Free Republic

My wife's Grandfather passed away this past Wednesday. He was a veteran of WWII fighting primarily in Italy. Due to my Patriotic nature, the family asked me to assemble some background music for the visitation. I'm struggling to come up with good somber patriotic music. Most of what I have is geared towards pumping a person up. Any suggestions on what I can download and play at the visitation? I am not afraid to spend money, and I have I-Tunes, so if you can think of it, I can probably download it. Thanks in advance.

Two things always bring a tear to my eye. One is witnessing the birth of a new baby, and the other is voting. From my earliest childhood, I remember my Dad taking me to vote, explaining everything, then asking me to step outside. "Voting is private, Dixie. It's no one's business who you vote for," he'd say, and I'd stand aside while the large gray curtains closed around him. One day, I'd be old enough to vote. I'd get to stand inside the curtain. The other day, I went to vote early. Two trips to one polling place frustrated me...

<p>Ryan Holets knows his road through the military might lead him to Baghdad or Fallujah, but the high school junior said he would have no problem putting himself in danger. "I'm definitely aware of it. I read a statistic that one out of four of all fighter pilots don't come back alive. I'd rather go out doing something I love than sit around and wait for something to happen," said Holets, 17, a junior at South Fayette High School.</p>

Several Cambridge schools appear to be breaking a state law requiring that the Pledge of Allegiance be recited every morning in every classroom. Dozens of students - including kids attending Kennedy/Longfellow, King Open and Cambridge Rindge - told the Chronicle that the Pledge is rarely, if ever, recited in their classroom, even though Superintendent Thomas Fowler-Finn insists that all schools are in full compliance with the state law. "I've been assured by each and every principal that [the pledge] is being said," said Fowler-Finn, noting that "on an occasion or two, a teacher forgot or neglected to say the Pledge,"...

Question of flag ettiquete

Harold's Flag By Lion Bob MacLeay Early in the morning of Feb. 12, 1945, Harold was the first man killed in our battalion as we fought to liberate the small town of Vianden, Luxembourg, which proved to be the last action in the Battle of the Bulge. I was wounded some hours later and was being evacuated when the jeep swerved to avoid something in the road that I had not seen. The swerving motion caused me to lean out on the right side of the jeep and I looked down to see a man's leg, severed at the hip,...