14 MarianneFrom her fifth-floor balcony, Marianne watched Old Glory snap in the brisk evening breeze.
The flag flew above a bronze statue of six uniformed men struggling to erect a flagpole on a rocky Pacific island mountaintop.
Spotlights in the statue’s base illuminated hefty thigh and taut back muscles straining with effort.
When Marianne looked at the Marine Corps War Memorial, she got goosebumps.
She was thrilled to be at the heart of government, preparing to do her part to keep her country great.
Three years of careful planning and execution had gotten her here.
Mentally toasting her cleverness, she tasted the Virginia Pinot Noir in her wineglass. When the red beverage hit her tongue, she grimaced.
The vineyard must be too far south for proper Pinot grape cultivation. The Virg
