Memorial Day Tribute

My Dad seldom talked about his experience in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Ask him a question and he'd respond, "I was in the Army 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days." I didn't understand why he chose to frame his service experience that way, but today, maybe I do.
He enlisted. And, I think that from that very moment he wanted to serve his Country in time of war and hurry up home. Maybe that's why he framed his service time the way he did ... that every minute of it he timed. I'm not sure he did but that was about the most you could get from him.
I questioned him on several occasions and got little from him. I know he was in the Normandy Invasion, but not in the early waves. He was in Artillery. I know he stayed in the European Theatre. I have pictures of him serving behind a piece of Artillery and in some cold, snowy countries.
I do recall one conversation with Dad that with stood out. Just before President Truman ordered the dropping of the bombs on Japan that effectively concluded the War, he said it was rumored that he and others would be taken to a small island off the coast of Japan. Dad had been moved from Artillery to Infantry by then. He said the rumor was they would get orders to storm the beaches of Japan as the U.S. did at Normandy.
Thanks to President Truman, his decision to use the bombs probably saved my Dad's life and countless other Americans.
It is a case in point about how decisions of a President affect the life and death of our citizens and the safety of our great Nation.
I think of my Dad a lot since his death in October 2001. But, today I thought this Memorial Day to be a really special day because of his Service to Country.
God bless my Dad and the thousands of Americans who have made living in America a cherished freedom.

Time To Reduce Board Size

The Pitt County Board of Education has a 12-member board.
What follows is the members of each district and the seat they serve:
District 1: Seat A Michael Dixon and Seat B Ralph Love.
District 2: Seat A Billy Peaden and Seat B Mary Williams.
District 3: Seat A Marcy Romary and Seat B Jill Camnitz.
District 4: Seat A Roy Peaden and Seat B Barbara Owens.
District 5: Seat A Richard Tolmie and Seat B Jennifer Little.
District 6: Seat A Mary Grace Bright and Seat B Benjie Forrest.
The 12-member board is too large. The six-year terms are too long. This board should be reconstructed to mirror the Pitt County Commission in both geographic district terms and term of office.
The board is of its present size because of the merger of the Pitt County and Greenville City Schools systems. That merger occurred many years ago, and now is the time to effectuate positive change in this board. It is too large and cumbersome and deserves a reorganization that will make it leaner and more able to adjust to the current times.
Obviously the majority of those on this board are not making an effort to reorganize it. Thus, I would hope that when the 2010 elections get here it will become a serious topic of discussion for those who, not only choose to seek re-election but to those who will challenge incumbents.