TAKE TIME TO VISIT AND SHARE

During the period of time that we grow and mature from youth to adults and then as we continue our journey through life we generally meet people, develop and nurture close friendships. Many of these friendships are lasting even though we may be separated from a friend for years without even a word of communication. Past memories remain alive as if we had spoken only yesterday.
When I was in high school every Thursday was Boy Scout Night and many of us would gather at the scout hut located at the intersection of the CC camp road and the Spearsville Highway. Now destroyed by fire, this location served as an incubation setting for the development of future lawyers, doctors, federal judges and an abundance of good American citizens. Friendships were made that would last a life time and one that I made went well past the borders of Union Parish. When I left my navey ship in Southeast Asia to go into the Navy Seabees I received orders to Pt. Hueneme, California for training. While home on leave and sitting at Gillum’s café I heard that one of my Scout friends and his sister had left Farmerville to join their mother and father at their father’s new assignment in Pt Hueneme. What a coincidence and for three months I was adopted into the family that made life so much easier for a young sailor in California. The friendship was all ways there and for over thirty five years and in my mind it was as if it would last forever. The man moved back to Farmerville, set up his business, married and had a family. I kept up with him through friends and said on many occasions that I need to track him down and visit and I was confident that I would bump into him and we could visit and share stories of our lives. Then while driving to work lastThursday morning my wife called to tell me that Jr Eldridge had died. On Friday I stood at Beulah Cemetery on a drizzling cold dank day to pay last respects and say good bye to a friend I had not spoken to but once in thirty-five years.
So what is wrong with this picture. As a young child for three cents we could mail a letter and within a week we could receive a response. The wait was long but acceptable. My mother would call her mother in the mountains of Nevada and after talking to a live telephone operator who would set up the cross country connections, fifteen minutes later the call would go through. It was even worse when calling the U.S from Arabia as we would have to set up the call two days in advance and pay a whopping three dollars a minute to talk to loved ones back home. Then enter the internet and e-mail began changing the way to communicate. Our broadband technologies now allow us to tweet, instant message, skype, phone text, send photos instantly, build social networks and link professionally at the speed of light; and more is on its way. So, as we have been liberated to communicate world wide at little or no cost, we are losing the reality that it is far more rewarding to sit down across a table from each other and simple have a conversation. This social interaction is much more gratifying.
Back to my story. We become complacent and comfortable in the knowledge that we can easily communicate to others whenever we desire. Unfortunately knowing we can communicate is not the same as actually communicating. Picking up a phone and calling or sending an e-mail to an old friend just to say hello is an easy task to perform. It’s time to step back, take a deep breath and smell the roses and think of the life journey that got us where we are today and rekindle some of the lost friend ships that have slipped away in our hurried lives.
Next week, unless Syria explodes or some other major event happens, I will share with you the story of a few guys that formed a softball team and the camaraderie that has existed for over thirty years.

IS MEXICO A BAROMETER

This week I have had the good fortune to be on vacation in one the most economical historical locations I could find. That would be on the southern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula; Cancun. While most think of Cancun as a place to go to party and lose oneself in a week of self-indulgence, there is far more to this part of the world. Yes, the party atmosphere is alive on the Mexican Riviera but the historical aspects of the Yucatan Peninsula leaves no question that a very energetic and developed society had carved an advanced civilization from the thick jungles of Mexico. A new state-of-the art Archeological Museum has been erected in the middle of the Hotel Zone and hotels are now identifying themselves as family friendly instead of party pads for American youth.
I had planned to write about my last visit to the area two years ago and how I awoke to hear that the Cancun airport had spontaneously erupted in applause when it was identified that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. Since then the story of the organization and planning that took place to execute this operation provided enormous pride in what America can do when focused on a specific mission. But then the destruction that took place in Boston flashed across CNN and another truly remarkable feat of coordination unfolded. I sat in amazement as I watched Federal, State and Local agencies immediately merge to form a unified force that shut down one of the most vibrant and active cities in our country. This level of planning would normally take weeks but in a matter of hours the city was in lock down and a manhunt ended in the capture of one terrorist and the death of a second. How proud we should feel that we can mobilize and execute such a force from around the country in such a quick period of time. This sense of security is one aspect of our nation that makes me proud to know that we are sleeping under a free moon provided by the sacrifices of so many. But then I saw some things in Mexico that gave me time to pause and reflect on some concerns that could be brewing with how confidence in America is being perceived. Could Mexico be a barometer?
Throughout my travels over a quarter century the United States dollar was welcome. Many countries had a black market where dollars were traded for an inflated fee and thus the dollar was highly sought after by the local merchants. This has changed in the Mexican Caribbean. The first night we went to the local pharmacy to discover that U.S. Dollars could not be used. They only accepted Mexican currencies. I thought that they just didn’t have change. Then the next day my friend Jeff Davidson and I went to the museum and we were told that only Mexican Pesos were accepted. We had to cross the street to the money changers. And then I noticed that there were money changes around town where none use to exist. This made me wonder if the dollar was losing the luster it had once been revered by foreign countries. One of the worst things that can happen to a country is to have confidence lost in its currency. Then when going through the new museum I noticed that the majority of the descriptions on the various artifacts were missing English translations. In the past this was the norm. So in a time of internal pride with what we have accomplished it is sobering to see that we are not being viewed by other countries in the same light. It is disturbing to see that the perception of America and the world leader could be waning.

TAKE TIME TO SAY HELLO

Being human we periodically make a major goof and then sit back and ask ourselves how did we make such a dumb mistake. Right after I finished my column last week I made this type of revelation. Fortunately as a person moves up in age it is acceptable to claim that a goof is really a senior moment and that is what I am using as my excuse. When I listed the mayors last week I left out Bill Mitchum. Even though I have received no calls on the subject I am sure that it caught the eye of many. Not only did I realize my error, it was also an omission of a friend of over half a century and no, I was not paying him back for the time that he slipped into my grandfather’s yard when visiting from Bernice and was caught snitching pears off his tree.
Many of us have been fortunate enough to have traveled for either work or relaxation. For the ones that are fortunate enough to cross an ocean or go non-stop across our great country the trip can be exciting, monotonous or down right dreary depending on how you look at it. When leaving Saudi Arabia I was filled with excitement as I thought about touching good ole American soil and sinking my teeth into a Big Mac. My first part of the journey usually began with a nap. I was usually asleep before the plane was off the ground and woke to find a vast ocean below and some stranger sitting next to me. Shorter flights from Dubai to Saudi Arabia provided no time to sleep but did allow an opportunity to make a new acquaintance.
It’s human nature to be cautious of strangers. This is an inherent characteristic that has been drilled into the mind since pre-mideval times when any stranger could lead to a quick trip to the hear after. Sit on a plane and observe two strangers sitting next to each other. It is very rare that either are conversing with each other. On the long trips when the movie ends it is seldom that a word is spoken. I am definitely the exception and it is rare that I meet a stranger. Surprisingly, when I strike up a conversation the stranger next to me is usually receptive and a genuine conversation takes place. I was fortunate enough to have met some very interesting people during these conversations.
Once while flying back to Arabia from the Mid-East softball championships from Dubai I sat next to a young couple. I started talking to a couple and during the conversation I found out that not only did they go to school at Ouachita but the lady was good friends with my best friend at NLU. Then on another trip from Dubai a man sat next to me and said he saw during the player introductions that I was from Farmerville. We talked and I found out that he was from Arcadia, graduated the same year I did and played quarterback.
“Do you remember being on the Farmerville two yard line and fumbling:, I asked.
“I sure do. Couldn’t forget that,” he replied.
I thrust out my hand, “I’m the man that recovered the fumble”.
The most interesting story I heard dealt with a little known fact about the murder of a very famous naturalist that made national news in a country half a world away. Diane Fossey had been in Rwanda Africa studing great apes. Her story was told in the movie Gorillas in the Mist with Sigourney Weaver playing Fossey. In 1985 she was murdered and the case has never been solved. Speculation existed that the murder was either performed by poachers that she had been fighting for years or government officials that she opposed for bringing tourists into the gorilla homelands. What was not realized was that her American assistant was also accused and was wanted in Rwanda for the murder. The man telling me the story was a good friend of the accused and said he would never return to Rwanda. The man also stated that his friend categorically denied having been involved. He felt he was being made the scapegoat and the real murderer was one of the poachers. The government was covering it up and blamed him.
Next time you travel take the opportunity to strike up a conversation. The worst thing that can happen is to receive a grunt and a magazine pulled up between you and the other passenger. The best thing that can happen is an interesting conversation and making a new acquaintance.

LEADERSHIP IS AMONG US

The classical definition of management is the proper utilization of men, material, equipment and resources to accomplish a job. This is practically the same definition, verbatim, taught at the U.S Army Officer Candidate School. Leadership is the ability to convince others to work together to accomplish a mission or job. While management can be taught the ability to lead is a learned behavior.
Leadership and the ability to manage the workings of our government has been questioned in a negative context for quit a while. Our Federal Government has the lowest approval level since its existence and our elected officials are being slammed from the opposition, members of their party and the people that elected them. It appears that there is no end to what appears to be a negative performance. I have been concerned about our government and the ability to lead us back into the greatness and respect that we once relished in. Everyone seems to have nothing god to say of government and I must admit that I have shared in my own discussions of dissatisfaction. Then I went to hear one of our own elected officials speak and I began reflecting on the positive instead of the negative.
State Representative Rob Shaddoin spoke to a local group last week and as I listened to what he said I realized that he and many other elected officials truly have the interest of the people that elected them in mind. I began thinking about our own local governments and how they manage the day to day state of affairs presented to them. When the town and parish officials are facing fiscal problems and financial shortfalls are in front of them they must balance the budgets. While towns and cities in California borrow until they are bankrupt, the elected officials of our communities opt to make the decisions that will keep us financially solvent. This is leadership at its best and is a tribute to both the officials and the people that have elected them.
Nothing is perfect and no one can make the best decisions every time a solution is required. However, the person that puts the well being of the voters above personal and even political association is the individual that will lead our country to a continued greatness.
A strong government is a two way street. Our elected officials are the spokesmen of the people that sent the man or woman to represent them. Also, the population that elected the officials has an obligation to mold and build the community that they live and work in. This is no more evident than in our own local communities. Our mayors Baughman, Franklin, Skains, Patton and Futch have dealt with financial obstacles and handled each one as they arose. Observing progress that has taken place due to this leadership should make us all proud of what is being done for our communities. Other examples of local pride display the close relationship between elected officials and the community. Last year both Farmerville and Marion were selected as the cleanest cities in the state. This is no small feat and everyone deserves a pat on the back. What is even more amazing is that Farmerville received this award for the second straight year. Now it is time for our communities to step up and compete again. Farmerville was just honored with a basketball team that makes any community proud. Soon Farmerville will have the unprecedented opportunity to become a three time cleanest city winner and Marion can win its second straight title. What a wonderful way to get on the nation’s radar as a class community.
Unfortunately it appears that the farther the government center is geographically away from the local voters the more the government has become disenfranchised with the voters. Wouldn’t it be nice if the federal government would operate like our local and state governments and wouldn’t it be nice if we took an active interest in our federal government by contacting and working with our federal officials?

THE DREADED SEQUESTER

On March 1st the dreaded sequester went into effect and despite political brinksmanship comprised of political campaign style ads and forecasts of gloom and doom we have awoken to find that airplanes are not falling from the skies, our nation’s borders have not become any more porous than they have been and the national parks remain open.
There will be some belt tightening required and this is not a bad idea. When I use a credit card I pay the bill and any interest I incur is also paid. America has to borrow money to continue to pay for the bills incurred by the federal government. Unfortunately much of this borrowing comes from the Peoples Republic of China. This then makes China one of the credit cards that the United States is using to pay for what the government is providing. When a person in the private sector maxes out his card, borrowing is over and the individual is faced with a huge debt and a large interest payment that must be paid. When the United States is at the top of its ability to borrow it either prints more money which will eventually lead to inflation and the loss of international confidence with the dollar or it will raise the dept ceiling which allows the government to borrow more money. This is a road to disaster since the interest payment is becoming larger and larger. A person that acquires so much debt that there is no way possible to pay off what is owed to the creditors, the borrower may opt to declare bankruptcy. Today this is not an option for the United States, so our country continually raises the dept ceiling and what must be paid by our children and grand children is staggering. If in the future the United States decides to default on its debt obligations, the same as bankruptcy, we would witness a financial loss in confidence in the United States that would vibrate through the world and lead to a financial collapse of the world.
The sequester was established two years ago to put into place automatic cuts in federal programs if the federal government was unable to agree on certain financial limits. After two years the financial reductions had not been approved so the automatic cuts went into place. There will be some pain in certain sectors but not to the panic mongering televised speeches that was aired recently. If we cannot operate with a 2.4% decrease in spending then we need to place the leadership into office that is able to operate in the “new norm”. It is unfortunate that an automatic cut must go into effect without an agreement within congress on how to handle our out-of-control spending. What is even more alarming is a method of how Washington is operating today, It seems like key decisions are being made with an understanding that the problems will be solved at a future date. Then when the date arrives for the solution, the people that got what they wanted in the past do not have any solutions and instead of admitting their failure they deny that any agreement had been made. This is called kicking the can down the road. Well, its time to stop kicking and its time to stand tall, address the problems and solve the problems that we face today and not burden the future generations of our great country. Perhaps if our Federal Government would take the lead of our local mayors, our state and many of our other successful state governments and learn to live within its means we can divert a financial holocaust.

CLOSER TO A NUCLEAR HOLOCOST

Several months ago North Korea announced that they had launched a multi-stage rocket to place a satellite into orbit. This announcement came from a country that is literally starving its citizenry in order to develop a deployment method for a satellite. I don’t think so. Instead it is more likely that North Korea is developing a method to deploy some type of warhead. The United States, the Japanese that had the rocket cross its country and the remainder of the world were not fooled and additional sanctions were placed on a country that was already burdened with previous sanctions.
The problem with sanctions is that they seldom work. Rulers of a country that have been so unruly that worldwide sanctions are placed on that country will be little fazed. Rulers of this caliber have little regard for the citizens and sanctions only affect these people. The rulers still live in opulence, insulated from the affects of the sanctions. Also, it is important that sanctions could have a negative effect on the countries that impose them. In the case of North Korea, the country is near starvation. If the sanctions become too extreme and the ruling class feels it is in the final throws of control due to civil unrest, the rulers may just rally the country and take drastic measures. In the case of North Korea, this would be an invasion of South Korea. There is no doubt that South Korea, with the support of the free world would be victorious; all things being equal.
It is the “all things being equal” that are now in jeopardy. It was announced last week that North Korea had detonated a nuclear weapon. This now places them in the prestigious, and dangerous, club of countries that possess a nuclear bomb. They now have a bargaining chip like no other rogue state in the world. Following the nuclear test, counties immediately imposed additional sanctions but China has refused to cut off oil supplies to North Korea. That may be the one sanction that would turn a starving country into a desperate starving country and ultimately launch the North Korean Army across the 42nd parallel into South Korea.
Now consider the rocket that was recently tested and add to that the ability to reach Alaska and then place a thermonuclear weapon in the nose cone and you have a missile capable of reaching the United States. This is the first real threat to the United States from a new foreign nuclear county in over fifty years. As bad as this seems this is not the worst case scenario.
I feel confident that The United States of America can insure that North Korea does not use its’ nuclear capacity to harm either America or any other free country in the world. Whether it is through direct negotiations, utilizing the newly developed industrialized China as an intermediary, a clandestine operation or a surgical strike; America will not allow Korea to use a nuclear weapon. The real concern comes from North Korea selling what it has developed.
Four thousand miles to the west of Korea lies the Peoples Republic of Iran. Iran is developing a nuclear weapon. They deny it but rest assured Iran is burning up centrifuges to get the uranium processed in a quantity that will allow the development of a nuclear weapon. Israel declares this will not happen and if anyone can stop them it will be Israel. What can’t be fully controlled is the selling of a nuclear weapon and the missiles that could deliver a nuclear bomb to downtown Tel Aviv. Even if the missile is intercepted and detonates high above the ground the affects could be catastrophic. The sale of nuclear weapons to Iran is the real North Korean threat.
While Israel denies having nuclear weapons it is widely believed that they are truly in possession of the weapon and Israel believes in counterattacks of like for like; only much more intense. So, the real threat does not come from north Korea’s ability to develop and deploy nuclear weapons, its’ their ability to pass this technology to other rogue states. Unfortunately, the by-product of a nuclear bomb is radiation and to the southwest of Iran are the immense oil fields of Saudi Arabia where the prevailing northeasterly winds would deploy the deadly radiation over the largest oil fields in the world.
Next week, how Union Parish got a lake funded in a part of the state that many legislatures had never heard of.

STRANGLING A GREAT COUNTRY

In 1776 the great United States was really not the bold strong country we enjoy today and the world did not recognize us as being that great. It’s strengths were derived from the independence of the population and the ingenuity of the inhabitance who were allowed to develop methods to improve their own lives and thus grow a nation. Some succeeded, many failed but almost everyone had that opportunity. The country had strengths but the sovereignty of the states to control much of their own destinies led to a unique government that emphasized regional development and culture.
Even though we had forged a nation after throwing off the yokes of Great Britain, it wasn’t until 1898 that the United States was viewed as more than a great agricultural experiment. In that year the United States defeated the old European empirical country of Spain, freed Cuba, the Philippines and Puerto Rico from Spanish rule and thus thrust the United States into the spotlight of a world power.
Soon after the Spanish American War the United States opened its’ own eyes and saw oppression within its’ own shores. Several powerful industrialist built their fortunes on the backs of a needy labor force. So powerful were these men that they had total control over their industries and products. Teddy Roosevelt broke up these monopolies and smaller industries took root as power began to shift from individuals to government control. This growth of control continued until today and the term “regulations” is now used to identify government control. What began as a necessity to break up monopolies and thus allow free market conditions, the multitude and magnitude of these regulations is now strangling the ability of America to use its creativity to continue to build the commerce that crafted our nation.
A certain amount of regulation is required to inure the safety of a country’s inhabitants. Too much regulation and a county is unable to affectively grow itself. Case in point is the Soviet Union. Regulation was needed to get the country out of an aristocracy that had lost control to provide for its’ citizens. After 60 years of tight control the country began to crack. Finally in the late 1980’s centralized planning and control collapsed overnight, communism crumbled and capitalism ensued. Price control coupled with regulations that tell us how to live all aspects of our lives plus a feeling that a centralized control point is better equipped to tell Americans how to live their lives is strangling the life blood out of this nation.
Last year I wrote on regulation and the impacts to our country. It was hoped that the regulation pendulum would begin to swing in the direction of de-regulation. Unfortunately it is getting worse as we are seeing more and more centralized control coming from Washington. I just heard of a food market in South Louisiana that was advertising a gallon of milk at $2.38. The company would lose money on that gallon of milk but would bring customers into the store with the hope of selling other goods to the visitors. This an ingenious marketing strategy with one problem; regulations control the price of commodity products such as milk so the store may not be able to sell milk at this low price. Now who benefits from this regulation; no one. The store did not get the customers into the business and the customers have to pay a higher price for milk. You are about to see regulations hammer gun laws within our country while our ability to get a simple loan to build or improve a business is becoming more and more prohibitive. These shackles must be relaxed and in some cases demolished.
What happens when regulation is removed? In the telecommunication industry, operating in a deregulated market leads to higher broad band speeds, cheaper service and better service and allows small companies to grow into industry leaders. Removing regulation in the airline industries in the 1970s immediately led to lower costs and thrust the industry into a market environment. This morphed into an industry that has made it possible for mainstream America to opt for air travel in lieu of rail and car transport.
Until we move back to a more market strategy and get away from a centralized managed approach to commerce and living, we will continue to lose market share to emerging countries in Asia and South America.

JUST A PIECE OF CLOTH?

This week I heard the story of an English teacher in South Carolina taking an American Flag from its’ stand and stomping on it and explained to his honor’s class that the flag was only pieces of dyed cloth with no true meaning. He did this not once but three times with the consequences being the same; the students didn’t like it one bit. The teacher made three tactical blunders. First he desecrated a symbol of the United States of America and the men and women who built this great nation with their sweat and blood. The second mistake the teacher made was to pick a school that was located in the school district that contains Fort Stewart, the boot camp and training grounds for the U.S Army. Lastly, the teacher’s superintendant was a 20 year retired Army veteran. Not a real smart move and at the time of this writing it appears that the suspended teacher will be terminated.
When I heard the story of the flag stomping I was sickened. Over the years I saw flag burnings on television and was angered that we could do nothing about it. This symbol of America was of such importance that radicals in foreign countries saw the burning as a symbol of indignation toward our country. For this to happen within the borders of the United States was even more revolting. Unfortunately the teacher has every right to express his opinion in this manner; such is the freedom allowed by the first amendment of our constitution; but I still don’t have to like it and kudos to the students that expressed their feelings.
This flag represents so much to the heritage of this country. When I first arrived in Saudi Arabia we lived near the U.S Consulate. On my first shopping trip to Al Khobar the bus passed the Consulate. It was an emotional high when I looked out the window and saw Ole Glory flying from within the walls of the consulate grounds. I couldn’t explain the feeling but perhaps being in a foreign country and separate from the United States had something to do with it or perhaps it was the symbol of freedom that it represents that made me so proud.
The origin of the flag goes all the way back to the beginning of our country. The first authorized flag from the Continental Congress was commissioned to fly on American ships. Stars were not included until 1776. Since then there have been 38 different flags to represent our country. There are 13 stripes on the flag to represent the original 13 colonies that formed our fledgling country. The stars that are positioned on a field of blue each represent one state.
In 1958 I remember several proposed new flag designs that commemorated the addition of Hawaii and Alaska as our 49th and 50th states. These designs were presented in our Weekly Reader paper that we would get every week in elementary school. The final selection resembled the flag that contained 48 stars and had flown over our country for 47 years.
The design of the flag was open to any American that wanted to submit a design. Seventeen year old Robert Heft submitted his design as a school project. He received a B- and jokingly had agreement from his teacher that if his submittal was accepted as our new flag, the grade was changed to an “A”. The teacher honored the agreement when the submittal was accepted.
The symbol of our country has been carried into battle in one manner of the other in every war America was engaged in. Whether it was flying from a standard bearer with the Infantry, from a halyard on a ship, streaming from a mounted calvaryman or sewn on the sleeve, The Stars and Stripes was there. Over 850,000 men and women died under these colors while representing our country. Just a piece of colored fabric, I don’t think so.

PEOPLE THAT BUILT AMERICA – ROBERT ROGERS

Many of our legacies of a country began even before we were a nation. The fervor and spirit, the dedication and perseverance, the unbelievable sacrifices that have perpetuated the American spirit have been with us since we began molding our country.
In the 1750s the French and Indian War was underway. What is now the United States was then a British territory. At that time the frontier was only a few hundred miles from the Atlantic Ocean and northern New York was being contested by both England and France. The two countries were fighting over the territory and it was quite brutal. The Indians had adopted universal scalping from their European teachers that would pay bounties for Indian scalps.
Life was difficult and moving through the wilds of North New York and Southeast Canada took a unique person. The Indians easily achieved maneuvering through these wilds but the Europeans learned to live in this territory with difficulty. The movement of an army trained in colonial military techniques was very difficult if not impossible to accomplish when in heavily wooded mountainous terrain. The French built alliances with the local Indian tribes and it was the Indians that did a lot of France’s fighting in the back country. The British did not form an Indian alliance but instead depended on back woods militia. These militias were composed of men that had been living in the backwoods and who would learn their battle techniques from the Indians; many times from devastating encounters. One militia group was not only made of rough backwoodsmen, they were lead by a relentless leader that quickly learned from mistakes and trained his men to succeed. The commander was Robert Rogers and his men were known as Roger’s Rangers.
They would use commando tactics and were not schooled in European military tactics. Their primary mission was reconnaissance and special warfare tactics. The militia units were so bold that the British Crown used them as their chief units in the 1750s. Still the rangers were never fully respected by the British regular army units. This attitude must have manifested itself until today. One of my construction superintendents, Bill Sime, was a former British SAS member. These were the British Commandos. He told me that the British Prime Minister referred to the SAS as a necessary evil.
Robert Rogers developed his unit and displayed leadership beyond what is normally required to develop a normal fighting force. It is this type of leadership that built our country, leadership to move beyond the status quo and drive for excellence. The patriotic spirit remained with members of the rangers long after the French and Indian war. Several surviving members of the unit faced the British at Concord Bridge at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. This spirit of accomplishment is what we need to nurture and re-instill in our society to continue to build the greatest nation in the history of our planet.
Rogers Rangers did not die with Robert Rogers or at the end of the French and Indian War. A highly trained US Army unit took the name when it formed and thus Army Rangers has a lineage to the French and Indian War. Hollywood also took the queue and “The Northwest Passage” was born in 1947 with Spencer Tracy playing the part of Rogers.

INDEPENDENCE BOWL BOUND

Can hardly wait to hit the road to Shreveport and the Independence Bowl. For the first time in the schools history they will be playing in a Div I bowl. Ago War Hawks, America’s Team.