The White Falcon - 22.12.1962, Page 6

6
WHITE FALCON
Saturday, December 22, 1962
. r

© BY CLARK KINNAIRD
(AFP8 American Heritage Foundation Feature) §§
THE LAST NAME of Francis Marion is borne by many local- §
ities settled soon after the War of Independence because of |
his countrymen’s appreciation of the South Carolina “Swamp |
i Fox’s” great services in the war.
The Battle of Camden, fought in August of 1780, was so com- |
plete a defeat for the American patriots that it seemed, certain j
to have ended organized resistance to the British who held |
possession of the most important ports in the South: Charleston |
and Savannah. The British commander, Sir Henry Clinton, §
returned to New York confident that the rebellion was as good |
as over everywhere below Virginia.
In this dark hour Francis Marion and Thomas Sumter rose I
as leaders in South Carolina. Starting with a band of 20 men g
and boys, white and black, who were poorly armed, half-clad, J
Marion built up a force of guerrillas. From camps hidden in 1
swamps, they darted out in daring raids. Marion enrolled women g
and men in an espionage network that gave him immediate in- §
formation on every British move. His tactics became a model |
for those practiced by Confederates 75 years later. They are j
studied today at the Army’s school for modern guerrillas at |
Fdrt Bragg, North Carolina. |
When Gen. Nathanael Greene was sent south to organize 1
the campaign that finally drove Cornwallis north, Marion cut jj
Cornwallis’ communications, reduced one British army strong- i
hold after another, and contributed greatly to the final outcome i
at Yorktown.
Crossing the River Dan in
>j 1781, when Marion was en-
abling Greene to win vital
j victories and turn the Brit-
ish north to disaster. Right:
His autograph.
Text and presentation (p) 1961, King Features Syndicate. Inc. 1
For Official Use Only
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Mew Altar (Continued from Page 1.)
a symbol of Christ, and the lambs
symbolize us — His Flock —
looking to Him. In symbolism, the
lamb is tradionally in Christen-
dom, a symbol of Christ, He is the
one True Lamb which is offered
to His Father daily on our altars
at the Holy Sacrafice of the Mass.
In the Old Testament the
“chosen people” offered lambs in
sacrifice to God, in atonement
for their sins. But the two lambs,
used here, represent us, Christ’s
lambs, His followers.
We must be meek and humble
to be in His flock. Under the
lambs are found the first and last
letters of the Greek alphabet,
Alpha and Omega — the be-
ginning and the end. Reminding
us that Christ is the Beginning
and the end of all things. The
Greek cross is so placed as to be
directly beneath the Altar Stone
in the altar. This stone contains
relics of the martyers — to re-
mind us that this Mass we offer
now, in our time, is the same
Mass that was offered in the
Catacombs of Rome during the
persecutions, over the graves of
the Martyers — is the same Mass
being offered somewhere else in
the world, at this very moment,
being offered, continually for the
Greater Honor and Glory of God!
NCO Wives’ Club
Holds Xmas Dinner
By N. J. Studebaker
Xmas Mail Surges
At Post Office
-By Craig R. Maurer, AN
Mail from loved ones is never
so meaningful as during the
Christmas season, and no depart-
ment does so much work, and re-
ceives so little credit, as our Host
Office Department.
Letter mail and packages are
flowing through the station post
office at a feverish pace this
holiday season, and our postal
clerks are doing everything in
their power to make this a most
enjoyable Christmas for those
having to spend the day away
from home.
Post Office employees say that
in the one month period between
the fifteenth of November to the
fifteenth of December, the flow
has increased from 110,000 pounds
in 1961, to 165,000 this year. They
do not expect the seemingly end-
less flow to stop until mid-Jan-
uary.
It is unfortunate that some
have waited so long to send their
gifts and cards .... they may be
too late. All efforts are being
made to make sure that mail is
received stateside in time for the
holiday. Everyone is urged to send
their greetings as soon as pos-
sible. With a little co-operation,
a last minute load can be removed
from the mail routes. This would
be a wonderful “Thank You” in
return for the labors of the Postal
Department.
The Post Office is open from
8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday through
Friday, and 8 a.m. - 12 a.m. on
Saturdays. Although the windows
will be closed, individual depart-
ments will be able to pick up their
mail on Christmas Day.
Best Wishes for a very joyous
holiday are sent to all from the
Station "Post Office Staff
Saturday, December 15th was a
very special day for NCO Wives’
Club members. The annual Christ-
mas dinner, held at the NCO Club
proved a great success, with many
members and their husbands att-
ending.
Decoations of Christmas trees
and gift-package place cards be-
decked the tables, with holiday
wreaths and streamers placed
about the dining room. Certainly
our chef, Mr. Klaus Bauer, is to
be congratulated for his tasty
versions of Filet Steak, Potato
Croquettes, Hollandaise Aspara-
gus, and the delicious finale, Pears
Belle Helene, which were served
at dinner.
Everyone had an enjoyable,
evening, with a favorite attrac-
tion being “Santa’s Chimney,’
which was filled to its brim with
Christmas packages and gifts.
Each couple brought a package
and deposited it in the gaily-
painted “chimney.” Following the
dinner, husbands of club memb-
ers “grabbed” for gifts from.
Santa’s Chimney, retrieving pres-
ents which ranged from cigarette
cases to salt-and-pepper sets.
Yet-to-come is the Christmas
party for youngsters of NCO
Wives’ Club members. Santa will
drop his pack at the NCO Club,
at one o’clock on the afternoon
of Sunday, December 23rd. All
children of Wives’ Club members
are invited for an afternoon of
candy and goodies.
* * *
THE NCO WIVES CLUB:
would like to thank Mrs. Louise
Dorton, Mrs. Rose Crose, Mrs.
Ricky Schuman, Mrs. Betty
Hoover, and Mrs. Betty Bayne,
for their time and effort in mak-
ing the husband-and-wife dinner
such an enjoyable event.
Icelandic Christmas Celebration Composed of Many Traditions
Although Iceland’s origin and
history is largely Scandinavian,
while that of the United States is
of a conglomerate one, we find
many striking similarities in the
traditional Christmas celebrations
of these two countries.
Despite its “melting pot” as-
semblage of population, the Yule-
tide ritual of the United States
has been derived from Teutonic
sources. The visages of Santa
Claus, Kris Kringle or St. Nichol-
as are familiar to all Americans.
Indeed a modern Rip Van Winkle
could easily tell the month of the
year if emerged from a 20th Cen-
tury slumber by just counting the
number of red-suited gents to be
seen on every downtown street
corner, in even the tiniest of cities.
The Christmas Season begins
with the start of Advent (4th
Sunday before Christmas). This
gives the people time enough to
prepare themselves for the com-
ing of the Christ Child.
As in America, the major
Christmas activity centers about
Christmas Eve and Christmas
Day, but Iceland also incorporates
St. Thorlakur Eve, the 23rd of
December, which stems back to
an early hero of Iceland.
They also have a second Christ-
mas Day which falls on the 26th
of December. The real Christmas
celebration however, begins with
Christmas Eve. On this night, the
religious service that is now con-
ducted is generally held at 6 p.m.
The worship service is attended
by the entire family and upon its
completion they return home for
a Christmas meal quite similar to
that of the Germans and Danes.
Hangikjot, a smoked mutton
dish, and ptrmigan, a grouselike
bird, fill in as the main meat
dishes and are served with green
peas, red cabbage, jam, potatoes
in wheat sauce, soft drinks, coffee
and a variety of cakes and cream
pastries.
After the meal is over, the
family circles around the Christ-
mas tree singing Christmas Car-
ols. They then open their gifts.
Often following the gift opening
and just previous to retiring for
the night, the Christmas story is
read from the Bible. This is de-
finitely a family festival.
On Christmas Day, a morning
service is normally held at eleven.
But in smaller communities where
the pastor must serve more than
one parish, this schedule often
varies.
On the Second Christmas Day,
December 26, a worship service is
also conducted at eleven. Both
of these days in the Icelandic
tradition receive the same emp-
hasis as our Christmas Day.
Vewing the lighter side of yule-
tide, we find the Christmas sea-
son in Iceland is thirteen days
long and has thirteen Christmas-
men, who arrive one each night
until all are present, and leave
one by one until there are none
left. As their names indicate, they
are more pranksters than gener-
ous gift carriers. “Meathook” for
instance, catches meat from the
pot on the stove by hooking it up
through the chimney.
Among the others there, are
such characters as “Doorsniffer,”
“Candle-begger” and “Window-
peeker.”
Like anywhere else in the world,
Christmas in Iceland is for the
children. Traditional gifts for
them include a candle, a pile of
cards and some article of clothing.
The candle is representative of
the Christmas tree in this almost
treeless island. It is left burning
throughout the night before
Christmas to spread light into
every corner of the house so that
the birth of the Christ Child can
be properly celebrated.
Cards and child games keep the
youngsters busy after the Christ-
mas Season. The gift of clothing
is mandatory, since another
Christmas bogey, the Christmas-
cat will eat those not receiving
something to wear. This was, in
all probability, invented to make
the early day children happy
with the things they received
when travel was somewhat limited.
There are, however, no child-
ren’s programs within the church
activity which portrays the birth
of Christ in pageant or spoken
recitiation. Also, no candlelight
worship service is used in the
Icelandic church (Lutheran State
Church) as many of our churches
use on Christmas Eve.
Trees in recent years have be-
come essential in the Christmas
observance. Almost every church
has access to electricity and has
beautiful and well deorated trees.
Those in rural areas refrain from
using lighted trees to avoid danger
of fires.
Common gifts between friends
are books, many of which are pub-
lished just in time for Christmas.
These may include many foreign
works translated into the Iceland-
ic language, ranging from novels
to poetry.