
“You stay here and I’ll go stand by the barn.” Tommy said.
Amy gave her brother a look of irritation, but didn’t argue.
She didn’t like her brother always telling her what to do. But the tree didn’t
smell like manure whereas the barn did. Tommy walked toward the barn the last
few feet, he turned around and walked backwards, watching the string raise and
then begin to tighten. Satisfied, he had gone far enough, he stopped putting
the cup to his lips and spoke.
Amy screamed “It works I heard you.”
The sound of approaching vehicles off in the distance caused
both of them to turn around. Tommy and Amy both stared at the sight before
them. They watched an Army convoy of large trucks led by a single jeep with
four men rumble past the small family farm. In the passenger seat sat a tall
man in dressed in dress Army fatigues with a hat only officers wore. He looked
over and smiled and waved.
Drying her hands on a small dish towel Sarah their mother
pushed opened the screen door and watched the machines rumble past. Shading her
eyes, she too noted the tall man in the passenger seat with the wry smile.
Sarah raised her hand and waved back.
Sarah, Tommy and Amy watched until the last truck had past
not realizing the swirling dust and exhaust fumes had enveloped them in a once
in a lifetime historical event.
Summer 1919 Washington, DC

Walking with purpose into a gentle
breeze he barely heard the slap of his patent leather dress shoes as they
struck the pavement. The smell of exhaust fumes mingled with the earthy smells
of late spring tickled his nostrils. Off to his left two truck companies
totaling eighty-one jeeps, wagons and trucks idled at the curb. His train commanders,
Lt Col Charles W. McClure and Capt. Bernard H. McMahon stood next to civilian
pilot guide Henry C. Ostermann. Pausing for just a moment he took it all in. His men started to take notice their posture
straitening until they were rigid “Attention on deck!” someone shouted. Ike walked
the last few steps to his jeep a wry smile touching the corner of his lips.

Ike
understood service like few did before, during and after he was President. He
knew the greatest product or service walked on two feet and was the key to
getting things accomplished. The Highway act named after him would spur a
nation out of the doldrums of war and spawn a growth of infrastructure and
service oriented businesses like never before. Roads, bridges and tunnels would
lead the United States into the forefront of innovation of service. Because
where there was blacktop highways there were be small towns transformed into
cities with the burgeoning advancements in modern education, medical services
and full service gas stations. All of these features and more paving the way
for need of a water, electric and phone companies. Each time a village stepped
out of its shadow and allowed it to grow into its next evolution the cycle
would begin again until forty years later the United States was connected
around the globe through the age of digital electronics.
This
time is like no other in that we are at the precipice of realizing our humanity
in the service of others. I say this because it is easy to lose sight of what
is in front of us. At a time when the older workers of this nation struggle to
hold onto what they have worked their whole lives for it is time now, to look
past the fear of obscurity and irrelevance. To embrace what it was Ike
instilled on a nation from his summer on the Backroads of America and again
after the Great War.
Services


Never
has there been a time when we as a people are more in touch with worlds that
oceans away. Everyday people from around the globe are drawn and connected
together by a system of invisible spectrums of light. Fear not of the unknown.
Eagerly and enthusiastically chase your dreams and goals because tomorrow is
not promised to anyone.
Today
we are a nation and a world of dreamers filled with hope and optimism. We stand
on the shoulders of great men and women who brought us here. Now is the time to
look to the future of unpromised fields of tomorrow. Let us not forget that FDR
brought us through the great depression and WWII. Truman transformed a nation
of war into a nation of builders and Eisenhower pulled us together with bridges
and roads. Those times were done so by people whose services were in high
demand.
This
century will be remembered for the people and businesses orientated on
providing services to our communications infrastructure. Take this opportunity
to grow into a tomorrow not realized.
Old dogs do learn new tricks.
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