This by far has been the most disconcerting past year that has been known to me. The violence we now see as common place is call for alarm. The places that violence has occured include Paris, San Bernidino, again Colorado, to name a few. Is there an answer, or will there ever be one?

Donald Trump will never be President. Donald Trump does not want to be President. Donald just wants to be Donald. I predict, as a long time participant and follower of the political system, the Republican Party will go to the convention, having no clear candidate with a majority, the candidate will come from the floor as in 1924 and 1948, and I predict it will be Bush #46 in November. From my longtime observation these are all classed as “Snake oil Salesman,” for we have a dysfunctional Congress that have lost sight of there objective: Protect our freedoms and security. Until we as a people demand that change we will continue a downward spiral in the world opinion.

A great event happened to me this past year. I was an escort for the Wreaths across America from Harrington, Maine to Arlington National Cemetery, to lay 23,000 Maine wreaths on every grave at Arlington. To say it was the most heart-wrenching, rewarding seven-day odyssey I have ever endured would be an understatement. Stopping four to five times a day at schools, small town America town squares, monuments, presenting a Maine wreath, I cried every day as many of us veteran escorts did. With four Maine State Police cruiser leading the 31-vehicle convoy into Arlington awaiting us were 60,000 Americans, waving flags , signs and thumbs up pledges. America is well and healthy.

Many we have lost as age takes its toll. The new have arrived and hopefully will see our greatness and our failures. We hope we leave a place better than we found it. Only history will record what we did.

Who won the World Series? The whole country knows who won the Super Bowl.

It’s been a great year, because it’s the only one I had.

David S. Kaler,
Bath