Hello friends,

Monday, January 16 is the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. It is celebrated as Martin Luther King Day in most of the United States. Dr. King gave his life so the world would be a better place for generations of others.

Soul singer Lou Rawls died Friday of lung cancer. He was 72.

Randall McCloy, the sole survivor of the tragic West Virginia coal mine accident, continues to fight for life. In the tragic coal mine explosion last week, twelve coal miners lost their lives. ~~~~~ The note left by one of the coal miners for his family was very touching. He wrote, "Tell all I see them on the other side. Jr. I love you. It wasn't bad I just went to sleep." The note contains few words, but those words speak volumes. In it, the man leaves his family and friends with love, hope and comfort, as well as something tangible to cherish. ~~~~ This week, a coal miner in Kentucky lost his life when the roof collapsed on him in the mine where he was working. ~~~~ My heart goes out to all the family and friends of the lost coal miners.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon continues to improve. He has done much to further peace in the middle east.

When World War II began, Ira joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He knew by doing so he could leave the Reservation, eat regular meals and send money home to his family so they could have a better life. His Tribal Chief told him to be an Honorable Warrior and bring honor to his people, which he did. He was admired by his fellow Marines who fought with him in three major battles in the Pacific.

On February 23, 1945, on Mount Suribachi, the highest peak on the Island of Iwo Jima, a small group of Marines struggled to raise the American flag to claim victory over the Japanese occupancy. As the flag was being raised, Ira ran in to help his comrades just as the photographer snapped what would become one of the most famous pictures in history. The picture was the "Flag Raising at Iwo Jima." The photographer, Joe Rosenthal, later received the Pulitzer Prize for the photograph. It is Ira's outstretched hands giving the final thrust to plant the symbol of American victory. There were six men in the photo: Mike Strank from Pennsylvania, Harlon Block from Texas, Franklin Sousley from Kentucky, John Bradley from Wisconsin, Rene Gagnon from New Hampshire and Ira Hayes from Arizona. Strank, Harlon and Sousley died in combat soon afterward. The Battle of Iwo Jima was costly for America; only five of Ira's platoon of forty-five survived and of his company of 250, only 27 escaped death or injury. The famous photo became the model for the Iwo Jima Statue, a bronze replica, created by Felix DeWeldon and located at the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.

Ira never considered himself a hero and often commented that he was not a hero, reminding people of the brave men who died and deserved this honor. President Truman brought Ira and the other survivors back to the U.S. to join the 7th Bond Tour to help raise money for the war effort.

To honor the heroes, people bought them drinks..... lots of drinks. By the time he was released from duty, Ira was addicted to alcohol. He returned to the Reservation to escape the unwanted attention, but people continued to write and come to see "the Indian who raised the flag." He found escape in the bottle. After a ceremony where President Eisenhower praised him for being a hero, a reporter asked, "How do you like the pomp and circumstances?" Ira hung his head and said, "I don't."

For the next few years, Ira Hayes was a loner and a drifter, always drinking. He never married and was often arrested for public drunkenness. He had been wined and dined by the rich and powerful and immortalized in American history but he was still a helpless, drunken Indian on a dried-up Reservation. There was still no water, no crops and no hope for the Indian. He was never able to feel worthy of the fame he received for simply being one of the lucky ones to live through the war. He considered his military service nothing more than being an "Honorable Warrior."

In 1954, Ira Hayes attended the dedication ceremony in Washington, D.C. for the Iwo Jima Memorial. Within ten weeks of the celebration, Ira Hayes was dead at the age of 33. After a night of drinking and grieving for his fallen comrades, he fell drunk in an irrigation ditch and froze to death, alone and forgotten by the country that called him a hero. The ditch where he died was the only water source provided to his people by the same government he served so proudly.

Many of you remember "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" recorded by Johnny Cash, probably in the late 1960s. It was a moving tribute, done only as Johnny Cash could do.

Iwo Jima Statue

Felix the cat?

Always a joy to come home from a long day and find the latest edition of 'Echo's' waiting for me. Thanks Rosie and keep up your wonderful talent...Deb

Potato Candy 1 medium potato, peeled and boiled, 3 pounds powdered sugar, 1 stick margarine, 3 tsp. vanilla, creamy peanut butter. ~~~~In a large bowl, whip potato and butter (potato must still be hot) add vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth and easy to roll out on waxed paper. you may not need entire 3 pounds of sugar, depending on size of potato. Roll into 12x18- inch rectangles. Spread peanut butter on and roll into logs. Place on buttered dish, store in refrigerator and slice when cold.

Sagerose Creations

Reader contribution: This is a marvelous Foot Soak: Mix 1 cup oatmeal, 1/3 cup honey and 1 cup milk. Use to soak and soften your feet. (From Jacky)

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr.

© 2006 Rosie Cooley; All rights reserved.