| Show you have despite wars growing hardships today something to be truly thankful for revolutionary Revolution ar war brought freedom people now take as matter of fact it was the successful completion of the revolutionary war which resulted in ill the designation of a national day of thanksgiving for the benefits obtained during the year one hundred and fifty years ago george washington recommended a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed with be observed by the many signal favors of al mighty god especially by affording them an opportunity to establish a constitution or government for their safety and happiness just previous to this petition in 1 1777 the 13 colonies acting as one 4 celebrated a day of thanksgiving when the british general burgoyne was defeated true popular tradition has it that the first thanksgiving was held at plymouth mass when the pilgrims had gathered in their first harvest but the significant fact about thanksgiving is to be noted in in I 1 recommendation for a national observance of a day of thanks because of the opportunity given the early colonists to establish a constitution or government for their safety and happiness A national truly sincere spirit of thanksgiving was born out of the aftermath of the nations first war 0 o 4 I 1 za you can imagine what the thoughts are of these two kids as they look at the giant turkey which has just been taken from the oven it seem that they are convinced it is true that they can believe what they see scenes such as this one will be multiplied thousands of times thanksgiving day now over a century and a half later while the nation is nearing the end of the first year of another but far more greater war it seems fitting that a renewed revitalized spirit of thanksgiving should be observed by the people of the united states to some it might seem extremely illogical to suggest the nation should be thankful for its blessings while engaged in a war which really is just beginning in its intensity that is not the point that is not the reason for being thankful for what we have what we are still enjoying in the way of worldly goods to a greater extent than are our allies and our enemies the reason for a true more sincere SWING IT J W 3 vz VU A X 1911 riat A the quartermaster corps of the united states army is also making sure the men in the army are going to have bare the best dinner possible on thanksgiving g day many of those who get leave to be home with their parents on an that thursday will be doing the same came thing these two yanks are getting ready to do too tog bid b ad for that turkey with edging grateful erate ful hearts MOTHER THER OF thanksgiving DAY the daughter of a revolute revolutionary Revo luti on war army captain mrs sarah josepha buell hale native of newport N n H has the distinction of being the mother of thanksgiving day for years she tried vainly to mobilize governors of her time to have them all agree on one day which would be set aside as a day of thanksgiving finally she prevailed upon president lincoln in 1863 to proclaim thanksgiving as uniformly a national festival day mrs hale who died after 91 years of great activity was the widowed mother of five children she was an author pioneer feminist and also editor of godels ladys book in boston during the observance of thanksgiving is this we are able to carry the war back to the enemy and carry it back hard and furiously to him wherever he is in the early days of the revolutionary lutio nary war the soldiers the officers the great majority of citizens have to ask what are we fighting for they knew for por the enemy was here on this continent they saw him they fought him up ip and down the atlantic coast in addition to being practical men these early colonists were dream dreamers ers they dreamed the great dream which has been realized today with this nation stretching from one ocean another from our northern northera neighbor pr canada to our southern neighbor mexico both of whom are now fighting a common foe with us rationing increased taxes sons and husbands in the armed forces this is what confronts the whole nation as the first wartime thanksgiving in almost a quarter century is observed those who ask themselves what wh at they have to be thankful for w will think at first that there is no answer common sense and logic will prevail P devail A glance at almost any newspaper will convince the reader that freedom of the press is more than an expression in america so greatly valued is this freedom of tle press in occupied europe that thousands are risking immediate execution by the gestapo to print underground newspapers with messages for the unification of the oppressed these new newspapers s P ap e r s proving the value of a free fr e e press p r s are often no larger than a handbill but the importance of their message cannot be overemphasized but maybe your mind run in such a channel maybe you still will not be convinced as you sit at the table on thanksgiving day there before you are mountains of food turkey oy or goose or chicken creamy potatoes cranberries all kinds of vegetables vegetable calces cakes pies puddings desserts so much food faoa that the plates knives ives forks fo 7 1 2 1 4 9 5 G bobbler caught in the act of brod broadcasting casting a flee bee tor for your lives warning to his unsuspecting kin folk heard that not only is he going to get the ax but also thousands like him lie ile know it but his goose se is cooked in so far as his life on this earth is concerned maybe see him on thanksgiving day in a different pose glasses and coffee cups seem to be in the way food and plenty of it before you enough food there to feed at least eight times more starving frenchmen or poles or russians in territory under nit hit lers oppression something to be thankful for there it is what do you suppose hillers Hit lers master race in germany would say about the new world order if they had half the food in front of them that millions of americans will have on thanksgiving day another thing if you dont like what your congressman is doing you are free to say so you even write turn him a letter and tell him just ill t what you think and what what you yo u think th ri of him if you dont like the way the war is going you say so argue in public with someone who disagrees with you about national state or local political activities suppose you had this inherent right taken away from you be thankful for it then so why not now put yourself in the place of a conquered people or imagine yourself living in an axis country in those places freedom of speech is limited to saying yes yes when permitted to hear the masters voice suppose the only church service you were permitted to attend was that one in which the gospel of the dictator was spouted by a party sycophant suppose your church was no longer the house of worship you remembered it but a meeting place a club for those who were members of the dictators gang suppose you worship your god the way you wanted to because thoughtful fl g ROME 4 1 IP young native of thanksgiving N C has paused for a moment before beginning decapitation ceremonies he feels that he just possibly deprive the old gobbler one last meal that way was against the rulers theory suppose your friends house of worship was entered by the leaders mob sacked religious articles destroyed and then the building burned to the ground that is what has happened and is still happening too many times in europe since hitler began saving the world something for you to be thankful for there it is freedom to worship your god as you see fit at this thanksgiving day will be remembered as being an exceptional one it will be b remembered as the day when americans were fully thankful for the many rights which in the past have been taken for granted |
