Personal – Page 30 – Easterday Construction Co., Inc.

Living History Exhibit

October 30, 2014 by Kevin Berger

A while back I wrote about my grandfather being interviewed by students from the Weidner School of Inquiry regarding his service in World War II. The exhibit at the Marshall County Museum that resulted from this is open. This is a flyer for the Open House a couple of weeks ago. That’s my grandfather as the poster boy for the event! Unfortunately my grandfather was recovering from double pneumonia at the time and didn’t get to attend. Stop by and check it out. My grandfather turned 100 this year. There are not many WWII veterans still around. We need to learn from them and remember them.

TSA Rebuttal

October 6, 2014September 30, 2014 by Kevin Berger

I ran across this ad a few months ago on the back of a magazine. I thought it was pretty amusing, but after flying this past weekend it’s not as funny as it was.

I can’t think of a job that would be much less fun than TSA agent. Regardless of this, it is amazing to see the difference in attitudes of the people working for the TSA and how their demeanor transfers to the traveling public. Agent #1 is all business and that doesn’t bother me. I’m there for a purpose, they’re there for a purpose… between the two of us we’ll just go through the necessary motions and go on with our lives. Then there is the agent #2 – friendly illicites friendly. Smiles garner smiles. When she mentions that she knows someone from Culver/Plymouth/South Bend, she creates a connection and relieves some of the stress from the situation. That’s so much different from agent #3 that treated those of us in line as cattle. When he tells us there are three lines and to separate into them, he audibly sighs in disgust and looks at us with disdain. How can we be so stupid? He’s told us this 30 times already today… But he hasn’t. He’s said it thirty times, but to thirty different groups of people. But that is the problem. We’re not people to him. We’re the mass of bodies that continues to clog his space and acknowledging that we’re a new group ruins the easy construct he relates to his wife every night about “the idiots that can’t take direction” that he has to deal with daily. He’s fine with us being faceless masses and in return, he being a faceless uniform that none of us could pick out of a line-up if paid to.

Constitution Day 2014

September 17, 2014September 17, 2014 by Kevin Berger

I’ve yet to hear mention on the news today that today is Constitution Day, otherwise known as Citizenship Day. Hopefully it is still discussed in our schools.

Our Constitution remains one of the most succinct documents of its type and despite being written centuries ago, it continues to hold the guiding principles that have made the United States great. That’s why it is disheartening when our leaders, those sworn to uphold it, disparage it. The most notable case of this that jumps to mind is Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg‘s comment during the reorganization of Egypt that, “I would not look to the US constitution, if I were drafting a constitution in the year 2012.”

Take a moment today to remember the 39 brave men who signed that document in 1787. Their courage and commitment should be celebrated.

If you are interested in additional links and comments I’ve made on Constitution Day, use the search bar to the right.

William K. Murphy Honored

August 29, 2014August 29, 2014 by Kevin Berger

I’ve spoken about my grandfather, Bill Murphy, here before. Yesterday some students from Plymouth interviewed him as part of a project to record the memories of World War II veterans for the Marshall County Museum Historic Crossroads Center. Considering that my grandfather turned 100 years old this year, the pool of survivors has to be getting shallow.

ABC 57 picked up the interview and had a short clip on the news last night. You can see it here if you’re interested. In the quote on the website he says that he was drafted, but actually Grandpa worked at Kingsbury Ordinance Plant and since that was a necessary service, he was not eligible for the draft. He quit that job and volunteered for the service, turning down the waiver.

Picture Source: Kelsey Flynn

Fletcher Cemetery Memorial

June 2, 2014May 27, 2014 by Kevin Berger

Becky and I attended the Memorial Day service at the Fletcher Cemetery just outside Hamlet yesterday. It was a very respectful service and I was pleased that they had a reasonably good turnout with a spread of ages. Thank you to the veterans there and across the nation for their service. I spoke to one of the veterans that said he had war veteran family members in that cemetery dating back the the Civil War and the Spanish American War. That is a lot of history for a small cemetery in rural Indiana.

The service included reading a well written letter from Indiana State Senator Arnold, a traditional 21 gun salute and the playing of taps. It was all well done and we were glad we went.