Guest: Some words of praise for little Danny

By COL. JIM STONE

Dan Whittle, known back in the Bootheel Country of Missouri as Danny Dale Whittle, wrote a book about his family and his raising-up in a place called Canalou, Missouri. I purchased a copy and that night I started reading about "Canalou."

The book was one of the best books I have read, other that the Bible, in my 80 years on this earth. The book was so interesting, I just kept reading and I finished it in two nights. A first for me.

I told Dan that my favorite book, after the Bible, in all my life was, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," by Mark Twain. I said, "Dan, I now have two of my most favorite books that I have read in my lifetime, your book about 'Canalou' and 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.'"

I told Dan that in my opinion he was right up there with Mark Twain, in his ability to write and tell stories, so keep those precious stories coming. Well, HE HAS GONE AND DONE IT AGAIN. Except this time he and his lovely wife Pat teamed up, and they have a new book out, "MUSIC CITY Talent Behind The Stars."

The same thing happened to me again. I purchased a copy and went home and sat down and started reading and again the book was so interesting, I didn't want to put it down..

It took me three and a half nights to finish "MUSIC CITY" because of the Hilton Stone American Legion Post 279 special event, "Post Everlasting" where we remembered and honored our fallen Legionnaires and the planning of a big Boy Scout fund-raiser for Friday the 28TH. But, I just didn't want to put the book down.

So, now I have to go tell Dan that I now have three most favorite books, after the Bible. And, I am going to tell him to keep writing more of those wonderful stories. Dan has a God given talent to make his stories and characters come to life with his truly outstanding writing style and ability.

These are the kind of stories our children need to read in school. In fact they need to be on the REQUIRED READING LIST at all schools, in my opinion.

Our children need to know where these people came from and what they went through during the hard times of the Depression years, with no jobs, without electricity, running water, TV, refrigerators, central air and heat, and all of the good things we have today. These were good, hard-working, God fearing, Americans, who went through hard times picking cotton for a living, with little money, little food, and a little of everything; before Social Security, welfare, food stamps, and other social programs that we have today. Finally, breaking out of those hard times, with their dreams and driving desire to find a better life, using their God-given talents in country music, journalism, photography, and a driving desire to succeed; they headed to Nashville to the GRAND OLE OPRY. (You are going to have to buy the book to find out who all of these wonderful and famous characters are).

These are the stories of the people who made this country, what it is today. God Bless you Dan and Pat for sharing your love, your history, humor, wit, knowledge and wisdom, and how these wonderful, great and famous artists and entertainers made MUSIC CITY AND OUR COUNTRY A GREAT PLACE TO BE.