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June 02, 2005
Powerful Words
I'm talking about the words that stand alone, that resonate within us by their mere existence. By the sight of them scrawled on a sheet of paper or flashed on a TV screen, voiced by a moderator or spoken in conversation. Singular names ~ people, places, things ~ of such power that their mention or reading takes one to that very place or conjures that very image, without aid of date, map or explanation. Sometimes Major Dad and I will be listening/talking/reading and one of those words will strike me and I have to say to him "that is one of the most beautiful words in the English Language". And then I say that word again for good measure ~ and nod 'yeah' in satisfaction ~ before going back to whatever it was we were doing. A good word, a powerful word, is like cream to a cat.
You all are the most literate, incredible, weirdly wonderful group I've ever had the honor to call 'friends'. So bear with me. I've had this little exercise running through my brain and thought, if it made any sense at all, I'd share. Invite you to join. Maybe jangle loose some long buried treasures. Maybe make you smile and 'a-ha!' when you recollected them, if this makes any sense to you at all, celebrating words.
I thought I would start with something easy, in a profound sort of way. Consider this past weekend and all the beautiful tributes for the fallen from Bingley, Sheila, Ken's links and the B-sphere in general. It led me to battles. Those mighty struggles on hallowed bits of earth that are timeless in their right and momentous in their speaking, no matter how removed from the present. No dates, states or countries needed, nor excluded. I'll lead off. I always appreciate your indulgence, but would relish very much more your good company.
Shiloh.
Posted by tree hugging sister at June 2, 2005 11:26 AM
Comments
Iwo Jima.
Bastogne.
San Juan Hill.
Thermopylae.
Is that the kind of thing you're looking for?
Posted by: Ken Summers at June 2, 2005 11:37 AM
I've got an example of a battle that leads to an example of what you're talking about: Gettysburg.
Lincoln was in and out so fast the photographer barely got his picture snapped.
Posted by: Nightfly at June 2, 2005 11:44 AM
Thermopylae
Amen!
Hue
Ia Drang Valley
Wake Island
Posted by: Crusader at June 2, 2005 11:48 AM
Yup, 'zactly. You got one of the ones that started the whole train of thought right off the bat. We were watching Patton for the umpteenth time this weekend and I thought 'how long before they relieve Bastogne?' That's one of those words.
Posted by: tree hugging sister at June 2, 2005 11:48 AM
Yeah, we were watching Patton, too. First time Crusader II had seen it.
Posted by: Crusader at June 2, 2005 11:59 AM
Right you are, Fly! But POP QUIZ what's the other great word, ends in burg, that was happening at the exact same time as Gettysburg, damn near as important, but overshadowed by the slaughter in PA (not to mention the time it took to get word back east...)?
Posted by: tree hugging sister at June 2, 2005 12:01 PM
Mogadishu, as I still get tears in my eyes when watching Blackhawk Down, and Shughart and Gordon volunteer to secure the second crash site.
Posted by: Crusader at June 2, 2005 12:06 PM
Vicksburg?
Posted by: Crusader at June 2, 2005 12:08 PM
Clever boy! U.S. Grant and his little buddy William Tecumsah lay a schmack down.
Posted by: tree hugging sister at June 2, 2005 12:10 PM
Vicksburg
The city surrendered on July 4, 1863, and it was over a hundred years before they celebrated Independence Day again.
Posted by: Lisa at June 2, 2005 12:12 PM
I meant ALMOST a hundred, not over a hundred. It was 1945.
Posted by: Lisa at June 2, 2005 12:14 PM
Bunker Hill
Omaha Beach
Okinawa
The Marne
Fallujah
Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at June 2, 2005 12:28 PM
Antietam
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at June 2, 2005 12:30 PM
Waterloo
The Argonne
The Alamo
Posted by: tree hugging sister at June 2, 2005 12:31 PM
The Somme
Dunkirk
Guernica
Posted by: Lisa at June 2, 2005 12:32 PM
Verdun.
The Somme.
Antietam.
Posted by: Ken Summers at June 2, 2005 12:38 PM
Y'all beat me to Vicksburg. Nice.
We can add Appomatox and Yorktown; Waterloo (despite the crappy disco song); Troy and Marathon; Agincourt.
We few, we happy few, this band of brothers -
For whosoe'er sheds blood with me this day
Is my brother, be he ever so coarse;
This day will gentle his condition.
I know that's not precise. I don't keep Shakespeare in my hip pocket to whip out on the nonce. Marry, would be wiser, as my wits wander; 'twere better to play the fool than be the fool, in sooth.
Posted by: Nightfly at June 2, 2005 12:45 PM
(Agincourt ~ BRAVO!)
Gallipoli
Posted by: tree hugging sister at June 2, 2005 12:49 PM
Goose Green
Posted by: Crusader at June 2, 2005 12:50 PM
(Lisa ~ Civil War buff or pissed off resident of Vicksburg? {8^P )
Posted by: tree hugging sister at June 2, 2005 12:51 PM
(The Falklands?!)
Posted by: tree hugging sister at June 2, 2005 12:53 PM
Archangel (Ouch!)
Posted by: Crusader at June 2, 2005 12:55 PM
Kursk
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at June 2, 2005 01:04 PM
(The Falklands?!)
Hard to think of bravery without thinking of Paras, and the Falklands was the first real war that I was able to follow as it happened, so it kinda has stuck with me.
Posted by: Crusader at June 2, 2005 01:04 PM
Minas Tirith (or should I just say Eomer, ladies?)
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at June 2, 2005 01:08 PM
God help me for saying it, but:
Dien Bien Phu
Posted by: Crusader at June 2, 2005 01:09 PM
I'm surprised the Marines on here didn't say it:
Belleau Wood
also:
Bastogne (Nuts!)
Borodino
Sevastopol
Stalingrad
Grunvald
Alamo
Posted by: John at June 2, 2005 01:14 PM
Khe Sahn
Khafji
Saipan
Chosin
Posted by: Major Dad at June 2, 2005 01:25 PM
Masada
Beirut
Posted by: Major Dad at June 2, 2005 01:27 PM
Wow, I'd never heard that about Vicksburg Lisa.
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at June 2, 2005 01:30 PM
Little Big Horn
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at June 2, 2005 01:31 PM
Oops, I'm late but I have to put in my two cents, even though they have been covered:
1st one: Thermopalye.
Also:
The Alamo.
Posted by: red at June 2, 2005 02:02 PM
I minored in Civil War History. The thing about Vicksburg and the 4th has always stood out in my mind because when I first heard that I thought, "Damn, hold a grudge much?" :)
Posted by: Lisa at June 2, 2005 02:30 PM
Khe San! That's the one I was trying to think of earlier. Thanks MD!
Guadalcanal
San Jacinto
Balaclava
Posted by: Ken Summers at June 2, 2005 04:05 PM
Tarawa
Posted by: Ken Summers at June 2, 2005 04:06 PM
Two more that don't generate the same response as many others, but really should:
Peleliu
Huertgen Forest
Posted by: Ken Summers at June 2, 2005 04:09 PM
Some things can bear repeating, Red. It's better when they are.
Posted by: tree hugging sister at June 2, 2005 05:08 PM
Like hearing you say "The next round's on me."
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at June 2, 2005 05:52 PM