REFRESHING
THE PAGE
For
the loyal followers that held their breath since my last post, I apologize. I will not prolong the pain
with excuses. Instead, I will stay true to What’s Up with a bit of information.
The saying goes: You learn something every
day.
Recently, thanks to the Associated
Press reporter, Michael Hill and Newsday, a special honor was announced on
behalf of General Benjamin O. Davis Jr. The name is familiar to some, but I
suspect obscure to many. Benjamin Davis entered West Point in 1932 as its only
black cadet. My learning experience was discovering he was shunned for the next
four years by fellow cadets under the auspices of the academy. He roomed alone,
ate alone and no one befriended him. He labelled himself “an invisible man.” To
quote reporter Hill, “Now, more than a decade after his death, the academy that
allowed Davis to be ostracized is honoring him.” The honor: a new cadet
barracks under construction among the impressive buildings of the U.S. Military
Academy will be named for him. This honor is usually reserved for such
graduates named Eisenhower and MacArthur.
The belated honor is in recognition
of two historical facts – West Point’s blemished record of racial endorsement
and Davis’ unblemished resume that includes commanding the all-black 332nd
Fighter Group known as the Red Tails, not to mention the first black general of
the Air Force. The Air Force became the first of the services to fully
integrate. Benjamin Davis retired in 1970 as a three star general. In 1998, he
was awarded a fourth star by President Bill Clinton.
Colonel Ty Seidule, the head of West
Point’s history department and of the naming committee, acknowledges Davis as
one of its greatest graduates. He also goes further to acknowledge, “This is
not West Point at its finest hour … This is a chance for West Point to
recognize one of its finest.”
ANOTHER SOBERING NOTE:
My loyal following will recall a
previous post titled, An Afternoon with Dan Levin. The sad
news is Dan passed away recently at the ripe young age of 101 years. The fact
that Dan was born in Russia in 1913 and served as a Marine sergeant/ combat
correspondent during World War ll, and was among the last living survivors of
the battle for Iwo Jima, appears to go un-noticed in the media. I am still
searching for an obituary.
In response to my faithful audience,
my second book, Twelve Fifteen, has been released. It is an adult suspense
novel guaranteed to keep you on edge (I promise). Additional information is at
your fingertips: www.ronscott.info.
POEM FOR MEMORIAL DAY:
RED
We
strolled one midday afternoon,
Sun with
unrelenting glare
Between
the Eucalyptus and bananas
Black,
White, Asian, Latino
Infections
from birth on hold
Washed
by fear.
How
sweet the smell
Herb
left in haste
Maybe
closure will be made today
No
matter, there’s always tomorrow
Believe
you must
To greet
sunrise.
Yesterday,
we joked in ignorant pride
History
exchanged like baseball cards
Values of my tree
Shortcomings
of yours
Pick and
choose
Who will
say goodbye?
Sunset’s beauty
stolen by hostility
Closure
arrives
One with
each other,
Pray for
another sunrise
Emerald
green runs a new color
Red.
