Articles written by James F. Burns
Sorted by date Results 1 - 6 of 6
A Civil War love story
This is the story of John and Eliza. It is a Civil War love story. It is also a story of war, death, disease and battle. But most of all, it is a story of the trials, triumphs and tribulations of...
The meaning of freedom
We charge you, King George, with “a long train of abuses” designed to “establish an absolute tyranny over these states.” Our 1776 Declaration of Independence was also a Declaration of Defiance, detailing the high crimes and misdemeanors of a tyranni...
I am your American flag
(Ed. note: June 14 is Flag Day.) I’ve been to the moon. I’ve been burned. But more often I’m honored. I’m your American flag. With 13 stars for colonies clamoring for freedom, I was first flown at Fort Stanwix in New York in 1777 and then carried...
All game some, some gave all
A tear welled up in Hal’s eye, a deep sadness etched across his face as he recalled the moment. Omaha Beach, the day after the D-Day invasion. Hal had been tasked by his company commander to go back down onto the beach and retrieve some equipment. A...
The magic of the Christmas spirit
The magic of Christmas comes in many shapes and forms. I remember the shiny gloss of a purple-and-white J.C. Higgins bicycle at age 8. The next year was even better – a Lionel train whose sleek black engine could puff smoke and race around the t...
Aunt Mary's train trip
Though my great-aunt Mary passed away at age 101 in 1968, her spirit and spunk transcend time. At this time of painfully raw divisions in our nation after the recent election, she would be a healer at your table on Thanksgiving Day. Here’s what s...