HOST:
Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC – VOA’s radio magazine in SpecialEnglish.
(THEME)
This is Doug Johnson. On our program today:
We play music from shows held to help victims of the terroristattacks on September eleventh …
answer a question about Veteran’s Day …
and report about a campaign to help children in Afghanistan.
Helping Afghan Children
HOST:
The United States is carrying out airstrikes against terroristsin Afghanistan responsible for the attacks in New York City andWashington D.C. on September eleventh. However, many Americans areconcerned about the people of Afghanistan who are suffering as aresult of the attacks. American children are trying to help. ShirleyGriffith has more.
ANNCR:
The United Nations says about four-hundred-thousand Afghanchildren are in danger of dying this winter because of cold weatherand lack of food.
Last month, President Bush called on the children of America tohelp the children of Afghanistan. He asked each American child togive one dollar to help Afghan children.
The American Red Cross is organizing the campaign called”America’s Fund for Afghan Children.” The fund will help children inAfghanistan and those who are refugees in nearby countries. It willprovide them with food, housing and medicine.
The White House reported an immediate reaction from America’schildren. Schools in Washington, D-C. were the first to send money.Since then, students all over the country have sent dollars for thecause. So far, American children have provided more than one-milliondollars.
Many children’s groups and schools are doing more than giving onedollar from each child. For example, many American childrencollected money for the United Nations Children’s Fund duringHalloween last month. UNICEF says it will give the money collectedto the Afghan children’s fund.
One school in the town of Springfield, Virginia sold candy andother products to earn more money for the fund. The school gave morethan two-thousand dollars.
The head of the school said the students are not rich. But theywanted Afghan children to have shoes, warm clothing and hot mealsduring the cold winter months. The children said they wanted to sendthe money because Afghan children need food to grow and to learn.They said the United States is not at war with the children ofAfghanistan, but only with the people who were responsible forkilling American citizens.
Veterans Day
HOST:
Our VOA listener question this week comes from Vietnam. BinhThanh Nguyen asks why the date of November eleventh was chosen tohonor Americans who served in the military.
November eleventh is Veteran’s Day in the United States. It beganas a day to honor those who served in World War One. PresidentWoodrow Wilson signed a declaration in Nineteen-Nineteen namingNovember eleventh as Armistice Day. That date was chosen becauseGermany surrendered to end World War One at eleven o’clock in themorning on November eleventh, Nineteen-Eighteen.
Congress made Armistice Day a national holiday inNineteen-Twenty-Six. The federal government closed on that day. Moststate and local governments and all public schools closed too.Parades in almost every city honored the men and women who hadhelped bring peace to Europe.
In Nineteen-Forty-Five, Armistice Day celebrations also honoredthose who served in World War Two, which had just ended. Nine yearslater, Congress decided to change the name of the holiday fromArmistice Day to Veteran’s Day. By then, almost six-million moreAmericans had served in another military campaign, the Korean War.
The number of veterans continued to increase. Almost nine-millionAmericans served in the military during the Vietnam War. Thousandsof others took part in military campaigns in the Caribbean nation ofGranada and in Panama. Hundreds of thousands of men and women servedduring the Persian Gulf War. Thousands also served as members of theUnited Nations peacekeeping force in Somalia. Others served toreturn the elected president to power in Haiti. And they helped keeppeace in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Serbian province of Kosovo. Now,they have been carrying out attacks and ground operations inAfghanistan in the American-led war against terrorism.
Today, the word veteran includes anyone who has served in themilitary forces at any time. On Veteran’s Day, Americans will honorall the men and women who served their country in war and in peace.
Concerts For America
HOST:
Many Americans have been raising money to help victims of theterrorist attacks on September eleventh. Entertainers are noexception. Shep O’Neal tells us about two recent concerts that haveearned more than thirty-million dollars.
ANNCR:
Paul McCartney, British musician and former member of theBeatles, organized the “Concert for New York City.” It was held atMadison Square Garden. People who lost family members in thedestruction of the World Trade Center attended the show. PaulMcCartney played a new song he wrote called “Freedom.”
((CUT ONE-FREEDOM))
Other performers included Bon Jovi, the Goo Goo Dolls, Billy Joeland Macy Gray. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stonesalso performed.
Some musicians who played in New York also performed inWashington, D-C. the next day. That concert was called “United WeStand.” It was held outdoors at R-F-K Stadium. The Backstreet Boyssang “Drowning.”
((CUT TWO – DROWNING))
Singer Michael Jackson organized the “United We Stand” concert inthe nation’s capital. He invited many performers, including the bandAerosmith, James Brown, Mariah Carey and Bette Midler. Jacksonperformed the final act of the show. We leave you now with MichaelJackson singing “Man in the Mirror.”
((CUT THREE – MAN IN THE MIRROR))
HOST:
This is Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today. And Ihope you will join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC-VOA’sradio magazine in Special English.
This AMERICAN MOSAIC program was written by Nancy Steinbach, andCaty Weaver. Our studio engineer was Tom Verba. And our producer wasPaul Thompson.