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U.S. Marine Mike Corrado Raises Awareness For Wounded Warriors

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Mike Reveals Latest Single and Video, “Still In The Fight”

Proceeds to benefit USO Wounded Warrior Family Centers

(Nashville, Tenn. – Aug. 31, 2011) Active-duty U.S. Marine and multi-genre artist Mike Corrado is raising public awareness for wounded service members with his latest single and video, titled “Still In The Fight.”

A nationally recognized singer-songwriter (featured on CNN, ABC, CBS and in Rolling Stone magazine) Corrado wrote “Still In The Fight” as a way to draw attention to the struggles many service men and women face after being wounded in combat.  Proceeds from the song benefit the USO’s Wounded Warrior Family Centers initiative.  Visit www.uso.org/woundedwarriors to donate or learn more.

Mike Corrado playing guitar sitting on a rocky beach

U.S. Marine and musician Mike Corrado

The “Still In The Fight” video features Marines who were wounded in combat during recent tours in Afghanistan or Iraq; veteran Corporal Aaron Mankin, veteran Master Sergeant William “Spanky” Gibson and Lance Corporal Kyle Carpenter.  Also featured in the emotionally charged video is the artwork of Marines and combat illustrators Robert Bates and Michal Fay.  Gerard Elmore, who directed Corrado’s 2010 video, “Stand,” also directed “Still In The Fight,” due to be released in early September.
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The Moving East Texas Watermelon Heist of 1945

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The Dumbest Thing I Ever Did – submitted by Jack Strong

Editor’s Note:  This is a tall tale that my Uncle Jack shared recently at his 81st birthday party, ostensibly in the form of a family confession; however, his sly grin betrayed a clear lack of any genuine contrition. ;) . 
In 1945, his big brother, my dad, was involved in WWII. Jack, however, was still a restless 15 year old boy back home who managed to get into some fairly harmless mischief, as country boys that age are prone to do.
After these childhood shenanigans, Uncle Jack went on to serve as a distinguished state senator, and he was also quite successful in his law practice and many business ventures.

Probably the dumbest thing that we ever did had to do with watermelons. We liked watermelons, as most boys did, but we didn’t like hot watermelons – we liked cold watermelons.

Watercolor of Melon in Field

There was a particular farmer who lived about three miles out of Carthage, Texas.  He was just next to the road there, and had what we believed to be the best watermelon patch in all of Panola County.  We found a place in the fence that was easy to get across, and we would just go get two watermelons.  We got two, not because we would eat them both, but because the man at the ice house had a deal that if we would bring him two hot ones he’d give us one cold one.

One night we went out there, and we had a flashlight so we could try to locate the two best watermelons. We were very careful – seriously – to not damage any of the vines or any of his crop.  We might have been thieves, but we were considerate thieves.

One watermelon in this patch has been poisoned!

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Lifting the Bus

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(Stories for Children)

School bus on its side after wreck.

“Hold that steady, partner. Don’t want me to lop a finger off do ya? I need you to concentrate. Pay attention to what you’re doin’, son.”

Charlie knitted his brow and stared at the board as though he was scolding it with his glare. He leaned on it hard to anchor it down.

He wanted Uncle Bob to understand just how seriously he was taking his instructions. There was no one in the world that he admired as much as Uncle Bob, and he so wanted to please him.

The power saw screeched on with a twang and then a roar. Uncle Bob carefully guided the board through the blade to make a perfect cut along a faint line he had sketched across it earlier with his pencil. The saw clunked to an instant stop when Uncle Bob cut the power. It’s blade rang out a final, soulful tone that lingered in the air for several moments.

Charlie savored every sound and smell, and every minute that rolled by when he was with his Uncle Bob.
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