Of Soldiers And Sailors ...

"Freedom is the last best hope of earth."

                               ~ Abraham Lincoln

                                                         ~ 1809-1865

                                ~ 16th President of the United States

                                                          ~ 1861-1865

Valor is celebrated as the Soldiers and Sailors Monument stands in 

the heart of downtown Allentown, Pennsylvania a few days before

Veteran's Day 2015. The statue of a rebel Confederate soldier (second from left) stands

beside a Union soldier with the phrase "One Flag, One Country" imprinted beneath them.

The rebel soldier was included on the monument as a gesture of reconciliation when

it was erected in 1899, only three decades after the Civil War, or the

War Between The States.  It is reportedly the only municipal monument in the North

honoring a Confederate soldier.

An inscription reads: "This column commemorates the valor and patriotism of the

Soldiers and Sailors of the County of Lehigh in the War of 1861-65." 

Coloring Hope ...

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul ..."
                                      ~ Hebrews 6:19

 Hope is illuminated in pink during Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October atop the iconic PPL Building in downtown Allentown, Pennsylvania.

The PPL Building, formerly the Pennsylvania Power and Light Building, is a 24-story, art deco/art moderne skyscraper at Ninth and Hamilton Streets.

It is the tallest building in Allentown and the second tallest in the Lehigh Valley, and serves as headquarters for the electric utility, PPL . 

The building is often uniquely illuminated at night, especially during the Christmas season. During the 1960s, PPL supported the local United Fund community drive program by using the building's brightly lit windows to spell out the abbreviation "U.F." to remind area residents to contribute to the fund drive.

The PPL building was built from 1926-1928. The building was designed by architect and skyscraper pioneer Harvey Wiley Corbett, who would later have a hand in designing
New York's Rockefeller Center, and was supervised by by his assistant, Wallace Harrison, who would later design Lincoln Center, La Guardia Airport and the United Nations Headquarters Building. The building has exterior features bas reliefs by Alexander Archipenko. In 1930, the PPL building was named "the best example of a modern office building" by Encyclopedia Brittanica, and also featured the world's fastest elevator.

Freedom By The Morning Light ...

"This land will remain
the land of the free
Only so long as it is
the home of the brave."
                          ~ Elmer Davis
                                        ~ 1890-1958

May is the month we celebrate Armed Forces Day & Memorial Day, the perfect time to express deep gratitude to our nation's veterans. By your bravery and courage we remain the land of the free!

Here Old Glory waves proudly on a bright and breezy April morning at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Salute For The Valiant ...

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them."
                 John Fitzgerald Kennedy 
                         ~ 1917-1963
                35th President of the United States
                                of America
                            ~   1960-1963                        

                            and U.S. Navy Veteran 

With deep gratitude and admiration to our nation's veterans.
By your bravery and courage, we remain the land of the free!

Old Glory waves proudly in chilly, whipping November winds at Leaser Lake, New Tripoli, Pennsylvania.

Leaser Lake's namesake is Frederick Leaser, who in September 1777 with his farm team hauled 
The Liberty Bell from Philadelphia to Allentown where it was concealed in Zion Reformed Church. His homestead is located one mile north of the lake. 

At The Twilight's Last Gleaming ...

"Oh say can you see
by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed
at the twilight's last gleaming ..."
                    ~ "The Star Spangled Banner"
                                       ~ Francis Scott Key
                                                       1814

The waning evening sunlight illuminates
The Star Spangled Banner this spring at
Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY AMERICA!
         

Sunday In The Country ...

"Do not let Sunday be taken from you. 
If your soul has no Sunday, it becomes
an orphan."
                        ~ Albert Schweitzer
                                                    1875-1965

I saw this rural scene on an early summer Sunday
afternoon from the Ironton Rail Trail, which loops more than
nine miles through Whitehall Township, the Borough of Coplay and
North Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania.
The corridor was originally home to the
Ironton Railroad 1860-1984.
 

Patriotism ...

"Patriotism! There is magic in the word.
It is bliss to repeat it."
                          ~ Archbishop John Ireland
                                              1838-1918

The American flag waves proudly in the
evening sun in May at 
Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Grand Old Flag...

"You're the emblem of the land I love,
the home of the free and the brave ..."
                           ~ "You're A Grand Old Flag,"  ~ George M. Cohan

Old Glory waves proudly in the wind in the May breeze
at Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania.  

With honor and gratitude on Memorial Day to those members of 
the armed forces who died serving our great country. 

Victorian Charm

"What I like about black and white photographs  
is that they're more like reading the book then seeing the movie."
                                                           ~Author Unknown

The historic Hotel Belvidere, built in 1831, is located in the quaint, scenic town of Belvidere, New Jersey. Belvidere is a charming Victorian town I visited this weekend, located on the banks of the Pequest and Delaware Rivers.

George Washington traveled through Belvidere at 10 a.m. July 26, 1872 when he camped at Morristown.

American Summer

The Land Of The Free ...

... And The Home Of The Brave

In honor and thanks this Memorial Day  to all who gave their lives so that we may be free.

American Country

Always Remember ... 9/11 Tribute

Happy Fourth of July!

             Old Glory Still Waves Proudly!