On Wed November 13th 2013 Dowling College hosted a special 2 part event in appreciation of Veterans and their sacrifice. Freedom Verse was present for both of these events. In the early afternoon the Dowling College History Club and Veterans Society sponsored its annual Veteran's Day event where Vets and family members of Vets came out to relay their stories and personal experiences. Every Vet speaker was presented with a plaque honoring their service and a copy of Freedom Verse, Patriotic Poetry in Celebration of the American Spirit.  

After the Veteran's Day event took place the poets from Freedom Verse came out to launch the book with a wonderfully powerful poetry reading. Family and friends and audience members came out to hear the wonderful poetry from the contributors--some of them Veteran's themselves, others just enthusiastic supporters of their cause and situation--and avid proponents of freedom. 
Some of the contributors came from very far away--Suzanne Laudner and her husband came from the Ramstein Air Force base on Germany for the reading! 

In addition to the book being for sale, contributors and patrons of the event had the option to purchase copies to donate them to Veteran's and active duty military bases. More than 50 copies were purchased to be donated and the Freedom Verse project is currently compiling a list of Vets homes and military bases that will be receiving these copies. 

Freedom verse is currently booking events and getting the copies around to the people who need and deserve them the most. If you want more information on how you can help click the picture below to donate a copy to a vet or active duty soldier. Keep checking back here for updates on the Freedom Verse tour and our progress! 

I Remember My Grandpa
by James P. Wagner (Ishwa) 

“The people in our government can really suck sometimes.
But this is still the best country in the world.”
This was something I remember
my grandpa saying, more than once.
I remember my grandpa...
he was short of stature
an Italian food loving
Italian-American
he liked the simple things in life
salami sandwiches
betting on horses
The Yankees
bringing me little ice-cream cups
and playing toy soldiers with me
when I was young.

“Grandpa, tell me another war story,” I said sometimes
eager to hear more about his exciting tales from WW II
the one about the drill sergeant who pronounced his name wrong
the one about really big guy who fainted
when he got a really small needle
or about his 23 missions flown in the air force
that he flew after transferring out of a tank division
on the ground
that was wiped out, a month later.

Of course, I was too young then to know
he was shot down over occupied France
that he had to hide in a barn
in enemy territory
and too young to imagine
how hard that journey must have been. 

I remember that grandpa
would always recite the Pledge
always remove his hat during the National anthem
always salute whenever he'd pass the American flag.

“Never forget what the flag stands for,” he told me.
“What does it stand for?” I asked.
“The chance for a good life.”
And one time
in one of his rare
strictly serious moments
he said to me:
“If we hadn't won that war, this world today,
would not be a place worth living in.”

And I think that history would agree with him.
And when I see the anger
the cynicism
the sarcastic remarks about America
all over the place today
I always remember my grandpa
and wonder what he might say.

I imagine, he'd say the same thing.
“The people in our government can really suck sometimes,
but this is still the best country in the world.”
Or my own interpretation of what he said
We might not always reach the ideal our forefathers set for us
but the ideal is there,
for us to strive for
and that's the important thing.
After all
America is,
what it always was
the perfect idea
implemented
by imperfect people.

Keep checking back for updates and further news about where we are donating Freedom Verse to, how far the project is going and any ways you can help us get this book into the hands of those who deserve it the most.