From Sea to Shining Sea

Memorial Mosaic

For all our brothers and sisters,

who cared more about their country than themselves....

Today, and always, I am remembering

my father, grandfather and uncles:

Col. A.R. Ives  

LTC A.R. Ives, Jr.

Col. R.N. Ives

Col. Y.Y. Phillips

And every, single patriot this country has known.

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 heroes proved in liberating strife,

who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life!

America!  America! God mend thine every flaw,

confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law.

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.

Words: Katherine Lee Bates (1859-1929)

Music: Materna, Samuel Augustus Ward (1848-1903)

sing it....I dare you not to cry

And when you're finished, go here, and play along with Mosaic Monday.

If I can do it, so can you;)