Four Great Short Stories

These tales make your American spirit pulsate.......

Submitted by Clinton Arla Derr. E-mail Clinton at crcannon61@msn.com

 When in England at a fairly large conference, Colin  Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if  our plans for Iraq were just an example of "empire  building" by George Bush.  He answered by saying, "Over the years, the United  States has sent many of its fine young men and women  into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders.  The only amount of land we have ever asked  for in return is enough to bury those that did not  return.  It became very quiet in the room.

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Then there was a conference in France where a  number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American.  During a break one of  the French engineers came back into the room saying  "Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help  the tsunami victims.  What does he intended to do, bomb  them?"  A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly:  "Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can  treat several hundred people; they are nuclear  powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a  day, they can produce several thousand gallons of  fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from  their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have? Once again, dead silence.

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 A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference  that included Admirals from the U.S. , English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies.  At a cocktail  reception, he found himself standing with a large  group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, "whereas Europeans learn  many languages, Americans learn only English."  He then  asked, "Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking  French?"  Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied  "Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and  Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to  speak German."   You could have heard a pin drop.  

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 AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE.  A group of Americans, retired teachers, recently  went to France on a tour.  Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on. "You have been to France  before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked  sarcastically.  Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France  previously.  "Then you should know enough to have your passport  ready." The American said, "The last time I was here, I  didn't have to show it."  "Impossible. Americans always have to show your  passports on arrival in France!" The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained. "Well, when I came  ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in '44 to help  liberate this country, I couldn't find any damn Frenchmen to show it to."

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LETTERS from THE FIELD

Taking “The Rowe Clan Haversack “ to heart,  a member of the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry Co. D, sent this letter to a  member of the HAVERSACK HERALD staff

 In a short while I will have to take the field again. Somehow I feel compelled to tell you all that is in my heart and mind in these moments. There is something stirring within me that tells me I will not have the opportunity to tell you these things ever again.

I am sorry that I ever left you! My mind will not let me forget that day. Your love and your fear were both written on your face. Your tears broke my heart. What a foolish man I was to think I would make a difference here. In your letters I can almost feel you. I do so desire to be there with you, however, for some reason I think my duty is to be here.

My thoughts and dreams have always been filled with you. How can I give those to you? Inside I cry out because I want to leave here, leave this doomed fate I now feel. I would be willing to give up this life if someone told me I’d have another with you....with only  you. If I do not return today and you receive this letter, I am sorry. Sorry for all the things I never had the chance or the opportunity to tell you. How I now regret all the moments I wasted not letting you know just how much you mean to me. Forgive me for all this. I would give you all I could, however, now all I have left are these thoughts. Take them to your heart and lock them away there. You are all I think of now, you are all that matters. Know that I love you till I can no longer do so in this world. You will be mine and I will be yours until I am called forth from this earth. I love you with all that I am.