Jack also contributes time as a voolunteer for the US Coast Guard in San Diego, California. He is very proud to be associated with those who keep this country safe. Jack volunteers for the National Park Service in Philadelphia. Each summer, he conducts half hour tours of the West Wing in Independence Hall at the Independence National Historical Park. He is a prolific reader of American history with emphasis on the president’s. Jack ends his tours reminding people that Philadelphia is the birthplace of America. After his presentations people frequently ask him, “Did you teach American history in high school or in college?” His consistent answer is, “No, I worked for IBM for 29 years.”
Jack tells an engaging story that incorporated his experience as a volunteer at Independence Hall, and his identity as a patriot. In February 2004, he was stationed as a volunteer at the actual Liberty Bell. Several well-dressed gentleman approached him and asked if they were permitted to take his picture in front of the Bell. After they snapped a photograph, they mentioned it was likely to wind up in a glossy brochure distributed throughout France. These men told Jack that with the permission of the National Park Service, they had scientifically copied the Liberty Bell dimensions the previous night. They added, “We are going to cast an exact replica for our bell, of course without the crack that would ring in E flat.” This glossy brochure was to advertise their “Normandy Liberty Bell,” to be unveiled in May 2004. They hoped to get permission to install it in the American Military Cemetery at Omaha Beach in Normandy.
To be continued
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