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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Veterans poem </FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">It’s the veteran </FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">not the preacher </FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Who has given us the freedom of
religion.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">It’s the veteran</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Not the reporter </FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Who has given us the freedom of the
press.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">It’s the veteran</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Not the poet</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Who has given us the freedom of
speech.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">It’s the veteran</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Not the campus organizer</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Who has given us the freedom to
assemble.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">It’s the veteran</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Not the lawyer</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Who has given us the right to a fair
trial.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">It’s the veteran</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Not the politician</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Who has given us the right to
vote.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">It’s the veteran who honors the flag
</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">It’s the veteran who serves under the flag
</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">No matter where they serve,</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">God Bless Them All!</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">God Bless America!</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A
style='href: "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz_js_aMaV0"'><FONT
face=Arial><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"
color=#0000ff>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz_js_aMaV0</FONT></FONT></A><BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">**</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">God Bless The USA</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><A
title=https://www.youtube.com/embed/daqwGRdRIsk?feature=player_detailpage
style='href:
"https://www.youtube.com/embed/daqwGRdRIsk?feature=player_detailpage"'
target=_blank><FONT
color=#0000ff>https://www.youtube.com/embed/daqwGRdRIsk?feature=player_detailpage</FONT></A></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto"><SPAN
style="COLOR: ; mso-bidi-font-family: arial"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Frank Sinatra considered Kate Smith the best singer
of
her time, and said that when he and a million other guys first heard her
sing
"God Bless America" on the radio, they all pretended to have dust in their
eyes
as they wiped away a tear or two. Here are the facts... The link at
the
bottom will take you to a video showing the very first public singing of
"GOD
BLESS AMERICA". But before you watch it, you should also know the story
behind
the first public showing of the song. The time was 1940. America was
still
in a terrible economic depression. Hitler was taking over Europe, and
Americans
were afraid we'd have to go to war. It was a time of hardship and worry for
most
Americans. This was the era just before TV, when radio shows were
HUGE,
and American families sat around their radios in the evenings, listening to
their favorite entertainers, and no entertainer of that era was bigger than
Kate
Smith. Kate was also large; plus size, as we now say, and the popular
phrase still used today is in deference to her, "It ain't over till the fat
lady
sings". Kate Smith might not have made it big in the age of TV because
of
her size and appearance, but with her voice coming over the radio, she was
the
biggest star of her time. Back then, music was more important than
appearance or
the “program”. Kate was also patriotic. It hurt her to see Americans so
depressed and afraid of what the next day would bring. She had hope for
America
and faith in her fellow Americans. She wanted to do something to cheer them
up,
so she went to the famous American song-writer, Irving Berlin (who also
wrote
"White Christmas") and asked him to write a song that would make Americans
feel
good again about their country.When she described what she was looking for,
he
said he had just the song for her. He went to his files and found a song
that he
had written but never published, 22 years before -- way back in 1917. He
gave it
to her and she worked on it with her studio orchestra. She and Irving Berlin
were not sure how the song would be received by the public, but both agreed
they
would not take any profits from “God Bless America”. Any profits would go to
the
Boy Scouts of America. Over the years, the Boy Scouts have received millions
of
dollars in royalties from this song. This video starts out with Kate
Smith
coming into the radio studio with the orchestra and an audience. She
introduces
the new song for the very first time and starts singing. After the first
couple
verses, with her voice in the background still singing, scenes are shown
from
the 1940 movie, "You're In the Army Now." At the 4:20 mark of the video you
see
a young actor in the movie, sitting in an office, reading a paper: it's
Ronald
Reagan. To this day, “God Bless America” stirs our patriotic feelings
and
pride in our country. Back in <BR>1940, when Kate Smith went looking for a
song
to raise the spirits of her fellow Americans, I doubt whether she realized
just
how successful the results would be for her fellow Americans during those
years
of hardship and worry..... And for many generations of Americans to follow.
It
has been suggested that this song replace the “Star-Spangled Banner” as our
national anthem because it’s easier to sing, and most folks already know the
words. </FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><FONT
face="Times New Roman"></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto"><SPAN
style="COLOR: ; mso-bidi-font-family: arial"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Now that you know the story of the song, I hope
you'll
enjoy it. Many people don't know there's a lead in to the song since it
usually
starts with “God Bless America“....." So, here's the entire song as
originally
sung..... ENJOY! </FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><FONT
face="Times New Roman"></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><A
style='href: "https://www.youtube.com/embed/TnQDW-NMaRs?rel=0"'
target=_blank><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: "><FONT color=#0000ff
face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE:
10pt">https://www.youtube.com/embed/TnQDW-NMaRs?rel=0</FONT></FONT></SPAN></A></SPAN><SPAN
style="COLOR: ; mso-bidi-font-family: arial"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">
Virus-</FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><FONT
face="Times New Roman"></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><FONT face="Times New Roman">****
</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
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auto"> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto">Warmly,</P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto">joe
</P>
<P class=MsoNormal
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auto"> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto">We
care. We share. We grow. We make a difference<BR>Joe Ruffalo, President
<BR>National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey <BR>973 743
0075<BR>nfbnj1@verizon.net<BR><A
href="http://www.nfbnj.org">www.nfbnj.org</A></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto">Raising
Expectations To Live The Life You Want!</P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto"> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto">Your
old car keys can be keys to literacy for the blind.<BR>Donate your unwanted
vehicle to us by clicking <BR>www.carshelpingtheblind.org <BR>or call 855
659
9314<BR></P></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>