Hi All ...

Just wanted to let you know that I'm ending this blog at this site and blending it with the other one I do ... www.louise-familyties.blogspot.com.

This one will remain open for reading & viewing, but all future posting will be done at the other site.

Thanks for reading, and I again invite you to send photos, etc., if you'd like them posted.

Louise

Michael David Batwinas - U.S. Navy

Michael is the son of Dawn Moore Marino;

and the grandson of Vern Moore & Linda Silvaggio

There's no better time than today, July 4, to remember the men and

women who are serving in the U.S. Military.

“JUST A PIECE OF CLOTH”

A few years ago, I was in my car listening to a radio call-in-talk show and the topic of conversation was that of whether it was proper for people to burn the American flag in protest or if it was a protected individual freedom. During the talk show, someone called in and said they didn't understand what all the controversy was about over "just a piece of cloth." The image struck me immediately of the Marines on Iwo Jima with their faces down in volcanic ash and looking up at Mount Suribachi to see the flag being raised. Surely, they didn't consider it to be just a piece of cloth.

When I arrived home that evening, I put the following thoughts down on paper and I believe that this expresses my beliefs and my feelings of who I am and the love that I have for this country, entitled it:

"JUST A PIECE OF CLOTH"

I was with Colonel Parker and the Minutemen at Lexington and Concord to hear "The Shot Heard 'Round The World" that began the American Revolution. I was with General Washington when he crossed the Delaware and suffered with his men in the harsh winter at Valley Forge.
Did they fight and die for just a piece of cloth?

I was with Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys at Ticonderoga and with Washington, Hancock, and the Marquis de Lafayette to accept surrender terms at Yorktown with the British playing that old European tune "The World Turned Upside Down"
Did they fight and die for just a piece of cloth?

I was with Andrew Jackson and Jean Laffite at the Battle of New Orleans in 1812. 1 was with Bowie, Crockett, and Travis at the Alamo.
Did they fight and die for -just a piece of cloth?

I was with Lee and Longstreet and all the Boys in Gray at Gettysburg and I was with all the Boys in Blue with General Mead and Colonel Chamberlain on Little Round Top. I was with Grant in the Wilderness and at Vicksburg. I was with both the Blue and the Gray when our country was healed at Appomattox.
Did they fight and die for just a piece of cloth?

I was with Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders on San Juan Hill and with Admiral Dewey and the Great White Fleet in Manila Bay. I was with the Doughboys in World War I, the "War To End All Wars" and now lie buried in Flanders Field.
Did they fight and die for just a piece of cloth?

I was with Admiral Isaac Kidd aboard the ARIZONA that fateful Sunday morning in 1941. I was with the infantry that landed on beaches so far away named Omaha, Juno, Utah, Sword and Gold.
Did they fight and die for just a piece of cloth?

I was with General Wainwright on Correigador. I was with Admiral Fletcher in the Battle of the Coral Sea. I was aboard ENTERPRISE, HORNET and YORKTOWN at Midway.
Did they fight and die for just a piece of cloth?

I fought at Kwajalein, The Battle of Leyte Gulf, at bloody Tarawa, Guadalcanal, and Iwo Jima and served on destroyers on picket duty off Okinawa.
Did they fight and die for -just a piece of cloth?

I flew Saber Jets in MIG Alley in North Korea and I was with the Marines at Chosin Reservoir. I was with the Navy at Inchon Harbor and fought on hills and ridges called Bloody, Heartbreak, Old Baldy, and Porkchop.
Did they fight and die for -just a piece of cloth?

I flew bombing missions over Hanoi and was on Rat patrol in the Mekong Delta. I was with the Navy on Yankee Station in the Tonkin Gulf. I flew night missions over Bagdad and was with the battalions in Desert Storm.
Did they fight and die for just a piece of cloth?

Freedom is not free. It has a price and it has been paid many times by many people. I am a product of my past. I am an American and I am free.

The above was written and presented to Tin Can Sailors Association Banquet at the annual conference in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 6, 1996 by:
H. Maury Drummond
Executive Director, Louisiana War Memorial (Includes USS KIDD) President, Historic Naval Ships Association

A LETTER FROM A GRANDDAD

John is 63 years old and owns his own business. He is a life-long Republican and sees his dream of retiring next year is now all but gone. With the stock market crashing and all the new taxes coming his way, John knows he will be working for a good number more years.

John has a Granddaughter. Ashley is a recent college grad. She drives a late model car, wears all the latest fashions, and also likes going out and eating out a lot. Ashley campaigned hard for Obama, and after he won the election she made sure her Grandfather (and all other Republican family members) received more than an earful on how the world is going to be a much better place now that Obama won the election.

Ashley recently found herself short of cash and cannot pay her bills, again. As she has done many other times in the past, she e-mailed her Grandfather asking for some financial help. Here is his reply:

Dear Ashley,
I am replying to your request for more money. Ashley, you know I love you dearly and am sympathetic to your financial plight. Unfortunately, times have changed. With the election of President Obama, your Grandmother and I have had to set forth a bold new economic plan of our own....the 'Ashley Economic Plan'. Let me explain. Your grandmother and I are highly productive, wage-earning tax payers. As you know, we have lived a comfortable life and in return have forgone many things like fancy vacations, luxury cars, etc. We have worked hard and were looking forward to retiring soon. But this plan has changed. Your president is significantly raising our personal and business taxes. He says it is so he can give our hard earned money to other people.. Do you know what this means, Ashley? It means less income for us. Less income means we must cut back on many business and personal expenditures. One example is, we were forced to let go of our receptionist today. You know her. She always gave you candy when you visited my office. Did you know she worked for us for the past 18 years? I can't afford her anymore.

That is a taste of the business side. Some personal economic affects of Obama's new taxation policies include none other than you. You know very well that over the years your grandmother and I have given you thousands of dollars in cash, tuition assistance, food, housing, clothing, gifts, etc., etc. By your vote, you have chosen another family over ours for help.

Judging from your Email requesting more money, I recommend you call 202-456-1111. That is the direct telephone number for the White House. You yourself repeatedly told me I was foolish to vote Republican. You said Mr. Obama is going to be the people's president and is going to help every American live a better life. Based upon everything you have told me and things we heard from him as he campaigned, I am sure Mr. Obama will be happy to send a check or transfer money into your checking account. Have him call me for the transaction and account numbers, which by now I know by heart.

Perhaps you now can understand what I have been saying for all my life: those who vote for the president should consider what the impact of an election will be on the nation as a whole, and not just be concerned with what they can get for themselves (welfare, etc.). What Obama voters don't seem to realize is all of the "government's" money he is 'redistributing' to illegal aliens and non-taxpaying Americans (deemed "less fortunate") comes from tax money collected from income t ax-paying families.. Remember how you told me, "Only the richest of the rich will be affected"? Guess what, honey? Because of our business, your Grandmother and I are now considered to be the richest of the rich. On paper, it might look that way. But in the real world, we are far from it. But, as you said while campaigning for Obama, some people will have to carry more of the burden so all of America can prosper. You understand what that means, right? It means that raising taxes on productive people results in them having less money. Less money for everything, including granddaughters.

Congratulations on your choice for "change". For future reference, I encourage you to attempt to add up the total value of the gifts and money you've received from us over the years, and compare it to what you expect to get over the next four years from Mr. Obama.

Remember, we love you dearly... But from now on you'll need to call the number referenced above when you need help.

Good luck, sweetheart.
Love, Grandpa

Did you know that only 28% of Americans know the meaning of this noble holiday? According to a Gallup Poll, it's true. Congress has established a National Moment of Remembrance and is asking that all Americans take time today to remember the men and women who have died in the service of our country. At 3:00 p.m. today, take a moment to stop and remember those who died. And remember that their sacrifice means we get to enjoy freedom and liberty in the United States of America. This is also a perfect opportunity to remember and pray for those who are serving in our Military forces today.

Today I take time to remember and give thanks to ...

Sgt. Clyde V. Moore - Army
Winford Riddle - Army
Emery Collins - Army
Francis Elliott, Jr. - Army
John L. Collins - Army
Basil Elliott - Marines
Rodney Mitchell - Navy
James Kirklin -- Air Force - Leaves July 1 for Iraq
Bill Elliott - Air Force
John Wm. Mitchell - Army

Michael Batwinas - Navy

Ballard Mosley - Army
Lee Holloway - Marines
Emmit Colon Adams - Died in Vietnam, 1966
Larry Maggard - Died in Vietnam, 1968
Capt. Rick Hauck - Army
Tom Gabbert - Army
Huston James - Army
Tom Royal - Army
Jerry Golden - Army

I have a friend. He is a thoughtful man who has considered spiritual things. His background is with a church that teaches salvation comes from faith and works together. He says he can't imagine that salvation is free, that there is not something that we have to do to earn it. The Bible, specifically in the Book of Romans, clearly says otherwise. His church does not consider the Bible the final authority.

I told him, "Here is one way to look at it. What if your only son gave his heart to save my life? Would you bill me for his heart? Would you expect me to make payments for it? No. I think you would agree that your son's life is a thing of such value that nothing I could ever do could ever compensate you for it.

Or what if you invited me and my whole family over for dinner with linen, candles, silver and all your family favorites. What would you think if at the end of the meal I stood up and got out my wallet and said, "How much do I owe you?" You would be justifiably hurt, confused, and offended. To think that you can pay for your salvation or repay God for what he freely provided through His sons death tells me two things about you. First, it tells me you don't realize how sinful you are. Second, it tells me you don't realize how righteous God is.

Churches themselves are full of people who do not yet realize what a gift salvation is. Because they have never realized the depth of their guilt, they do not appreciate the miracle of God's grace. P.T. Forsyth said it this way, "Our Churches are full of the nicest, kindest people who have never known the despair of guilt or the breathless wonder of forgiveness."

Have you known the despair of guilt and the breathless wonder of forgiveness? I wonder if all who claim to be saved have really been delivered from their sin and the horrific penalty of it.

Shark Attack! Imagine you are swimming in the ocean and you are suddenly and savagely attacked by a shark. One moment you are enjoying the sun and water, the next you are struggling for life, gasping for air. Panic seizes your heart. You are in a desperate struggle for life. Just when you are going down for the last time a strong unseen hand grasps you and pulls you from danger into the safety of a boat. They deposit you on the warm sand. You are shaken but safe.

You have been saved, delivered. You have been rescued from death. You have survived a shark attack and drowning. It takes you a half hour for your heart rate to settle down again. When it does the sun is brighter, the sea is bluer, the world is full of life.

If you have been saved from eternal torment and separation from God in hell you should be overcome with gratitude. You should know the breathless wonder of God's grace. If you have been delivered from the violence and finality of death and eternal suffering you ought to glory in it every day. You ought to sing with hands uplifted and a tear-streaked face. You ought to shout. You ought to tell everyone you know.

When you understand that you have been saved from the horror of sin, judgment and death, the sun is brighter, the sea is bluer, and your whole world is full of life. Has that happened to you?

Ken Pierpont

I have a question for you ...

If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?

We all have an eternal destination and this very minute, we're all headed to one place or the other. Once we take our last breath here, we will immediately either be in the presence of the Lord Jesus, or we'll be in outer darkness, awaiting God's judgement.

The decision is yours to make and now is the time to make it. Don't wait for tomorrow, or later on ... we may not have the next hour, let alone tomorrow.

In order to be delivered from the wrath of God, you must repent of your sins and put your trust in Jesus Christ, and you must do so now. "Today is the day of salvation," the Bible says. It's not something to put off 'til a more convenient time. You repent as much as you know how to repent, and you trust as much as you know how to trust.

If you haven't come to faith in Christ, I beg you to give thought to what that means. It means we 'believe' and believing means we come to God as sinners, recognizing that Christ died for us; He took our sin upon Himself and died in our place, and on the third day, He arose. Then we trust in Christ alone to save us. The best word to convey what the Bible means by 'believe' is the word trust. Trusting Christ is not merely accepting intellectually that a person named Jesus Christ died on a cross and rose again. It is acknowledging that He alone is my only way to heaven. Trusting Christ is the means through which we appropriate His gift of eternal life.


All of us are sinners. The punishment for that sin is death and eternal separation from God. Jesus Christ satisfied the anger of God against our sin by taking the punishment we deserve and rising from the grave the third day.


I invite you now to trust in Christ alone to save you. And once you've done that, will you let someone know? You can leave a comment on this blog, or send me an email ... cmoore2659@wowway.com; or call me. I'd be thrilled to talk with you about the most important decision you will ever make.

A Birth Certificate shows that we were born

A Death Certificate shows that we died
Pictures show that we lived!

Have a seat . . . Relax . . . And read this slowly....

I Believe...
That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, It doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe...
That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe...
That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing, and have a great time.

I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe...
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

Thank you God for all the wonderful people who help us throughout the journey of life.

Karen Elliott & Aunt Lona Martin

Uncle Jr., Aunt Shirleen, Uncle Hurshel & Aunt Del; Aunt Sue & Uncle Roy; Kenny & Homer Randall

Renea & John; Clovis & Glenda; Aunt Lona sitting

Aunt Lona, Karen & Kenny; Brent & Chad

Roy, Jr., Lona & Hurshel

Photos taken in Uncle Jr & Aunt Shirleen's yard in McDowell

Roy Elliott

Roy Elliott was the youngest child of Francis "Bud" Elliott and Darkie Alley Elliott. He was born in McDowell, Kentucky and went to live with his sister Oma and her family in Ashtabula, Ohio when was he was 13 years old. My husband Clyde has often said Roy was more like a big brother to him than an Uncle.

I don't know the date of this picture, but from left to right Roy's siblings are:

Curt, Francis, Jr., Lona, Lucy, Bill, Hazel, Hurshel, Leona, Oma & Andy

Roy is sitting in the front

Clyde, Roy, Onus & JR, Ronny Wakefield

Roy & his car "Lonely Blue Boy"

Roy loved cars & racing

Roy & Lee Blair

Roy & Oma in Ashtabula, Ohio

Roy & Vernis Moore

Vernis Moore, Harmon Mitchell & Roy

Oma, Sue & Mary, Hazel & Roy

Sitting: Lucy, Hurshel, Hazel & Leona

Standing: Roy & Francis, Jr.

Sitting: Andy, Hurshel, Leona & Oma

Standing: Francis, Jr., Hazel, Roy & Lucy - 1998

Sitting: John, Lucy, Hurshel & Lona

Standing: Leona, Francis, Jr., Hazel, Roy, Andy & Oma - 1993

Roy with Samantha Moore & Cindy VanAllen

Roy, Francis, Jr., Lona & Hurshel

Mary Elliott Jewel and husband Randy; children Kyle & Ally

How Roy would have loved his granddaughter Ally!

Roy's wife Sue ... Aunt Susie

Roy met Sue in Ashtabula

Roy, Sue & Mary Elliott

At Mary's wedding ... Roy, Mary & Sue

At Mary's wedding ... Oma, Roy & Clyde

At Mary's wedding ... Cindy, Vern, Oma & Roy

Clyde & Roy - photo taken at Oma's apartment in MI

Clyde has often talked of how Roy looked out for him & JR when they were growing up and Roy's love of cars was a major influence on Clyde. After Clyde got out of the Army, we moved to Michigan and my Dad was able to get him a job at Ford Motor Co., a fitting place for a man whose greatest hobby was cars ... working on them at home and driving them to see what would make them break as a test driver at work. Clyde was the afternoon Superintendent at Ford's when he retired in 2005. We wish Roy could have lived long enough to see what his influence on this one nephew lead to.

Roy worked at what he loved ... driving and fixing cars. The business he & his friend Ray Caudill started all those years ago is still operating and still carries the name Roy & Ray's Auto Service. Roy died very unexpectantly of a heart attack on June 5, 2001. His death was so sudden and such a shock that at times it's difficult to realize he's gone. Getting the phone call from Aunt Sue that morning was one of the hardest we've ever received.

Knowing Roy was an adventure and a blessing. He could be brutally honest and he could be difficult at times; but underneath all that toughness there lived a man who loved his wife and daughter. He was a man who would do most anything for a friend and a good, cold beer tasted pretty good after a hard day's work. He enjoyed Nascar, drag racing and horse shows. He was proud of Mary and her ability to ride as she did and he and Sue were avid supporters of Mary and her riding in horse shows. We often wonder what things would be like if Roy were still here; Clyde misses him and still stops at 'Roy & Ray's' whenever he's in Ashtabula. Roy Elliott was a man you'll not soon forget ... you wouldn't want to if you knew him ... and in a very real sense, he lives on in every person who cared for him.

Today is my husband's birthday. On Feb. 20, 1948, the man I would one day marry was born to Oma Elliott Moore & Vernis B. Moore.

I love these pictures of Clyde

He still likes guns

Clyde & his brother Vern


Clyde & his Dad Vernis
We had been married just two weeks when Clyde got his draft notice for the Army
To this day he says he spent our 'honeymoon' in Korea. His being drafted was difficult for all of us, but he willingly gave what his country asked of him ... two years of his life to defend the United States.

Clyde and his second motorcycle


Clyde with granddaughers Erica & Stephanie

Clyde & Army buddy Rick Hauck at Lakeshore Park in Ashtabula

Clyde withRick & his wife Nancy

After 40 years of being out of the Army, Clyde & Rick connected through a military web site and arranged to meet in Ohio in June of 2008. That week-end was one of the best we've had because of Rick & Nancy. We've stayed in touch with them and a reunion of Army buddies is being planned for this year.

Clyde with granddaughters Syd & Perri

2008 with Syd & Perri on our front porch

Clyde's birthday, 2005, with Stephanie & Erica

Clyde & granddaughter Erica

Clyde & Bill Elliott

Clyde & Oma; Vern & Cindy at one of the Elliott Reunions

My Clyde ....

Happy Birthday Fred ... I'm very thankful you were born, grateful that we met and married, and that you've put up with me all these years. Happy, Happy Birthday! I love you!