MEMORIAL DAY 2020

May 25, 2020 (Monday)

There are Youtube recordings of my message at the May 22nd Memorial Service for my son-in-law, Rick Hamm. You may see and hear them here. (There is a Part 1 and a Part 2). My gratitude to Dwight for making this possible.

Dwight created a montage of photos for the family, with this note: “Unfortunately, I don’t have any pics of Rick with his parents or Barbie/Dale or I would’ve included them.”

Perhaps you would like to read the blog I wrote when Rick passed away.
http://charlesfake.com/index.php/2020/05/22/13756/


AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern impassion’d stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev’ry gain divine!


O Beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!