WILLIAMSON
FOR
U.S. CONGRESS 2016

DEMOCRAT

Congressional District 6

“The Future Can Be Ours.”

480-607-9726

Dear Friend,

The MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT on PBS Channel 8 once again got me thinking about the sacrifice of those who have been killed or wounded in the service of our country. I thought this year’s program was especially well done. The singing was magnificent and the stories moving about soldiers who have suffered grievous injuries yet, as William Faulkner might say, have “endured” and even, in some cases, “prevailed.”

I liked what 77-year-old Ted Strong, who survived mind-boggling injuries in the Vietnam War, had to say: “A dead fish floats with the current. A live fish swims upstream.” Sounds a lot like being a Democrat in District 6. The odds appear to be against us, but who knows what we can accomplish if we set our minds to it?

Again this year, I watched the PBS MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT with Mom where she lives. Last year, at this time, she was recovering from colostomy surgery. We viewed the program on a small TV in her room where she lay comfortably in her bed. This year we watched the big screen TV in the main lobby.

In case you don’t know it by now, Mom is one of those who “swims
upstream.”

Memorial Day is not only a day for somber reflection, but also one where we may enjoy barbecues and outdoor activity. One memory I have of this holiday is when I was first married to my ex, she was in the National Guard Band. They were playing at a ceremony in Paradise Valley. One of the musicians didn’t drink enough water and keeled over backwards from dehydration while playing his instrument. I can still remember the thud when his body hit the dirt. He survived of course, but lesson learned: Be sure, if you are outside, to drink enough water today. This is Arizona.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day.

Sincerely,
John

W. John Williamson

Scottsdale, Arizona