By Colleen McGuire-Klemme, editor

During the summer my husband and I visited "The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden" exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Stopping off in the gift shop before we left, I found a paperweight inscribed with this poignant quote:

"This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny."
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt, excerpt from speech accepting re-nomination, 1936.

I would wager to guess many Americans didn't realize in 1936, how much this quote would ring true in their lives. Our country was still deeply affected by the Great Depression, and a rendezvous with anything but the bread line or a shrinking bank account seemed nearly impossible.

I had the pleasure of spending time with Charles Lindberg (no relation to the aviator) recently in preparation for his story featured on page 7 of this issue. As one of the Marines to help raise the first flag at Iwo Jima, Lindberg has campaigned for years for his story to be told due to the lack of recognition his company received for being the first to take Mount Suribachi. In the 56 years that have passed since that event, Lindberg has had the opportunity to meet Bob Hope, shake hands with the President of the United States, has been honored by numerous dignitaries of the Marine Corps and has been back to Mount Suribachi to raise another flag in commemoration of the historical event. It would seem Lindberg's rendezvous with destiny as a 24-year-old corporal has extended throughout his entire life.

Tom Brokaw called this the "greatest generation" for good reason. When duty called in late 1941, volunteers poured out to enlist. Those who couldn't enlist made sure they volunteered on the home front. It was one of the greatest examples of joint unification in the 20th century.

Today we can reflect on the September 2001 terrorist attacks and mark the moment when our nation was truly unified for the first time in the 21st century. The terrorist attacks were compared by many social commentators to the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. On U.S. soil, men and women were taken off guard and innocent lives were lost. The horrific images that played out on our television screens shook the United States to the point that a new generation of destined heroes came forward in the uniforms of firefighters, police officers, military personnel and civilians alike. In the early hours of despair, citizens pulled together to show that the American spirit could not be diminished.

This issue is a special dedication to the men and women who bravely accepted their rendezvous with destiny and marched forward to create the united force America so desperately needed during World War II, and after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The VRNA extends recognition to the soldiers, the nurses and doctors, the men and women who waited for them at home and all others who contributed to the efforts made during these current difficult times of unity. You are our heroes and your memory will never fade.

Winter 2001-2002 Table of Contents

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