Words and Pictures Before, During, America’s Heartland Remembers America’s America’s Heartland Remembers America’s and After September 11th, 2001 “Your Spirit of America is a sumptuous treasure trove and I very much appreciate having it as part of my library. There’s wonderful vitality in all those voices. Many thanks, and best wishes.” —Two-Time Pulitzer Prize Winner David McCullough, Historian and Author of the Current Bestseller, John Adams, West Tisbury, Massachusetts “The tragedies of September 11th, 2001, crystallized for many the definition of good and evil, and stimu- lated a reexamination of values, both personal and national. The stories, poems, and photographs of America’s Heartland Remembers, reflect the core values of the American Midwest experience – of family, self- reliance, hard work, and simple pleasures. In this important collection of Midwest voices and images, our heritage, our heroes, and our hang-ups are edi- fied. The hearts and hopes of these artists till the soil of the American soul in preparation for a better world, a better tomorrow, and a better humanity.” —JoAnne Killeen, Owner of Write for You, Former Editor of the Enterpriser, La Crosse, Wisconsin America’s Heartland Remembers is the story of the American people and land, as viewed from the Heartland around the time of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. It is the smaller-format sequel to Spirit of America, winner of the Sept 12 Guild’s Spirit of America Award. More than 150 writers and photographers have contributed to the two books, and include La Crosse Mayor John Medinger, Robert Cook, Bernard McGarty, William Kulas, Steve Kiedrowski, • LuAnn Gerber, Geeta Sharma Jensen, Rick Romell, Rick • Wood, Bob Smith, Matt Marcou, Nina Valiska, and many Marcou & Pauls others. These books and the others in the series of seven Marcou & Pauls anthologies produced by this group have helped teach the groups, their subjects, and their readers why it’s often best to work as a team with many other crafts and business peo- ple—in the Heartland, other parts of America, and around Edited by the world. In fact, this book’s final story describes a flag that David J. Marcou is very much a part of the American Dream these days: Jim Brush’s world peace flag. World peace is this group’s goal, & Barbara A. Pauls and it’s hoped these books will help establish that peace. Farmstead wind- mill on refurbished homestead owned by Sheila Pauls, 2001, Arcadia, WI, by Barbara A. Pauls, her mother. The Farm Yvonne Klinkenberg Rolling hills, fields unplowed. Unseen birds, singing loud. A farmhouse, century-old, close to the road, Sign in front: “I’ve been sold.” Through the eyes of two in love— they see things we can’t dream of: The empty barn, soon to see a herd of cows, maybe thirty-three. From its loft flies what looks like a white dove, being a sign of Good to those in love. The house stands empty, but soon will ring with music, which those two will bring. By the woods, blackcaps doth grow; the sweetness of jelly they will know. The low-slung branch will hold a swing when their boy turns two, come this spring. Yes, the farm that sits close to the road, to this young couple, it’s been sold. To God Above; to the courage, dignity, disagreeableness, sweetness, humor, and strength of the American people; to our friends and families, everywhere and always; and to our enemies, who, we hope, will also become our friends and families . “The Lord is my shepherd.”—23RD PSALM “You have to be ambitious about an idea to preserve “Find the good and praise it.” it—Liberty, for instance.” —ANNA MUKTEPAVELS-MOTIVANS —WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY JR. “I’ve come not to stroke you, but to challenge you.” “In order to do the toughest thing there is to do in —SIDNEY POITIER sport—hit a baseball properly—a man has got to devote every ounce of his concentration to it.” “It is dearness only that gives everything its value.” —TED WILLIAMS —TOM PAINE “We’re cursed with being reasonable.” “They did it because no one told them that they could —NORMAN LEAR not.” —SEAN NIESTRATH “Patriotism is interesting…. We [Americans] are “I am not an American—I am the American.” very good at war, and we don’t like it; that combina- —MARK TWAIN tion is our saving grace.... ‘Hang onto your lights, “They died together, a band of courageous brothers America—they’re the only lights left in the world.’” and sisters on September 11th… God bless them, God —ROGER ROSENBLATT bless us all, and God bless America.” “Courage is not just one virtue; it is the culmination —ALICE HOGLAN, MOTHER OF MARK BINGHAM of all virtues.”—DEENA BURNETT, WIFE OF TOM BURNETT “[T]hey slipped the surly bonds of earth, to touch the “[G]iven a chance, people will make friends across, face of God.” around, over and under all the natural and man- —RONALD REAGAN VIA PEGGY NOONAN made barriers, which separate them.” VIA JOHN GILLESPIE MAGEE —DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER “Tear down this wall…” —RONALD REAGAN “Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a “And you that ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.” to Him…” —HOLY QURAN —PHILLIPINE SAYING “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do ”In America, we never stop kicking it.” good to them that hate you, and pray for them which —SAMUEL L. JACKSON despitefully use you, and persecute you.” “I love being a salesman ...I can’t imagine full —JESUS CHRIST IN ST. MATTHEW’S GOSPEL retirement. I like people, and I’d like to continue as “We have to use 9/11 as a huge wake-up call.” long as I can.” —BILL PORTER —RAYMOND KELLY “Don’t give up!” —JIM VALVANO “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” “Let’s roll!” —TODD BEAMER, HUSBAND OF LISA BEAMER —FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT FRONT COVER: Main photo: Fourth of July fireworks, July 4, 1999, La Crosse, WI, by Gerald A. Bonsack. Left inset: Mobile Vietnam War Memorial Wall, 2002, Arcadia, WI, by Steve Kiedrowski. Center inset: “Lady Liberty,” 2002, New York, NY, by Barbara A. Pauls. Right inset: Bald eagle flying over fishing boats, 2000, Seward, AK, by Denise Havlik-Jensen. BACK COVER, FROM UPPER LEFT CORNER MOVING CLOCKWISE: The young men of autumn, Aquinas Eighth Grade Football Team, 2001, Onalaska, WI, by David J. Marcou. World Peace Flag, designed by Jim Brush, Empire Screen Printing Company, 2001-02, Onalaska, WI. Air Force One taking off in the rain, early November 1992, La Crosse, WI, by David J. Marcou. U.S. flag with the sun shining through it, 2002, Riverside Park, La Crosse, WI, by Steve Kiedrowski. Burning World Trade Center tower, September 11th, 2001, New York, NY, by Rick Wood, courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. First Congregational Church of Lebanon, CT, designed by the great American Revolutionary War artist John Trumbull and built in 1804-07, by Grant Huntington, courtesy of the Town of Lebanon, CT. Mississippi River sunset looking west toward La Crescent, MN, July 4, 1999, by Gerald A. Bonsack. Big Indian statue created by Anthony Zimmerhakl (1956-60), 2002, Riverside Park, La Crosse, WI, by Steve Kiedrowski. The Stevens Family: (Back, L-R) Mark Jr., Mark Sr., Anthony Michael; (Front, L-R) Marissa Paige, Roberta H., 1997, San Diego, CA, courtesy of the Stevens Family. Canadian farmstead, 1990s, by Frances (Nina) Valiska. Tulips whose bulbs were purchased by the photographer in Holland on holiday in 1998, Arcadia, WI, by Barbara A. Pauls. Sam Besl in U.S. flag necktie on the night of his graduation from Aquinas Middle School, June 3, 2002, by David J. Marcou. “Loveall” headstone, 2000, Arlington (Virginia) National Cemetery, by David J. Marcou. America’s Heartland Remembers Words and Pictures Before, During, and After September 11th, 2001 Edited by David J. Marcou and Barbara A. Pauls Published by The Writers’ Collective Copyright 2002, David J. Marcou and Barbara A. Pauls for this complete book; the copyrights to individual items within this book are retained by their creators and/or by those creators’ legal representatives. This book is made possible by a grant from the Sept 12 Guild. Production Staff: Publisher: The Writers’ Collective Designer: Sue Knopf Projects Director: David J. Marcou Publicist: Steve Kiedrowski Editors: David J. Marcou & Barbara A. Pauls Printers: Fidlar-Doubleday, with assistance Typist: Matthew A. Marcou from Royal Graphix of La Crosse ISBN#: 0-9716734-3-8 Acknowledgments “With malice toward none; with charity for all…”—ABRAHAM LINCOLN would like to thank here my parents (David A. and Rose C. Marcou), my son (Matthew A. IMarcou), the Marcou families of Wisconsin and Washington, D.C. (including my brothers, Dennis, Dan, and Tom, and my sisters, Diane, Lynn, and Mary, and their families), the Hilbert fam- ilies of Wisconsin and Connecticut (especially Greg Hilbert and his family), the Sondelski fam- ily of Chicago, the families of (Pope) John Paul II, George W. and Laura Bush, of ...David W. Johns, Ron Kind, Jennifer Shilling, Mary Eisenhower, Sue Knopf and Jim Rothwell, Margaret and Cy Brom, Raymond L. Burke, John Paul, Monica Muskat, Ed and Zita Pretasky, Kathy and Cal Grise, Larry and Debbie Muskat, Ray and Bev Muskat, (Mr. & Mrs.) Ray Kline, Michael David, (Mr. & Mrs.) Calvin Lawrence, Dan Balaban, Yi Do-Sun and Ms. Lee, William and Carla Johns, Charles and Christine Freiberg, (Bert’s widow) Sheila Hardy, Charles Keeble, John and Judy Whale, Charles and Elizabeth Erven, Bob and Peggy Beyer, Roger and Charlotte Grant, Patrick and Jo Anne Killeen, Robert and Loraine Mulock, Mary Ann Grossmann, David and Rosalee McCullough, Tony Boullion, Joe and Julie Besl, Mark Sr.