(Recipe calls for 'doctoring' a cake mix for super good results)
Did you know May is National Military Appreciation Month? Please don't forget to thank a vet, or better yet, several of them. My sincere thanks to all vets who have sacrificed for our freedoms.
As we get ready to celebrate Memorial Day and remember those who have sacrificed, I decided to scour my Chicken Soup for the Veteran's Soul book for a short story. I've read it through once before, but this tear-jerking story did not jump out at me until this time around. When I saw the name of the author of this story, and that he was a Marine, I gasped. I know a Nick Hill that is a Marine!! After some investigating, I made a call and confirmed this story was written by our own Williams County Marine Nick Hill, from West Unity. So I couldn't be more excited about sharing this one with you all! (This was published years ago when Nick and his family lived in Colorado).
From Chicken Soup for the Veteran's Soul
"TO ANY SERVICE MEMBER"
"During the Persian Gulf War, I was stationed aboard the naval amphibious ship USS Nassau. As a senior Marine intelligence analyst, my workdays were routinely twelve to sixteen hours long. Like all the veterans, we looked forward to receiving mail from home.
Unlike the Vietnam War, the Gulf War found support among most Americans. As a result, we soldiers received an enormous amount of "To any service member" mail from the States. I never took any of those letters, since I wrote to my wife and two children on a daily basis, as well as occasionally writing notes to my daughter's classroom, and I didn't feel I had time to write to anyone else.
After five or six months of hearing the mail orderly announcing the availability of "To any service member" mail, I decided to take a few of the letters. I planned, as time permitted, to drop them a line telling them "Thanks" for their support.
I picked up three letters, and placed them in my cargo pocket and proceeded back to work. Over the next week or so, I started responding to the letters. When it came time to answer the third letter, I noticed it had no return address, but a Colorado postmark, which made me think longingly of home. I had missed spending Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's with my family, and I was really lonesome for them.
I opened the card and started to read the letter enclosed. About the third or fourth sentence down, it read "My daddy is a Marine over there, if you see him tell him hi and I love and miss him". This statement really touched me and made me miss my family even more. I looked down to the signature --and sat in stunned silence as tears filled my eyes.
My own daughter Chris had signed the letter." ~Nick Hill
Two of my granddaughters had a 'grand ole time' making these cupcakes with me years ago.
AMERICAN FLAG CUPCAKES
1 (16 - 18 ozs) boxed yellow cake mix
1 c. buttermilk (or milk)
1/3 c. oil
4 eggs
1 pkg. red Twizzlers Pull 'n' Peels licorice candy
blue gel in a tube (or frosting tinted blue)
Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins (about 2 dozen) with papers. In large bowl, combine all ingredients, beating about 2 minutes until smooth. Fill papers about 2/3 full - bake about 15 minutes until done. Insert toothpick to be assured they're done or just touch the tops; they should spring back.
Cool to room temperature; frost with favorite white frosting. For longer stripes, ut licorice in pieces about 1-1/2" long. Cut those in half for shorter stripes, then 'peel'. Starting at the bottom of the cupcake, lay three of the longer "stripes". Then place three smaller "stripes" on the upper right hand corner above the longer stripes. Add gel (can use blue tinted frosting and a toothpick) dots for stars.
Freedom is the last, best hope of earth. - Abraham Lincoln
