The Empty Chair – 2023

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Donald Cole

It has been a while since I have written to my friends. We have had a lot going on in our family for the past several months. As enjoyable and fulfilling as it is to write to my friends, something had to come off my plate. My weekly commentary was one of those things.

With the ebb and flow of life events, Thanksgiving brings a renewed energy and, with a little rearranging, I made room on my plate for my annual message on the empty chair.

This year, the empty chair is more real to me than it has been in the past. This year, I experience the empty chair directly and not merely through empathy.

Fewer than 48 hours before he would celebrate his 97th birthday, my father, Robert Cole, stepped into eternity. Until the last few weeks of his life, he was active with a sharp mind.

This photo is one of him sitting in his chair holding one of his Model T toys that he built from scratch. It is not a model out of a box.

He saw a picture and sketched out the dimensions on paper, went to his band saw with a block of wood, and cut out the body of the car. Then, using toothpicks for spokes, a piece of pvc pipe for the wheels and dowell for the axle, he brought a picture in a magazine to a toy you could hold in your hand.

We knew that he would not live forever, in his current physical body. None of us will. As much as we knew it would eventually come to a close in this lifetime, we still expected to see him sitting in that chair sketching out something else to build, reading a book, or talking back to the tv when Fox news was on.

Thanksgiving traditionally begins the Christmas season. Each year I share this article because I know that even those who have read it before may see it in a new light this year.

You may discover that this year, the message is more real than ever because for the first time, you experience that empty chair.

Christmas is supposed to be a time of great joy and happiness. This year is different for many. You probably know some for whom it is different. You may not realize it, or maybe it just slips past you in all the hustle and bustle of the year. It is quite possible that you are one of those for whom Christmas is different.

There is a special chair in someone’s home that is empty this year. It may be the straight back chair at the dinner table, the office chair at the desk in the study, the lazy boy in the den, or some other special spot. It was a favorite for him or her.

You may have seen it on a daily basis. It may be in a place on the other side of the country. It may be a memory from years ago.

Last Christmas or some past Christmas, there was someone sitting in that special chair. This year it sits empty.

It is that empty chair that consumes your mind. Everyone else is buying presents and talking about celebrating the season with family and friends.

All of that joy and celebration only intensifies the absence of the one who should be in that empty chair. You may feel guilty and hypocritical because you do not feel very merry at all.

King Solomon said that for everything there is a time; “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;” (Ecclesiastes 3:4 ESV)

If you have an empty chair this Christmas, it is okay to take some time in the midst of the celebration to also weep and mourn. If you do not have an empty chair this Christmas, pause for a moment and think of someone who does. Your most meaningful gift this year could be to let someone know that you also notice the empty chair.

I’m Don Cole. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas.

An Overlooked Line in Declaration Brought to Light

Posted on July 4, 2022 by Donald Cole

On this 4th of July, allow me to take a moment of personal privilege to congratulate my parents, Robert and Earline Cole on their 74th wedding anniversary. Both in their 10th decade of life still love each other till death do us part. Congratulations.

On its last day in session, the US Supreme Court handed down a ruling in the case of West Virginia v EPA that, without making specific mention, brought to light an overlooked line in the Declaration of Independence. One of the specific grievances against King George was a single sentence of just 23 words.

The grievance reads: “He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.”

It almost appears as if the founding fathers peered into the crystal ball to see the state of our nation two centuries down the road. We brought upon ourselves the thing we hated – the administrative state.

The administrative state is not mentioned in the Constitution. Although it resides in the Executive branch, it is not one of the branches of government. While the Constitution makes no mention of it, the administrative state has grown to enact more rules having the force of law and issues even more guidance documents. A guidance document may not have the force of law but for all practical purposes it carries the weight of law through implication and sometimes intimidation.

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote a concurring opinion which pointed to the rapid growth of the federal government. In one of his footnotes, Gorsuch noted that between 1970 and 1990 the Code of Federal Regulations grew from 44,000 pages to 106,000. While Congress passes 200 to 400 laws each year, the administrative agencies issue 3,000 to 5,000 final rules. (Footnote 2 in Gorsuch concurring opinion page 7)

Quoting from the Federalist papers, Gorsuch wrote, “the framers believed that a republic— a thing of the people—would be more likely to enact just laws than a regime administered by a ruling class of largely unaccountable “ministers.”

So, as you celebrate another year of America’s Declaration of Independence, keep in mind that it takes more than a mighty military to maintain our freedom. Like erosion slowly moves the earth underneath one grain at a time, our freedom is in danger of being taken over one regulation at a time by “a multitude of New Offices” and “swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.”

Have a great Independence Day and resolve to stay free.

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Veterans Day Recollections

Posted on November 11, 2019 by Donald Cole

Today is the 100th anniversary of the first Armistice Day. The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month was the time and date established to remember the end of World War I.

World War I was to be the war to end all wars. The philosophy of the day was that man’s upward evolution and advances in science would usher in peace and prosperity for all. We see how quickly the reality of the nature of man revealed the error of that thinking.

After World War II, Congress changed Armistice day to Veterans Day to recognize all veterans who served in war and in peace.

Today, I decided to look back in my recent commentaries and pull out some stories of veterans. These are all men of the greatest generation who served in the World War II time frame. Just click on the photo or the heading to read about them.

Bob Bright POW

Bob Bright turned 94 earlier this year and he is still going strong. He was shot down over Europe and taken POW by the Germans.

Two WWII Veterans Reminisce

Two WWII Vets talking and eating soup — Robert Cole (l) & Billy Forrest

My father, Robert Cole, (left) and Billy Forrest (right) were in training when President Truman dropped the atomic bombs on Japan to end the war. It is quite likely that they, along with tens of thousands of young Americans, would have died in that war had it not been for Truman’s decision.

They both went to Japan after the surrender to help Japan rebuild. Today, Japan is one of our strongest allies.

He Still Remembers D-Day

Julian Parker of Cordele still remembers wading on that beach on June 6, 1944. The experience of war and death had such an effect on him that when he got home, he took his hunting rifle out to the woods and buried it.

I hope that you enjoy reading these past articles of veterans. we owe our veterans a debt of gratitude. From those who are approaching the century mark in their lives, to the men and women who have not reached the 2nd decade of their lives and are serving us today, we owe a debt of gratitude. Happy Veterans Day.

A Special 4th of July

Posted on July 1, 2018 by Donald Cole

I wish to take a point of personal privilege in this article. On July 4, our nation celebrates the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

There is another important anniversary in my life that is celebrated on July 4. On July 4, 1948, Robert Cole and Mary Earline Ross stood before witnesses and made a vow to each other to enter into Holy Matrimony.

Husband and Wife Kissing

The vows went something like this:

“I, Robert, take thee Earline, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better – for worse, for richer – for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”

My mother repeated the same vow to my father. The minister then declared that the two were husband and wife.

The event was so important that they obtained a license from the local courthouse and filed the document. They were a legal entitity with certain rights, privileges, and responsibilities to each other and to their community.

The most basic of social institutions, a family, came into existence with a simple declaration. Their income tax status changed. She took his name. They combined their belongings and moved in together.

A few years later, Robert took a job at Robins Air Force Base and purchased land in Bonaire. Robert, Earline, and their new baby boy moved to Bonaire and lived in a tiny trailer while Robert built a house for his family. Three years after their first child, they had a daughter.

They not only built a house, they built a home. They invested their lives in their community and their family. They still live in the same house that my father built.

Just last month Robert celebrated his 92nd birthday. It won’t be long before my mother turns 90.

They do not have the disposable income that they once had. They are not as healthy as they were when they said their vows to each other.

When they said to each other, “from this day forward.. for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health” they meant it.

They still love and cherish each other. Death has not yet parted the two and death will be the only thing that parts them.

On July 4, I wish Robert and Mary Earline Ross Cole a happy 70th anniversary.

Signature-Donald E. Cole

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Two WWII Vets Reminisce

Posted on March 18, 2018 by Donald Cole

Robert Cole (l) & Billy Forrest (r)

These two veterans of World War II are enjoying a bowl of homemade vegetable soup and talking about their Army days. They might not be alive today had it not been for an historic decision made by President Harry Truman.

As WWII was coming to a close on the European front, attention turned to the Pacific and Japan. Among options available, a massive invasion of Japan similar to Normandy was on the table.

There was a big difference in Normandy and Japan. Normandy was in France, a nation occupied by the German army. Japan was not an occupied nation.

An invasion of Japan would have been an invasion of the homeland of a people who had already demonstrated a willingness, even desire, to heroically die for their country. Normandy would have been a small skirmish contrasted to the American lives that would be lost in an invasion of Japan.

Another option was a secret weapon that was ready for deployment. This weapon would reign destruction and terror of such a magnitude that the Japanese might choose to surrender. President Truman decided to use the new weapon.

On August 6, 1945 the first atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima. Sixteen hours later, President Truman called for Japan’s unconditional surrender or, “expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth.”

The Japanese leaders fiercely debated among themselves about continuing the fight for favorable conditions of cease fire or accepting the American demands. On the evening of August 8, the Soviet Union broke their neutrality treaty with Japan and declared war. Shortly after midnight August 9, the Soviets moved into Manchuria.

Later that day, the Americans dropped the 2nd atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Japanese Emporor Hirohito had enough and ordered the Japanese to accept unconditional surrender. He gave a radio address announcing the surrender on August 15. On August 28, 1945, the Americans began the occupation and rebuilding of Japan.

Robert Cole and Billy Forrest were both draftees from Georgia. They were both sent to Japan as part of the American occupation at the end of the war. They were both assigned to the Signal Corp.

73 years later, they met each other for the first time. They compared notes and found out that both had been deployed to Japan immediately following the Japanese surrender. Both were in the Signal Corp. Both recall going through a terrible storm on the way to Japan. They concluded that they might have been on the same ship.

They served in different locations in Japan. Instead of fighting the Japanese, they made friends with them and helped rebuild the nation. They were in Japan for about a year before being sent home and receiving their honorable discharges.

Robert Cole married and had two children. One of them was me. Billy Forrest was already married when he was drafted but he and his wife never had children. Both of these men are now in their 90’s.

They have lived productive lives and impacted the lives of thousands. Billy became a pastor, plays the guitar and sings. He still preaches or pulls out his guitar and sings on ocassion today. Robert applied his Signal Corp training to work at Robins Air Force Base where he retired working in Foreign Weapons Sales. Today he loves to cook and design and build models from scratch.

I may write more about these men later. Both have a great story to tell.

These two men, along with thousands of other young Americans, could have easily been casualties on a Japanese beach in the Pacific Ocean. Billy Forrest could have left a widow back in Georgia. Instead, they were young Americans who befriended former enemies and helped to rebuild a new allied nation of Japan.

Personally, I am thankful that President Truman chose the nuclear option. My prayer is that we never have to use that option again. I also pray for the wisdom of courage of every American President who may have to weigh that decision and use it if necessary.