Status: U Return-Path: Received: from web12703.mail.yahoo.com ([216.136.173.240]) by tyner.mail.mindspring.net (Earthlink Mail Service) with SMTP id tr2mqm.qd5.37kbi5q for ; Wed, 26 Sep 2001 00:36:38 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <20010926043637.79493.qmail@web12703.mail.yahoo.com> Received: from [208.191.147.143] by web12703.mail.yahoo.com via HTTP; Tue, 25 Sep 2001 21:36:37 PDT Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 21:36:37 -0700 (PDT) From: MPCgram Subject: MPCGram 444/3 To: MPCGram@yahoo.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii ============================================== MPC Gram ============================================== Covering the Entire World of Military Numismatics ----------------------------------------------- Series 002-Number 444 Tuesday, September 25, 2001 WTC and Military Numismatics by William Harvey submitted by Joe Boling with commentary Some of you may know William Harvey, a gifted violinist from Indianapolis who is now a freshman at the Juilliard School in New York City. This is his moving and exceptional story: Yesterday [Boling estimates 16 September] I had probably the most incredible and moving experience of my life. Juilliard organized a quartet to go play at the Armory. The Armory is a huge military building where families of people missing from Tuesday's disaster go to wait for news of their loved ones. Entering the building was very difficult emotionally, because the entire building (the size of a city block) was covered with missing posters. Thousands of posters, spread out up to eight feet above the ground, each featuring a different, smiling, face. I made my way into the huge central room and found my Juilliard buddies. For two hours we sight read quartets (with only three people!), and I don't think I will soon forget the grief counselor from the Connecticut State Police who listened the entire time, or the woman who listened only to "Memory" from Cats, crying the whole time. At 7, the other two players had to leave; they had been playing at the Armory since 1 and simply ouldn't play any more. I volunteered to stay and play solo, since I had just got there. I soon realized that the evening had just begun for me: a man in fatigues who introduced himself as sergeant major asked me if I'd mind playing for his soldiers as they came back from digging through the rubble at Ground Zero. Masseuses had volunteered to give his men massages, he said, and he didn't think anything would be more soothing than getting a massage and listening to violin music at the same time. So at 9:00 p.m., I headed up to the second floor as the first men were arriving. From then until 11:30, I played everything I could do for memory: Bach B Minor Partita, Tchaik. Concerto, Dvorak Concerto, Paganini Caprices 1 and 17, Vivaldi Winter and Spring, Theme from Schindler's List, Tchaik. Melodie, Meditation from Thais, Amazing Grace, My Country 'Tis of Thee, Turkey in the Straw, Bile Them Cabbages Down. Never have I played for a more grateful audience. Somehow it didn't matter that by the end, my intonation was shot and I had no bow control. I would have lost any competition I was playing in, but it didn't matter. The men would come up the stairs in full gear, remove their helmets, look at me, and smile. At 11:20, I was introduced to Col. Slack, head of the division. After thanking me, he said to his friends, "Boy, today was the toughest day yet. I made the mistake of going back into the pit, and I'll never do that again." Eager to hear a first-hand account, I asked, "What did you see?" He stopped, swallowed hard, and said, "What you'd expect to see." The colonel stood there as I played a lengthy rendition of Amazing Grace which he claimed was the best he'd ever heard. By this time it was 11:30, and I didn't think I could play anymore. I asked Sergeant Major if it would be appropriate if I played the National Anthem. He shouted above the chaos of the milling soldiers to call them to attention, and I played the National Anthem as the 300 men of the 69th Division saluted an invisible flag. After shaking a few hands and packing up, I was prepared to leave when one of the privates accosted me and told me the Colonel wanted to see me again. He took me down to the War Room, but we couldn't find the Colonel, so he gave me a tour of the War Room. It turns out that the division I played for is the Famous Fighting Sixty-Ninth, the most decorated division in the U.S. Army. He pointed out a letter from Abraham Lincoln offering his condolences after the Battle of Antietam...the 69th suffered the most casualties of any division at that historic battle. Finally, we located the colonel. After thanking me again, he presented me with the coin of the regiment. "We only give these to someone who's done something special for the 69th," he informed me. He called over the division's historian to tell me the significance of all the symbols on the coin. As I rode the taxi back to Juilliard...free, of course, since taxi service is free in New York right now...I was numb. Not only was this evening the proudest I've ever felt to be an American, it was my most meaningful as a musician and a person as well. At Juilliard, kids are hypercritical of each other and very competitive. The teachers expect, and in most cases get, technical perfection. But this wasn't about that. The soldiers didn't care that I had so many memory slips I lost count. They didn't care that when I forgot how the second movement of the Tchaik. went, I had to come up with my own insipid improvisation until I somehow (and I still don't know how) I got to a cadence. I've never seen a more appreciative audience, and I've never understood so fully what it means to communicate music to other people. And how did it change me as a person? Let's just say that, next time I want to get into a petty argument about whether Richter or Horowitz was better, I'll remember that when I asked the colonel to describe the pit formed by the tumbling of the Towers, he couldn't. Words only go so far, and even music can only go a little further from there. Show Report--VNA by Steve Ellsworth This Last weekend the Virginia Numismatic Association held it's 43rd Annual Convention in Annandale, VA. Over 75 Dealers set up with a wide variety of coins, paper money and military scrip. Fridays attendance was a little lower than last year, which was to be expected due to the previous weeks national tragedy at the Pentagon, only a few miles away. Saturday was as well attended and Sunday was better than normal. Trade was somewhat sporadic, but steady throughout. EAC and the Metal Ingot collector groups met for a series of meetings. Next year, VNA is considering moving to a newer location, George Mason University about 2 miles west. The dates as of yet have not been set. ============================================== Editorial ----------------------------------------------- Gram 444. That must be some sort of magic or supersticous number. It is certainly magic in that it is amazing that we have made it that far, but there must be more to it than that. Well, it also provided a subject for an editorial when I sorely needed one (subject) so there probably is something to that! ============================================== Mail Call ----------------------------------------------- Dear Gram: Some of the dust has settled (literally in NYC) since the events of September 11. As far as tickets to Europe now, I think that you will find exceptional bargains on web sites for Northwest if traveling out of Detroit, on Continental if traveling out of Cleveland, and on USAirways if traveling out of Pittsburgh! You pick the most convenient. I would like to tell you that I will meet you @ IBNS, but currently the entire Company is in such turmoil that I am not sure if I have a job? Commander in Chief (wife) is in charge and we will hold our own until things return to some normality, if that is ever again possible. Cheerio and Ta Ta Jack L. PIT Dear Jack, Drat, I just bought a ticket Detroit-London. I tried varous ways, but finally bought it on Priceline.com. Guess the price was not too bad ($350 plus lotsa juice to about $450). Am now afraid to look elsewhere. Hope to see you in London. Editor Dear Ed, In a short response to the Newbie, you said that sometimes things are sold to rivals or enemies. We are a collecting fraternity and no collector (however avid), should be considered an enemy. It is a great business to be in where even dealers would happily recommend a colleague who might assist a collector. We do not consider this inappropriate action. Even collectors would recommend a dealer/collector friend as long as they got their note first. Regards Pam Dear Pam, Everything that you say is absolutely correct. I of all people should have known better and regret using the enemy reference. Editor ================================================ Departments ------------------------------------------------- Calendar of events for Gramsters maintained by Howard Daniel, Nancy and John Wilson and Gram staff, last updated September 7, 2001 show reports are requested on all events. Even if it was not a great show, there must be something to report. What and whom did you see? Market activity? Share your observations and thoughts with Gramsters everywhere. ---------------------------------------------------- September 27 - 30, 2001, North East Ohio Coin Club, 41st Annual Show, 100 Tables, Holiday Inn, Route 82 At I-71, Strongville, OH [Leo May will have a table at this show] Phillips Auction October 4, 2001 October 5-6. 2001Remy Bourne Literature Auction featuring selections from the Katen library. Contact Remy at 1/800789-7005 for information October 4 - 7, 2001, long Beach Coin and Collectible Expo Long Beach California Convention Center, 400 booths, Educational Programs, Auctions by Heritage and Ponterio Spink Auction October 5, 2001 World Paper Money Fair, run by London Chapter of IBNS, October 6/7, 2001 Special "MPC" events March 2002 8-10 - MPCFest III - reservations in order received: Guido Crapanzano, Harold Kroll, Larry Smulczenski, Gary "Got any fours" Hicks, Tom Warburton, David Seelye, Jack Lippincot, Phil Goldstein, Warner Talso, Nich Schrier, Tom Koch, Mark Watson, Bill Yanchick, Doug Bell, Sam Feeback, Fred Schwan {running total 16}] W.W.II numismatics seminar at ANA Summer Seminar, July 2002 Session I (Sunday, June 30 through Thursday, July 4, 2002) Session II (Sunday, July 7 through Thursday, July 11, 2002) --------------------------------------------------- Donations are now being accepted for scholarships to the 2002 "Military Money" course at the 2002 ANA Summer Seminar. Inquiries and donations should be sent to: Military Numismatists c/o Marcus Turner 8103 East US Highway 36 Suite 163 Avon, IN 46123 Donors to 2002 Scholarship Fund Steve Feller Harold Kroll R. A. Medina Guido Crapanzano David Seelye Steve Feller Harold Kroll R. A. Medina Guido Crapanzano David Seelye Leo May Warner Talso Marv Mericle Mark Watson ==================================================== Post/Base Exchange (PX/BX/NEX) Dump your dupes! Your classified advertisement for items for sale will be run here for free. Send your ads to the gram. This service is for everyone, most humble dealer or most advanced collector. The point is to make the gram more interesting. Send in a list of items for sale and we will list them here in the gram. In all cases confirm your order via email first. FOR SALE Series 641 $10.00 replacement pin holes VF $225.00 postpaid insured, coinman@rochester.rr.com WANTED Collectors may submit lists of items wanted for their collections for listing here. Dealers and collectors who have these items are then encouraged to list them or sale in the above section. This is a trial, if you like it, send your list. =================================================== Staff: publisher and editor: Fred Schwan - MPCGram@Yahoo.com; assistant editor - Phil Goldstein IWANTMYMPC@aol.com distribution manager - Brad Peacock bp22@swbell.net Tuesday columnist Joe Boling – JoeBoling@aol.com Thurski columnist Larry “Ski” Smulczenski –skifla@prodigy.net critic: Harold Kroll - MPCKid@AOL.com; index manager: Ed Beaman webmaster & technical advisor: Doug Bell - (Wiz): doug@papermoneyworld.net; The Boss: Judy Schwan ===== MPC Gram is published by BNR Press and papermoneyworld.com as a free service to the community of military money collectors. Your suggestions, criticisms, complaints, editorial contributions, letters, and even praise are very welcome. The entire contents including linked illustrations are copyright protected by the publishers. In the case of contributors, the copyright is protected on behalf of the creators. Please send all correspondence regarding the gram to MPCgram@yahoo.com. Thank you very much for your participation. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com