Dear Friends of the Pub Quiz,
Minor mistakes can be addressed. One can write a note of apology, or send flowers. One can stay up through the night revising a draft. One can work harder at a job, or on a relationship. When a mistake is acknowledged, an important lesson can be learned. Without “mistakes,” you would learn almost nothing from the Pub Quiz.
On this past Friday, I got to witness a mistake and an immediate remedy. As Davis poet laureate, I was honored to read a few original poems at the Davis Veterans Day ceremony, speaking after Mayor Robb Davis, and before the keynote speaker, Ryan Edwards, an army veteran of the war in Afghanistan.
After the prepared remarks, the Davis Madrigal Singers performed, presenting harmonies that rival those of the Beach Boys. They sang “America the Beautiful” and the “Armed Forces Medley” that includes the recognizable tunes for each of the U.S. Armed Forces. As the name of each branch of the armed forces was called out, active and retired members of that service stood and were recognized.
As the singers finished their songs, a woman in the second row rose to be heard. She pointed out that the Merchant Marines had not been recognized with their song, for her husband sitting next to her had served in the Merchant Marines during World War II. She declared that his service should also be recognized.
Indeed, our entire country has been slow in recognizing the service of the Merchant Marines. While their service and casualties were often concealed for strategic reasons, today historians recognize their significant sacrifice. During World War II, one in 24 Merchant Mariners died at sea, suffering the highest mortality rate of any service in the U.S. armed forces.
The host thanked this particular Mariner for his service, and thanked his wife for pointing out the omission. The morning’s ceremonies concluded with a benediction, after which we all paused in reflection. Then, unexpectedly, the Davis Madrigals formed a semicircle around the old Mariner, prompting him to get up from his seat, standing tall in his uniform, despite his advanced years.
It turns out that the singers did know the song of the Merchant Marines, and they performed it for him right then. The World War II veteran sang along quietly, while his wife wiped a tear from her eye. We all cheered as the singers finished with these words:
Damn the submarines,
We are the men of the Merchant Marines!
Then strangers stepped forward to hug the wife and her Mariner, many of them no doubt remembering parents and grandparents of that generation. We realized that we had just been treated to the most poignant moment of the ceremony.
Some mistakes can be remedied, while others are so large that no solution but time can be imagined, and sometimes perhaps not even time can right the wrong. As the ancient Greek poet Agathon said about our grandest blunders, “Even the gods cannot change the past.”
Tonight’s Pub Quiz will feature questions on none of the topics raised above, focusing instead on the color yellow, X-men, breakfast cereals, a 2015 article in AdWeek, translated books, mining engineering, mother bears, geometry, Italian given names, weak perimeters, departed comedians, light coming in through the crack, Googling favorite authors, marine life, funding research, Latin culture, the City of Davis, princesses, Elm trees, European superpowers, floral choices, helpful oxidation, canaries in French and American history, Christina Aguilera, the media, famous poets, ocean-roamers, international capitals, a mix of electricity and comedy, Italian names, morning pleasures, square inches, elemental cores, The Sacramento Kings, dyes, the red carpet, and Shakespeare. The pub quiz will have no questions about earthquakes in New Zealand, or hate crimes in Davis.
Poetry Night is this Thursday, and the event will feature authors who together have written 30 books of poetry: DR Wagner and Alice Anderson. Join us at 8 PM at the Natsoulas Gallery, and check out http://www.poetryindavis.com for details.
See you tonight.
Your Quizmaster
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Here are three questions from last week’s quiz:
- Mottos and Slogans. What company once used the slogan “What Can Brown Do for You?”
- Newspaper Headlines. A recent Cubs World Series parade and rally ranks as the 7th largest gathering in human history, with five million people cheering on their home team after a 108-year drought in victories. A pilgrimage in what country drew the largest crowd ever, at 30 million?
- Sports Stadiums. The future home of the Los Angeles Rams, City of Champions Stadium, now under construction, is found in what city whose name starts with I?