they were behind us. The man asked “are you staying and Bennett assured him we were. The man said “can you wait here while I go in the house?” The man brought out two young children ages maybe 10-12 years old. The man said they have not been outside in 4 years. “You see I am German and these two are Jewish.” Those two parents knew sacrifice and Bennet and Williams were two proud American that day.
Today we are asked to sacrifice for 4-8 weeks, or maybe the plight may exist longer. People are doing things they may not normally do. Some read books, watch TV, listen to the radio, surf the net, play old CD’s, record albums, talk on the phone and stay at home, catch up on spring cleaning and home projects. My reaction when the CoVid became prevalent, I recalled some folk songs from my teenage record collection. The first song was a hit by the Kingston Trio entitled ‘Desert Pete.’ The chorus I know by heart and many times it inspired me to sacrifice:
“You’ve got to prime the pump, you must have faith and believe
You’ve got to give of yourself fore you’re worthy to receive
Drink all the water you can hold, was your face, cool your feet
Leave the bottle full for other, Thank You Kindly, Desert Pete.”
In addition there was another Kingston Trio song off the album ‘Children of the Morning’ entitled ‘Less of Me’ written by Glen Campbell. A verse in the song:
Let me be when I am weary, just a little bit more cheery
Think a little more of others, and a little less of me
Thank you so deeply to nurses, doctors, police and first responders, as well as the medical and volunteers working so hard to “leave the bottle full for others.” Thanks for your sacrifice for the world will not forget you and you are our Proud Americans. We must believe that the United States will do again for the world what we did in the 1940’s.
Please realize that sacrifices are not a now and then thing. Remember and recognize that sacrifices are truly deep rooted in our hearts.
