Teaser Tuesday--Up in the Air + True Story of Patriotism

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So this is the week we will celebrate the birth of our country and the glory it has been since its inception. I come from a very patriotic family. My great-grandfathers on both sides fought on World War II and I have had lots of family in the military since then as well. So, in celebration, many of my posts this week will have a patriotic bent, and I may start out each one with a true story about the patriots in my family, or just a patriotic story in general. (Teaser Tuesday Below.)

One of my great-grandfathers, Blaine Hill, fought in World War II. One day, he and a buddy were walking behind a U.S. tank who was making its way through a jungle in the South Pacific. Every time the men in the tank saw a land mine ahead, they would radio to the two men behind them (one being my grandfather) and one of them would step out and shoot the mine from a distance so the tank could proceed safely. My grandfather and this other American soldier (sorry I don't know his name) took turns shooting the mines. At one point, several hours had passed since they'd come upon a mine. When the guys inside the tank reported another one ahead, neither my grandfather nor his buddy could remember whose turn it was to fire. 

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My grandfather said he'd do it, but before he could, his buddy stepped out and fired. As he did, an enemy bullet hit him in the head, killing him instantly. A group of enemy soldiers were watching from nearby, waiting for a chance to shoot Americans. If my grandfather had stepped out, it would have been him that died that day. 

As we go about our days, free to be nerdy and lead our bookish lives, let's take a moment to remember those who've given their lives so that we can do so, as well as those who lived through it, but were made to witness the horror and desolation of war. Without them, our country--and therefore we--would not be what we are today.

(Quick! Random Movie Quote: "...be no more, or be not us...") Anyone know that movie?

What are YOU doing to celebrate Independence Day?

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

These teasers are from Up in the Air by Ann-Marie Meyers.

"The watch has a beautiful, thick band, but I wouldn't trade my ring for all the gold watches in the world. 

Sean touches the unicorn's nose. "Thank you."

As soon as he says those words, darkness descends. The unicorns life their heads to the sky and neigh. Their voices blend together in a joyful, harmonious tune. They're singing!

With one final note, the unicorns spread their wings and fly away."

--Loc 1596

What are you reading this week?

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