Colonel Maggie and the Blind Veteran

Colonel Maggie and the Blind Veteran

Susan M. Christiansen

I don’t remember exactly when I first met Martha Raye, our Colonel Maggie. Like so many veterans, as soon as I met her, I felt I’d known this woman forever.

One of our later encounters took place at the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles in 1987 at an enormous veterans’ convention. Colonel Maggie was there, every day, just “one of the guys.” She was the center of attraction in the lounge.


Day after day, I couldn’t help but notice a blind man, quietly standing outside the lounge, his dog stoically beside him. Many vets asked if he needed assistance. He always quietly declined. Finally, a group of nervous veterans asked me to intercede.

I walked up to this man and asked what he was waiting for all those days.

“I’m waiting for Colonel Maggie to have a moment to see me, ma’am. I don’t care to disturb her.” Something about the guy got to me, and I sent Chuck, Maggie’s escort, to go get her.

Maggie strode right over to the man. “What’s up, soldier? You wanted to see me?” Even his dog stood at attention as he replied, “Yes, ma’am!”

“Well, I’m here. What is it?”

“I served in Vietnam in . . .” Maggie finished his sentence by providing the place she’d met him—once he’d mentioned the year.

While others standing around us showed pure awe at Maggie’s capacity for memory of detail, I only smiled; it’s her trademark.

While Maggie and the man (we never asked him his name) reminisced, the blind soldier’s face glowed with joy. Finally, he said what he’d waited twenty years to say.“Colonel Maggie,” he began, “when I was hit, you stayed in that foxhole, holding me, singing to me till the medevac came. I wasn’t so scared, with you there and all.” They were staring deeply into each other’s eyes. Somehow, we knew they were both seeing a time and place they’d shared long ago; in this moment, his blindness was unimportant. It was suddenly quiet enough to hear footfalls sixteen thousand miles away.

“When the doc went to bandage my eyes, you stopped him,” he continued, his voice choking. “You looked me right in my eyes and told me, ‘Someday we’ll see each other again.’

“Well, back in the world, when they unbandaged me, they told me I’d never see anything ever again. I wasn’t depressed. I knew I could live with this”—he pointed to his sightless eyes—“because the last thing I ever saw was the most beautiful sight I could ever live to see. You.”

Maggie took him in her arms, and we onlookers had a good cry. The veteran? His eyes were glowing with a sight from within. And Maggie? Once again, she gave that man exactly what he needed—when he needed it.

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Dear Friends and members,

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Live with Passion,

Aseem Kaistha

It's your attitude and not your aptitude that determines your altitude.

ATTITUDE...... from Shiva

"I've learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances." Martha Washington Attitude Determines Attitude I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have. Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free. Today I can feel sad that I don't have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste. Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive. Today I can lament over all that my parents didn't give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born. Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses. Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships. Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do. I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge. Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or I can feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul. Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have! If you think you are beaten, you are; If you think you dare not, you don't! If you want to win, but think you can't It is almost certain you won't. If you think you'll lose, you've lost; For out in the world we find Success begins with a person's will; It's all in the state of mind. If you think you are outclassed, you are. You've got to think high to rise. You've got to be sure of yourself before You can ever win the prize. Life's battles don't always go To the stronger woman or man, But sooner or later the one who wins Is the one who believes that they can! ~Author unknown to me~ "The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes." ~Author unknown to me~

Just Five More Minutes (Attitude)

While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground. "That's my son over there," she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide. "He's a fine looking boy" the man said. "That's my daughter on the bike in the white dress." Then, looking at his watch, he called to his daughter. "What do you say we go, Melissa?" Melissa pleaded, "Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes." The man nodded and Melissa continued to ride her bike to her heart's content. Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his daughter. "Time to go now?" Again Melissa pleaded, "Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes." The man smiled and said, "OK." "My, you certainly are a patient father," the woman responded. The man smiled and then said, "Her older brother Tommy was killed by a drunk driver last year while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I'd give anything for just five more minutes with him. I've vowed not to make the same mistake with Melissa. She thinks she has five more minutes to ride her bike. The truth is, I get Five more minutes to watch her play." Life is all about making priorities, what are your priorities? Give someone you love 5 more minutes of your time today!

Let Go The EGO

There was once a learned scientist, who after a lot of practice and efforts developed a formula and learned the art of reproducing himself. He did it so perfectly that it was impossible to tell the reproduction from the original. One day while doing his research he realized that the Angel of Death was searching for him. In order to remain immortal, he reproduced a dozen copies of himself. The reproduction was so meticulous that all of them looked exactly like him. Now, when this Angel of Death came down, he was at a loss to know which of the thirteen before him was the original scientist, and confused, he left them all alone and returned back to heaven.But, not for long, for being an expert in human nature, the Angel came up with a clever idea. He said to the scientist addressing all thirteen of them, 'Sir, you must be a genius to have succeeded in making such a perfect reproductive formula of yourself. However, I have discovered a flaw in your work, just one tiny little flaw.' The scientist immediately jumped out and shouted, 'Impossible! Where is the flaw?' 'Right here!' said the Angel, as he picked up the scientist from among the reproductions and carried him off. The whole purpose of the scientist and his formula of reproduction failed as he could not control his pride and lost his life. While Knowledge and Skills take one to the top of the ladder and make one successful; the three letter word 'EGO' will pull one down immediately. So, Let go - the Ego. with warm regards Lakshmi