FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: John Gillespie Magee, Jr ~ 30 August 2021

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

~ Hall of Heroes ~

John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

(Info found here.)

           

If you're like me, you don't recognize the name of John Gillespie Magee, Jr.   But when I got the suggestion from Ms.Behavin for this thread (thank you Ms.B!) I knew I should go check it out and see.  John Magee is the young man who wrote the very famous poem "High Flight."

"High Flight" was composed by Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee Jr., an American serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was born in Shanghai, China, in 1922, the son of missionary parents, Rev. and Mrs. John Gillespie Magee; his father was an American and his mother was originally a British citizen.

He came to the United States in 1939 and earned a scholarship to Yale, but in September 1940 he enlisted in the RCAF and graduated as a pilot. He was sent to England for combat duty in July 1941.

In August or September 1941, Pilot Officer Magee composed "High Flight" and sent a copy to his parents. Several months later, on Dec. 11, 1941, his Spitfire collided with another plane over England, and Magee, only 19 years of age, crashed to his death.

His remains are buried in the churchyard cemetery at Scopwick, Lincolnshire.

 

High Flight
official poem of the RCAF and RAF

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

-~-

Thank you, sir, for your service and sacrifice!

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission! 

[The Mayor]

Freep mail me to be on or off the Daily Bread ping list August 30

Mercy and Grace

Bible in a Year:

• Psalms 129–131
• 1 Corinthians 11:1–16

[Josiah] began to seek the God of his father David.

2 Chronicles 34:3

A stately sunflower stood on its own in the center of a lonely stretch of national highway, just a few feet from the fast lane. As I drove past, I wondered how it had grown there with no other sunflowers visible for miles. Only God could create a plant so hardy it could thrive so close to the roadway in the gray gravel lining the median. There it was, thriving, swaying gently in the breeze and cheerfully greeting travelers as they hurried by.

The Old Testament tells the story of a faithful king of Judah who also showed up unexpectedly. His father and grandfather had enthusiastically served other gods; but after Josiah had been in power for eight years, “while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David” (2 Chronicles 34:3). He sent workmen to “repair the temple of the Lord” (v. 8), and as they did they discovered the Book of the Law (the first five books of the Old Testament; v. 14). God then inspired Josiah to lead the entire nation of Judah to return to the faith of their ancestors, and they served the Lord “as long as [Josiah] lived” (v. 33).

Our God is the master of unanticipated mercies. He’s able to cause great good to spring up unexpectedly out of the hard gravel of life’s most unfavorable circumstances. Watch Him closely. He may do it again today.

Reflect & Pray

What mercies have you seen from God that you never anticipated? How does the thought that He’s able to bring about unexpected good give you hope today?

Heavenly Father, I praise You for never changing. Your mercies are “new every morning!” (Lamentations 3:23). Help me to look forward to what You have for me today.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mayor, and thank you for today’s sustenance for body and soul.

Good job cranking up your laptop.

[SkyDancer]

~ Good Evening ~

~ Heading Home Until Next Week Then Back In The Skies ~

~ Good Evening ~

~ Welcome To My World ~

I’m Down There Somewhere

[left that other site]

Good Evening, Everybody!

(((HUGS)))

[lightman]

ALWAYS remember those who gave their all.

“The best we can do is the least we can do!”

[PROCON]

Thanks Kathy for honoring tonight’s Hero!

[Kathy in Alaska]

~ Hall of Heroes: John Gillespie Magee, Jr ~

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT

Showing support and boosting the morale of
our military and our allies' military
and the family members of the above.
Honoring those who have served before.

CLICK HERE TO FIND LATEST THREADS

CLICK FOR Current local times around the world

CLICK FOR local times in Seoul, Baghdad, Kabul,
New York, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Anchorage

To every service man or woman reading this thread.
Thank You for your service to our country.
No matter where you are stationed,
No matter what your job description
Know that we are are proud of each and everyone of you.
To our military readers, we remain steadfast
in keeping the Canteen doors open.

The FR Canteen is Free Republic's longest running daily thread
specifically designed to provide entertainment and moral support for the military.
The doors have been open since Oct 7 2001,
the day of the start of the war in Afghanistan.

We are indebted to you for your sacrifices for our Freedom.

NOTE: CANTEEN MUSIC
Posted daily and on the Music Thread
for the enjoyment of our troops and visitors.

[dadfly]

thank you for an uplifting (pun intended, sorry!) post.

what a gift the brave young man left us. and what a great loss to his parents, who also left a legacy no less great: Christians, perhaps having to meet in secret, meeting perhaps in twos and threes in small houses or even closets—whispered prayers experiencing the faith, hope, and love of Almighty God—persecuted but never left alone, never without help in the soul-less, mind-numbing, fear mongering hell-hole of the dark machine that is communist china.

thank God for families like the Magees and all our military families who go in harm’s way for us.

[radu]

Greetings to all at the Canteen!

To all our military men and women, past and present,

THANK YOU
for your service!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Janey...((HUGS))...safe flights home.

And enjoy your time at home.

[Kathy in Alaska]

"...thank God for families like the Magees and all our military families who go in harm’s way for us.

Hear, hear!! Thanks.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hello Veterans, wherever you are!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...did you and Blue get to hit the road?

How’s Penny? Still doing a good job of guarding the porch? Good sunny spots to rest in?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, lightman...I like it!

"The best we can do is the least we can do!"

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hey there, Pro...ready for the new week? Still smokey skies?

[PROCON]

Hi Kathy, I'm ready for Monday, I just hate weekends, don't you? 😁

We still have smoke but it's receding a bit.

[luvie]

High Flight...the TV Sign-Off
I loved that version of this wonderful poem.
God bless the author!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, radu...we have sun today!

Are you gonna get any Ida rain?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Bite your tongue! Gotta have some time to myself, even if only just a bit.

Right now I’m working on paperwork to get ready for the new week.

Sure hope the fires can be gotten under control and the second hand smoke goes away.