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Page 4A, The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, June 1,2022
We Don’t Know Them All But We Owe Them All
Special to the Ledger
By Kate Scarmalis
“Not all of me shall
die,” These words,
borrowed from the
Roman poet, Horace,
were adopted as the
class motto of the United
States Naval Academy
I often receive ques
tions about gray things
growing on tree branch
es from homeowners.
These are lichens.
Lichens are actually
fungi living in a symbi
otic (mutually beneficial)
relationship with either
algae or bacteria. The
lichens do not harm a
plant, but may indicate
a problem with a plant
on which the lichen is
growing. If the plant
has a dense canopy that
prevents light from pen
etrating to the branch
es and trunk, lichens
cannot survive on the
plant. When the plant
is not growing well and
the leaf canopy is thin,
light can penetrate to the
lichen and the lichen can
thrive.
Lichens are estimat
ed to cover six percent
of the earth’s surface.
They grow from the
arctic tundra to hot, arid
deserts. They grow on
tree trunks and branch
es, rocks, concrete
walkways, gravestones,
roofs, long-parked cars
and farm machinery,
and on and in the soil.
There are even lichens
that spend their entire
lives blowing about, not
attached to anything.
A lichen is actually a
combination of organ
isms of different species.
A lichen is composed
of a fungus and either
algae or cyanobacteria
(formerly known as
blue-green algae). Li
chens are not parasites,
but manufacture their
own food. The fungus
in Annapolis.
This verse, selected
from one of Horace’s
famous poems, exem
plifies the philosophy
behind the dedication
of men and women
who bring themselves
forward to serve our
receives the water and
minerals it needs from
the air and the material
on which it is growing.
The fungus protects the
bacteria or algae from
the environment, partic
ularly protecting it from
drying out. The bacteria
or algae live among the
filaments of the fun
gus. The cyanobacteria
or algae produce food
through photosynthesis
using sunlight, air (par
ticularly carbon dioxide),
water, and minerals
from the environment,
thus providing food for
the fungus. Some blue-
green algae even fix
nitrogen that is utilized
by both the fungus and
the algae.
Lichens are classified
by the fungus compo
nent of the lichen. There
are more than 20,000
species of lichens. The
form of the lichen is de
termined not just by the
fungus, but also by the
bacterium or alga living
in the fungus. In other
words, lichens consisting
of the same species of
fungus may take on dif
ferent forms when they
have different species of
algae or cyanobacteria
living in them.
Lichens can work to
break down the rocks
on which they grow
through both mechanical
and chemical action.
Some lichens are eaten
by insects and reindeer.
For more information,
call the Lee County
Extension Office at
759-6025 or email me at
collinsd@uga.edu
country.
The full verse, with its
potent meaning intact,
elaborates on the initial
thought. Horace wrote,
“Non Omnis Moriar (I
will not altogether die)
and a great part in me
will live beyond death.”
Our troops are some
thing beyond special.
They fight for us. They
fight for their families.
And, sometimes they
make the ultimate sac
rifice. They die for the
country that they were
raised up to love.
They live in our
memories, our vaunted
heroes. For that, they
will be with us forever.
The United States has
fought in twelve ma
jor wars in its history.
Memorial Day is one
day that we set aside to
honor the soldiers, sail
ors, airmen, airwomen,
and marines who have
died while serving in
the United States armed
forces.
Originally known as
Decoration Day, the
observance goes back to
the Civil War, only be
coming a federal holiday
in 1971.
Decoration Day was
inspired by local com
memorations of Civil
War dead. Graves of
both Union and Confed
erate soldiers were being
decorated with small
flags and flowers. The
nation was in mourning
for its lost heroes.
For some, the argu
ment over who origi
nated Memorial Day
remains a holiday
tradition.
The U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs has
record of approximately
25 cities and towns that
claim to have given birth
to this nation’s day of
mourning.
In his keynote address,
Grand Army of the
Republic leader John A.
Logan designated May
30, 1868, as a day “for
the purpose of strewing
with flowers, or oth
erwise decorating the
graves of comrades who
died in defense of their
country during the late
rebellion.”
Memorial Day is often
spent through family
gatherings and partic
ipating in parades, or
by visiting cemeteries
or memorials. Such
festivities go to the
heart of our sentiments,
our veneration for what
our servicepeople have
sacrificed for us, the
noncombatants.
Across this great
country, we honor our
lost warriors for their
staunch love of coun
try, their dedication,
and their willingness to
make the ultimate sacri
fice for their nation.
What we are given
freely by our brave men
and women in service
is beyond our powers to
repay. Remembrance
- it’s the very least we
have to offer them.
There are those who
wish to tear down this
country, to decimate its
meaning and the prin
ciples that our founding
fathers struggled to put
into place.
Leftist radical progres
sives have worked for
decades to “fundamen
tally transform Ameri
ca”. In truth, one does
not need to sojourn back
too far in time to place
the author of that quote.
It was President Barack
Obama who promised
this country a total turn
around.
Radical leftist minions
want to destroy America
in order to ‘save’ it.
Could there be any
thing more at variance
with that which drives
an individual to sign on
the dotted line, to swear
total allegiance to this
nation?
Joe Biden could do
much to bring this
nation together with a
well-consid
ered speech
in honor of
our departed
soldiers. I
have no
great expec
tation that
he will do
so.
One has to
look back to
2021 to find
mention of
a time when
Joe Biden participated
in an event to honor our
troops. Nothing evident
took place this year con
cerning military honors
conferred by Biden.
Turning back the page
to 2021, Joe Biden gave
an address on Veterans
Day. It was a worthy,
albeit, unpersuasive
attempt on his part to
By Harry R. Martinez,
Ph.D
Why Resurrection?
One of the earliest
monotheistic teachings
concerning the true God
is that of resurrection. It
was a well-known truth
in the days of Job, Abra
ham and other believers
who lived in the Fertile
Crescent. Since the Gar
den, animal sacrifice had
provided a visual lesson
of the future death of
an innocent One for the
guilty.
It would be necessary
for God to provide the
Lamb who could re
deem mankind out of
the slave market of sin.
Job declared his faith in
God’s future sacrifice
for sin and confidently
stated his belief in an
eternal relationship with
God. That faith was
established not only on a
sacrificial death but also
on a resurrection from
the dead. Thus, centu
ries before the Cross,
Job proclaimed... “I
know that my Redeemer
lives, and that in the end
he will stand upon the
earth. And after my skin
has been destroyed, yet
in my flesh I will see
God; I myself will see
him with my own eyes
— I, and not another.
How my heart yearns
within me” (Job 19:25-
27 NIV)!
Abraham, a contempo
rary of Job, also knew of
the true God and placed
his faith in Him. The
Apostle Paul urged the
Christians in Galatia to
... “Consider Abraham:
“He believed God, and
it was credited to him as
righteousness.” Under
stand, then, that those
who believe are chil
dren of Abraham. The
Scriptures foresaw that
God would justify the
Gentiles by faith, and
announced the gospel
in advance to Abraham:
“All nations will be
show his dedication to
our troops.
“I carry with me, in
my pocket, every single
day — I have my staff
check with the Defense
Department — on the
back of my schedule I
have U.S. daily troops
in Afghanistan, killed
and wounded; U.S. daily
troops in Iraq, killed and
wounded.
“52,323 [53,323] — not
“roughly 53,000” — ev
ery one of these individ
uals has a family, has
a unit at home. 53,323
American
servicemen
and women
wounded in
the conflicts
of Iraq and
Afghani
stan; 7,074
gave their
lives — the
last full
measure of
their devo
tion.”
Nice try,
Joe. Add another thir
teen sacrificial lambs to
that number.
Where was his concern
for the thirteen men who
needlessly lost their lives
during our disastrous
departure from Afghan
istan? Where was their
commemoration held?
Where were the patriotic
speeches and honors?
blessed through you.”
So those who have
faith are blessed along
with Abraham, the man
of faith” (Gal 3:6-9
NIV). Decades later, he
would face a dilemma
when instructed by God
to sacrifice Isaac. That
son was to be the avenue
through which all peo
ples were to be blessed.
Abraham would have to
commit the resolution of
this problem to the God
in Whom he had trusted.
God would have to raise
Isaac back
to life for
the divine
promise to
be ful
filled. Faith
overcame
any fear, for
Abraham
knew that
God cannot
lie. Upon
reaching
Mt. Moriah,
Abraham gave these in
structions to his servants
... “Stay here with the
donkey while I and the
boy go over there. We
will worship and then we
will come back to you”
(Gen 22:5 NIV).
God had first promised
a Savior in the Garden.
That Truth continued
to be disseminated
throughout the known
world of that day. So
strong was Abraham’s
faith in a coming Savior
that, when asked by
Isaac where was the
lamb to be sacrificed
on the altar, he replied
... “God himself will
provide the lamb for
the burnt offering, my
son” (Gen 22:8 NIV).
That profound statement
would be realized within
the hour. “Abraham
looked up and there in
a thicket he saw a ram
caught by its horns. He
went over and took the
ram and sacrificed it as
a burnt offering instead
of his son. So Abraham
Crickets. . .
Taking my search in
another direction, it was
General Colin Powell
who put a fine point
on the dedication of
our military men and
women.
“When in England at a
fairly large conference,
Colin Powell was asked
by the Archbishop of
Canterbury if our plans
for Iraq were just an ex
ample of ’empire build
ing’ by George Bush.
“He answered by
saying, “Over the years,
the United States has
sent many of its fine
young men and women
into great peril to fight
for freedom beyond
our borders. The only
amount of land we have
ever asked for in return
is enough to bury those
that did not return.”
You could have heard a
pin drop.
“Our flag does not fly
because the wind moves
it. It flies with the last
breath of each soldier
who died protecting it.”
The author of this quota
tion is unknown, but its
sentiment is a time-hon
ored truism.
May we see peace in
our lifetimes.
Kate Scarmalis, retired
and loving life, is cur
rently working on her
novel, “Tell No Tales”.
Word
called that place The
LORD Will Provide”
(Gen 22:13-14 NIV).
Centuries later, on that
same mountain, there
would be the ultimate
sacrifice of the Lamb
of God for the sins of
every individual. The
long-awaited Messiah,
Christ, the Anointed
One of God ... “Who,
being in very nature
God, did not consider
equality with God some
thing to be grasped, but
made himself nothing,
taking the
very nature
of a servant,
being made
in human
likeness. And
being found
in appearance
as a man,
he humbled
himself and
became
obedient to
death — even
death on a cross” (Phil
2:6-8 NIV)!
The divine promise of
a Savior had been ful
filled as He bore the sins
of mankind in His own
body. Now sin was no
longer a barrier prevent
ing man from having
relationship with God.
Faith in the finished
Work of Christ on the
Cross would give anyone
eternal life. Would God
the Father be satisfied
with Christ’s payment
for sin and thus raise
Him from the dead?
Scripture states ... “By
his power God raised the
Lord from the dead, and
He will raise us also” (1
Cor 6:14 NIV)!
Editor’s note: Dr.
Martinez is an ordained
minister and was a
professor and head of
the music department at
Florida State University
School from 1975 to
2003. He is the father of
five adult children and
resides in Lee County
with his wife, Sara.
The Lee County Ledger
Established August 24,1978
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The University of Georgia • Cooperative Extension Service
Lichens are often suspected by homeowners
to be harming their trees or shrubs. If anything,
the lichens are symptoms of a problem, rather
than being the problem.
Lichens
Kate Scarmalis
Sharing the
Harry R. Martinez