November 2017 36 11th HOUR • 11th DAY • 11th MONTH By Bob Roloff, “The Arizona Duuude” In the passing of time when greater events occupy the attention of the world, some things are forgotten that should be remembered.” This is the first sentence in a Louis L’ Amour story “Where There’s Fighting” from 1960. I was so taken when I was rereading this story, that I felt we are living in a time right now, that we should be reminded to remember some things. The two most important dates in November are the11th, Armistice Day and Thanksgiving. One is to not forget the high price of freedom. Freedom is not free. We honor our veterans for being there for our freedom. Did you know Audie Murphy was turned away by the Marines for being too small, 5’ 5” and 130 pounds? He then enlisted in the Army and became the most decorated soldier in WW II. James Arness, Matt Dillon on the Gunsmoke television series was a rifleman in the 3rd Infantry U.S. Army. Wounded at Anzio, Italy he was medically discharged. His wounds would cause him pain for the rest of his life. Gene Autry was an Army Flight Officer, flying supplies across “the Hump” from India to China. This was hazardous duty due to the weather and terrain. Kirk Douglas enlisted in the Navy and served on an anti-submarine destroyer in the South Pacific. Jack Palance served in the Army Air Corp. Lee Marvin was with the 4th Marine Division in the Pacific. He was wounded during the invasion of Saipan. This is just a representative few. “A veteran is someone who at some point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America for any amount up to and including their life.” Author Unknown This really hit home recently when I met some veterans of WW II and Korea that had just returned from an Honor Flight to Washington D. C. to visit the memorials for WW II and Korea. They were very moved by this experience. The respect and honor they were met with were humbling. Honor Flight was started in 2008 with a few veterans taken to Washington D.C. As a part of the National Honor Flight Network, the goal is to fly as many WW II and Korean veterans as possible from Arizona to Washington D.C. at no cost to them. Arizona was the 28th state to set up a hub. The primary mission of Honor Flight Arizona is to pay homage to our WW II and Korean veterans by providing the support needed for them to complete a three-day journey of honor and remembrance and to visit their memorials in Washington D. C at no cost to them. Our secondary mission is to educate our youth about the impact of WW II and the Korean war along with explaining the freedoms our nation enjoys because of the service of the WW II and Korean veterans. For more information about Honor Flight go to honorflightaz.org. The American flag is the symbol of what we stand for. We pledge allegiance to it, stand for it, and salute it. My favorite flag poem/song was done by Johnny Cash. “That Ragged Old Flag”. I was at the PRCA Turquoise Circuit Finals Rodeo in Prescott Valley, AZ, on Saturday, October 7th. The patriotism shown as the National Anthem was sung, as our Stars & Stripes was proudly carried around the arena to a cheering crowd and the patriotic video tribute by Gene Autry was a beautiful reminder of those days gone by. As I looked around at the rodeo fans, cowboys & cowgirls it was plain to see the patriotism felt by us all. A wonderful job was done by rodeo announcer Dan Fowlie who kept us up on the entire goings on for three hours straight. Thanks, Dan. It was plain to see that love of God – Family – Country is alive and well in the rodeo world. I was proud to be among them. So as we gather family and friends together this Thanksgiving, we will not only give prayers of thanks for what we have, but prayers of strength and healing for those that have suffered and lost loved ones due to fires, floods, hurricanes, and violence. God Bless. You can follow Bob Roloff on Facebook. “