The Long Gray Line

     Moving. Breathtaking. Revolutionary. I am only 41 pages into The Long Gray Line: From West Point to Vietnam and After-The Turbulent Odyssey of the Class of 1966 and the book has already pulled me in. To read this book you need to have background about what is going on in our country and our military in this time period. Hopefully the quick facts I give you will help. 

     The Long Gray Line refers to the men in our military and the traditions they uphold. General Douglas MacArthur referred to this in his last, and most famous speech at West Point, 'The Long Gray Line has never failed us. Were you to do so, a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray, would rise from their white crosses thundering those magic words - Duty - Honor - Country." The cadets in the book arrive in '62 and graduate in '66, becoming the first class out of West Point to feel the full force of the Vietnam War. My grandfather was at West Point during this time. 

     My Papa is awesome. He graduated with the class of '66 and served in Vietnam at the end of the war. When the cheating scandal involving the class of '77 broke, he was appointed attorney to represent some of the accused cadets and defend them. He strongly felt as though West Point wasn't owning up the flaws of their system. He became a controversial figure on campus for defending them, and he and my grandmother were quickly uninvited to events, and shunned by fellow military officers that thought he was betraying the school and its ways. While at West Point, he was able to witness General MacArthur's speech. He is an amazing grandfather and I love knowing that he had an important part in history. 

     Page 509. Paragraph 2. I'm not there yet but I have already read it a million times, "Lincoln was now the most controversial figure at the academy for his public insistence that West Point had turned a blind eye to the full scope of the scandal." This is followed by a paragraph about my grandfather, Arthur F. Lincoln Jr. My grandfather is mentioned in the book only briefly, but plays an important role to the story. If he had not defended the cadets, they would have had a much harsher punishment. He gained respect from the cadets, but upset the academy for shedding a bad light on their ways. The light needed to be shed. I am proud. 

     This book follows the cadets of '66 through the academy, through the war, and into the years after. They have played such a huge role in our history and should still be respected and revered today. I am so grateful for the service they have given to our country. I am so grateful for the code they have held themselves to. I am so grateful that my grandfather has done what he felt was right.

 

Most Important Line from Allegiant

     I am now about a quarter of the way through Allegiant by Veronica Roth and I am in shock. SPOILER ALERT. There was a twist. Not just any twist, but a twist that puts all other twists to shame. The story has changed completely. It's like a different book. The characters emulated my feeling of disbelief. Everyone was hit hard by this secret.

     Page 124, "They would wait for the passage of time-for the generations to pass, for each one to produce more genetically healed humans. Or, as you currently know them...the Divergent."

     So that's the secret. The mystery has been solved. The Divergent aren't superhuman. Just normal. They are the closest to being complete genetic human beings. Every person who is not Divergent, is incomplete. They only have genes that make them one way. For example, Erudite members are smart, but incapable of compassion. Those NOT Divergent are damaged. Oh, how the tables have turned.

     Tris is special becasue she is whole. Pure. Exactly how any human should be. She is genetically "correct." This is not only a shock to her, but almost a let down. she expected Divergent to explain everything that she was and everything that she could be. She is also shocked to find that outside of the city, there is a compound of scientists who have been managing an experiment with those who are genetically unwhole in the city. This organization works for the US Government and has been watching the people of the city the whole time. The city has been used for containment.

     When I find out this information, I feel a stronger connection to the book becasue of the proper noun "The United Sates of America" that is used. This is a word familiar to me and changes my whole mindset of the story. The line above is very important becasue it finally reveals some of the truth to the reader and the characters. It is nice to know that the characters don't know anymore than the reader and that we are in this together.

     The picture below is of the compound where the genetic experiments are monitered. It is suppossed to be in the old Chicago O'Hare Airport.

Ben's Wish List

     I recently read the article "Texas boy, 9, starts 'bucket list' before blindness comes" from USA Today. The article is about a 9 year old boy named Ben from Texas who was born more than four months early and weighed only 1 pound 6 ounces at birth. He was born so early that his eyelids were still fused together. After many eye surgeries, Ben has been told that he will go blind soon. His parents have been encouraging him to learn how to read braille and to take in everything around him before he loses his sight completely.

     While Ben is upset about his impending vision loss, he is trying to make the most out of the time that he has left. He has created a wish list of things to see before he goes blind. Somethings on his list include: going to the Apple Store, seeing the Northern Lights, visiting London, Paris and Legoland. He wants to be able to experience things normal people would in their life time, in only a few months. Ben comes from a family of 8, so money is tight. To help pay for all of these trips, Ben's siblings have started selling baked goods and friends and family have pitched in with expenses. Occasionally, free tickets will show up on their doorstep from people who have heard their story, or museums and stores will open early and let them in free to give Ben the best experience possible.

     This story has a moral, miracles do happen, cliche, yet effective and very meaningful. A line from the article that represents this moral is, "'But when we look how far he's come and how many odds he's overcome and how amazing it is that he's even here, it gives us hope that maybe we'll pull off a few more miracles.'" This is Ben's mother talking about how many miracles have happened to them already, and how lucky they have been, considering the situation they are in. This story also shows how kind and generous people can be, as it states, "Friends and strangers have pitched in. On one occasion, tickets to an event showed up on the Pierces' doorstep." This quote from the article shows that people do care and are willing to take action. It also makes the reader of the article want to take action and help either Ben's family, or another family that is in need. 

Click here to read Ben's story.