The Blaisdell Blog

Dressed in orange, the people of Margraten, The Netherlands come to a cemetery with flowers.   They spread over the 65 acres and 8300 headstones tending each with the honorable love that comes from a sense of proprietorship.   What makes this notable is that this is not a cemetery filled with the graves of the Dutch, but Americans.               Margraten is the sight of over 13 American cemeteries that dot Europe, resting places for the dead of World War I and World War II.   None of these may be better cared for than the one in Margraten, where there is a waiting list of people hoping to be given the care of a grave. Dutch devotion has not waivered.   The care has not become routine.   The Dutch remember.             By the late summer of 1944 D-Day had already launched its spearhead of justice toward the Nazi forces that had spread like cancer across Europe.   The town of Margraten (located between the borders of Germany and Belgium) had been freed from Nazi occupation, but

Some of you have read this before.  But it is the right day to replay it.  Here's to you, Dad.   There is a photograph on the wall of my sister’s home that is both precious and haunting to me.   It is a restored, blown up and framed photo of my father on his way to the South Pacific during World War II.   It was taken by an Army photographer from a small tender craft as my Dad’s ship, the S.S. Monterey, left harbor.   In a happy accident, the picture was taken with a close up of Pfc. Frank G. Yatckoske front and center.   He is in the midst of a host of soldiers leaning over the rail, all smiling and mugging for the camera.   My father is leaning out from the rest, his arms braced on the rail of the ship, his smile—a straight, wide grin filled with mischief—is set in a young, lean, handsome face.   Every man on that ship seems filled with enthusiasm, bonhomie, even a sense of adventure. Those poor young men didn’t have a clue.               I don’t want to contemplate

Do you have a child graduating from high school this month?   Part of those tears you shed may have been for the cost of their upcoming college education.     Take heart.   It will be worth it.   Take a look at the following table (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) that shows the average unemployment rate and median weekly income for various education levels.   Education attained Unemployment rate in 2015 (percent) Median weekly earnings in 2015 Doctoral degree 1.7 $1,623 Professional degree 1.5 $1,730 Master's degree 2.4 $1,341 Bachelor's degree 2.8 $1,137 Associate's degree 3.8 $798 Some college, no degree 5 $738 High school diploma 5.4 $678 Less than a high school diploma 8 $493 All workers 4.3 $86