Great Lakes Naval Training Center

Outgoing postcard US-3202777 to Poland shows an event on Ross Field, carrying on a long tradition of Naval Ceremony at Great Lakes Naval Training Center (NTC), home to the Navy's largest Recruit Training Command as well as the largest Service School Command. The NTC was dedicated in 1911 and is located on Lake Michigan, just 35 miles north of Chicago and 45 miles south of Milwaukee.

The Great Lakes Naval Museum, one of fifteen official U.S. Navy museums, is nearby.

Bicentennial Celebration of the Star-Spangled Banner

Two hundred years ago, Francis Scott Key, a Maryland-born lawyer and amateur poet, wrote a poem "Defence of Fort M'Henry" after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships throughout the night of September 13-14, 1814 during the War of 1812. The Star-Spangled Banner, the then American flag with 15 stars and 15 stripes, was seen still flying the next morning. The poem made into the lyrics of "The Star-Spangled Banner" which became the national anthem of the United States.

On September 11, 2014, Fort McHenry hosted a ceremony where the National September 11 Flag, a patchwork stitched onto the flag that flew above the rubble at the site of the World Trade Center attacks, was raised. Threads from the original Star-Spangled Banner that soared above Fort McHenry in 1814 were sewn onto a patch and attached to the National September 11 Flag in June 2012.

The featured postcard shows the present flag of the United States, hoisted by two firetrucks at the annual Las Vegas Firefighters 9/11 Tribute and March in downtown Las Vegas on September 11, 2014.

Today on September 13, 2014, USPS issued a The War of 1812: Fort McHenry forever stamp, the third in the series, to commemorate of the bicentennial of the War of 1812 that ultimately helped forge our national identity and gave us our national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Remembering 9/11 in Las Vegas

Postcard US-1952982 to China shows the New York-New York Hotel and Casino. A memorial sprung up spontaneously after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, with a collection of first responder T-shirts, handwritten notes, and flowers decorating the wall in front of the harbor by the fire boat below the 47-story replica of the Empire State Building. However, Casino expansion pushed out the 9/11 Memorial in 2013.

Today, 13 years after 9/11, a giant U.S. flag was hoisted by two firetrucks at the annual Las Vegas Firefighters 9/11 Tribute and March in downtown Las Vegas. At 7:30 p.m., hundreds of firefighters, police officers, military personnel and community leaders marched along the 3rd Street and paused for a moment of silence with bagpipe performing at the 3rd Street Stage at the Fremont Street Experience. 

Viva Vision Light Show at the Fremont Street Experience also paid tribute to the lives lost during 9/11.

Battle Born

In this Independence Day on the 4th of July, CNN Interactive is showcasing a natural wonder in each of the 50 states. CNN's choice of amazing natural wonder in Nevada is the Valley of Fire State Park, USPS also issued a Nevada Statehood Forever Commemorative stamp on May 29, 2014, featuring a view in the Valley of Fire State Park, to celebrates the 150th anniversary of Nevada Statehood.

When President Abraham Lincoln needed another Republican state to help support his anti-slavery policies in Congress, people in Nevada answered the call and voted to join the Union, even the population in Nevada back then was not big enough to form a state. Nevada was admitted to the Union in 1864, during the Civil War. Hence the words “Battle Born” have appeared on the Nevada state flag since.

The postcard was made by VistaPrint with one of my photos taken on November 27, 2011.

#CNN50spots

JFK Assassination Anniversary

JFK at Inauguration

I was at the post office today and noticed the U.S. flag was flown at half staff. President Barack Obama has ordered that flags be lowered at government buildings on November 22, 2013 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination.

U.S. Post Office Garside Station on November 22, 2013

However, personally I feel it's more important to remember what JFK attempted to achieve and than how he was assassinated. So, I went to watch his inauguration speech on YouTube.

After more than 50 years and many progresses have been made, many of his statements and challenges still ring true. One of many that stood out was "if a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich."

Then, "...... we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty. This much we pledge -- and more."

This much I pledge.

As a token of resolution, I went online and bought a copy of the postcard showing JFK was delivering his inauguration speech on January 20, 1961. You can purchase your own copy here.

A Collage of Texas Icons

I received this postcard today as a private swap from Texas, showing a collage of Texas icons. There are a lot of chili peppers, Tex-Mex food, cowboy hat and boots, Texas map and flag, and a rattle snake! The author is Mark Miselnicky, a local Dallas artist.

For more Texas icons, check out Ways to be Texan.

My First Postcard from Latvia

Discover Latvia

I just recently received my first postcard LV-110886 from Latvia. It shows Latvia's location in the Baltic region of Northern Europe with its national flag. It is surrounded by Estonia to the north; by Russia to the east; by Belarus to the southeast; and by Lithuania to the south. Sweden is located to its west across the Baltic sea. It has 2.07 million people and an area of 64,589 sq km (24,938 sq mi), making it one of the least populous and least densely populated countries of the European Union. The capital of Latvia is Riga.