Well, hello, my friends, and welcome to the Live Inspired podcast with John O'Leary for this week's Monday Memorial moments.

These are created to help you start your week on fire with a quick burst of inspiration.

My readers and friends and followers know well the profound impact that Jack Buck had on my life

as a child and as a young man. But a story I seldom share continues to have a powerful effect on me even today. After September 11th, the nation was in disarray. We were grieving. We were sad. We were mourning. And we weren't sure when the next punch was going to come in. We had no idea what was going to happen next. And many people were afraid to go out in public. I want you to think back to those moments just days

after September 11th. Well, the very first sporting event to take place nationally was actually

in little St. Louis, Missouri. That's my backyard. Many folks felt it was too soon. Many folks were

concerned that it could be another symbol of an attack, which would draw fire.

And many people were scared to show up. But my sister and I, trying to be defined, trying to stand up

for those who no longer could stand up for themselves, went down with about 40,000 others to Bush

Stadium in downtown St. Louis, and were packed with an awful lot of anxiety. As we walked through increased security,

as we went through metal screenings,

as we approached our seats,

as we waited for the event to begin,

which was not with a typical baseball game.

But this event began instead with my hero,

a veteran of wars over in Europe,

taking the podium.

His name is Jack Buck. He read a poem that he had

written on the 11th of September as he himself mourned what he had lost, what we had lost, what we were

struggling with, and yet his powerful spirit to push forward in spite of it. The poem begins with

these words, and then I'll play Jack's reading of it.

Since this nation was founded under God,

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