Touching and Inspiring Video - 6-Year-Old Boy with Cerebral Palsy Walks to His U.S. Marine Father for the First Time

And some inspiring Memorial Day Quotes

• War is too serious a matter to entrust to military men. -Georges Clemenceau
• Freedom of speech and freedom of action are meaningless without freedom to think. And there is no freedom of thought without doubt. -Bergen Evans
• Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue. -Senator Barry Goldwater
• Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves. -William Pitt
• Chance has never yet satisfied the hope of a suffering people. Action, self-reliance, the vision of self and the future have been the only means by which the oppressed have seen and realized the light of their own freedom. -Marcus Garvey
• In war, there is no prize for the runner-up. -General Omar Bradley
• So long as there are men there will be wars. -Albert Einstein
• I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones. -Albert Einstein
• The cost of liberty is less than the cost of repression. -Web Dubois
• The purpose of all war is ultimately peace. -Saint Augustine

Enjoy this clip of James Cagney as songwriter & performer George M Cohan receiving the Congessional Medal of Honor from President Roosevelt in the touching finale of Yankie Doodle Dandy and give thanks to all who served “Over There.”

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war).

It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 – 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis’ birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael replied with her own poem: We cherish too, the Poppy red That grows on fields where valor led, It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies. She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need.

Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children’s League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help.

Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans’ organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their “Buddy” Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

The Forgotten Art of Toe Tapping

The video above shows just how uniue and difficult toe tapping is

When most people hear the term “toe dancing,” it brings to mind the anglicized term used to describe what most advanced students or professional ballet dancers, whether male or female, have done at one time or another- dance en pointe

If we turn back the pages of history, “toe dancing” was the term used to describe a specialized act performed using some sort of blocked shoe.

Up until the 20th century, most dancers only had the opportunity to work professionally on the popular stages of the time—music halls, burlesque, and vaudeville. Vaudeville shoes most often featured comic and character dance sketches, adagio teams, ballroom dancers, skirt dancing, interpretive dance, ethnic style dances, tap, and toe dancing.

Above - The Hiltons’ performing a Tango and Waltz.

Internationally recognized as the world’s premiere dance couple, the UK’s Marcus and Karen Hilton have won virtually every major professional dance championship. They have been champions in the European, British, and U.S. Open, the U.K. Championships, the World and European professional 10 Dance, as well as World Professional Ballroom Segue Champions.

The Hiltons’ climb to the top of the dance world was accomplished the old- fashioned way. They earned it through hard work and practice, and by competing together In amateur events starting in 1978. Early on, while still in their teens, Marcus and Karen each achieved recognition in junior and amateur competitions. As a couple they won most of the local championships in the Latin American disciplines. During this period, they began traveling to many different countries to participate in dance events and to represent Great Britain.

in 1980, they took a big step forward by finishing In third place in the United Kingdom Open to the World Championships. This qualified them as the number two couple to represent England at the forthcoming World Amateur Latin American Championships in West Germany where they came in fifth. By 1981 they were finishing second in all major championships around the world. Their first major success was winning the World and European Amateur 10 Dance Championships in Norway and Belgium. By then, they were very much in demand to represent England in many different countries. Winning became a habit and the Hiltons took home a collection of expensive gifts and solid silver trophies. For the following two years Marcus and Karen held the global number one spot in the Amateur Latin American and 10 Dance.

The Hiltons turned professional in 1983 and immediately achieved success by making the finals in every major professional Latin American championship event. As professionals, their travel around the world increased, as well as their income, from demonstrations, teaching, lecturing and judging. Their first major professional ballroom success came in 1984 when they won the British Rising Star Championship.

In 1986, the Hiltons were married and celebrated shortly thereafter by winning the World and European Professional 10 Dance Championship. After finishing third at the World Ballroom Championships in Tokyo, Japan that year, the Hiltons’ rise in the professional ranks was meteoric. In 1989 they won the first ever World Professional Ballroom Segue Championship (a type of show dance competition) in Germany and also were awarded the BDF Award for the most outstanding professional ballroom couple in the world. In 1990 they won The British Open to the World Professional Ballroom Championship held in the famous Winter Gardens, Blackpool. To this day they continue to win major championships in professional events worldwide.

In 1997, the Marcus and Karen Hilton winning streak remained intact. They won the U.K. and British Open and the U.S. Open, German Open. and International Open Championships. But the highlight of the year, and possibly of their career, happened in June when they were appointed as Members of the Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.) in the Queen’s Birthday Honors list. In 1998, their success continued as they won the World Pro title for a record ninth time, the International and British Ballroom Championships for a record eighth time, and the British Championships.

In recent years, the Hiltons have used their fame arid achievements to benefit a number of worthy charities In their hometown of Rochdale, in the north of England. Having now retired they stopped demonstrating but they are very much in demand as teachers, lecturers and judges.