Miracle on the Hudson

I enjoyed reading this...maybe you will also.

Dec 15th 2009 By Jeanne Sager

The miracle of a perfect landing for US Airways Flight 1549 by hero pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger wasn't the only "Miracle on the Hudson" this year.

A month after the plane met geese mid-air and was forced into an emergency landing in the middle of the river bordering New York City, passengers Ben Bostic and Laura Zych met, thanks to 60 Minutes. The TV news magazine staged a reunion of the crew and the people saved when the flight to Charlotte, N.C., dropped down into the water.

"I saw Laura on [the day of the flight] in the airport. I'm single, so I just noticed her," Bostic told Lemondrop. "She was attractive. She stood out. I boarded my plane, sat in 20A, took out a book, noticed her coming down the aisle. Thought I might be lucky and have her as a 'seat mate.' As you would expect, she sat in 17D, instead. Any other flight that would have been the end of it."

Then came the emergency landing, and photos of Zych were everywhere -- especially on Facebook where the survivors quickly connected. Bostic kept an eye on her via the Internet, and six months after the crash, they met again, this time "for real" at a survivors get together.

"We've been dating ever since, and it's been amazing," Bostic says. "We've lived, laughed, danced and loved like two people who know tomorrow isn't guaranteed."

The holiday time is special for the newly minted couple, but Bostic says they got their gift back in January. "We treat every day as a gift," he says. "Being around those you love during special times is obviously important . . . family/friends/holidays . . . but we don't even take Monday mornings for granted."

And they're not the "second miracle," Bostic says, they're each just one of 155.

a closer look

The Poppy Story

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)

 
Seeing a post honoring veterans day brought to mind a time when I was a little girl...On this day every year we would be dismissed early to cavort around the town square giving away (for donations)  red, paper poppies just like the one pictured above...wonder if that's still practiced.

That motivated me to research this custom.

"In 1918, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month, the world rejoiced and celebrated. After four years of bitter war, an armistice was signed. The "war to end all wars" was over. November 11th was set aside as Armistice Day in the United States, to remember the sacrifices that men and women made during World War I in order to ensure a lasting peace".

Congress voted Armistice Day a federal holiday in 1938, 20 years after the war had ended. In 1953 townspeople in Kansas called the holiday Veterans' Day in gratitude to the veterans of their hometown. Soon after President Nixon declared it a federal holiday.

For The Poppy Story go here http://www.cal-mum.com/poppy.htm

Memorial Day....May 26 a day of rememberance

My husband...served in occupied Germany during the Korean War 1951/52

My brother, Ed...US AirForce 1958/59 served stateside

My brother Nick...served in Viet Nam

My nephew, Anthony...US Navy...1983 and presently serving with the Texas National Guard


My nephew, Greg...career Navy..

My POW/MIA braclet that I wore during the Viet Nam war...S/SGT Donald Gervais..reported missing 5/01/1968This is what I found out about him just today:


GERVAIS, DONALD PETER
Name: Donald Peter Gervais
Rank/Branch: Master Sergeant/US Army
Unit: Troop B, 1st Squadron,
9th Cavalry 1st Cavalry Division
Camp Evans, South Vietnam
Date of Birth: 20 July 1943
Home of Record: Clarksville, TN

Date of Loss: 01 May 1968
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Status in 1973: Missing In Action

For his story go to:
http://www.taskforceomegainc.org/
at the bottom of the page click on the first letter of his last name

Mena, Ar

Driving up Rich Mt....1955
It saddened me to hear that Mena was struck by a tornado this week. We lived in that little town in 1955-56. Bob was a "sales rep" and his company transferred us to Mena from Memphis. Our second child, Laura, was born there and the next door neighbors we had almost 55 years ago, Bill and Beth Shipman, remain dear friends to this day. They are no longer living in Mena, nor any other friends that we had at the time but we return often....it's only a five hour drive from Dallas.
Queen Wilhelmina Lodge is situated atop Rich Mt. about 12 miles "up" from the town. They offer camping sites as well...and we've also enjoyed aome camping there. It's a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere and a good place for children to play outdoors in the wide open expense of the yard that surrounds it, the playground areas, miniature golf, small train ride...a few things to do but its not a crowded, commercialized place like so many vacation spots are today. Six years ago when our family was celebrating our 50th. wedding anniversary we all spent a weekend together there. I think we needed about 10 rooms to accomadate us. Last year Bob and I were back for our 55th. wedding anniversary and in two weeks we will be there again on our 56th. anniversary weekend.
We've also stayed at a lovely place in town...The Carriage House. I believe that it actually was a carriage house at one time. It, along with the large Victorian home on the property had been purchased and restored by a young couple who moved back to Mena from Dallas a few years ago. I seem to recall that Mena was the wife's home town and she desired to raise her children there.

The Lodge is very historical..It was constructed in 1898; was closed in 1910 and fell into ruins. It was rebuilt in 1963 but was destroyed by fire 10 years later. The State of Ar. declared the area a state park and the lodge was rebuilt for the second time and opened for business in 1975. When we were living there it was just a shamble of stone and rocksbut we would ride up there with friends just to have something to do and enjoy the beautiful view of the valleys below. There was little TV reception in Mena...so we would go up on the mountain where radio reception was better and listen, on the car radio, to "Gillette's Wednesday Night Fights are on the air"...(radio airwaves that is) ....Rocky Marciano, Sonny Liston, Joe Lewis, Ezzard Charles, Jersey Joe Walcott, etc. Bob liked boxing....but I digress...

I know from the news that the tornado hit downtown...I sure hope that the lovely older homes of Mena were not destroyed.... We're anticipating what we will see when we're back there the 24th.

Ruins of the Inn in 1955...
The Inn 2006