Things I have done for somewhat selfish reasons have impacted on others in ways I have never anticipated. Many times I have accidentally gained inspirational praise from total strangers after performing, building or doing something for selfish motives. This praise has come by way of letters to friends commending them for the items they have allowed me to display on their properties.

In 1990 I was planning to build a train engine float for the bank in my town, and presented the drawings and plans to the bank president. He was quite pleased with my ideas, but sent them to a local metal fabricating company to have the train engine built. I was disappointed, but that gave me some free time before the upcoming parade to attempt construction of an idea that had been stuck in my head since the troops were called to the Gulf War. I had wanted to build an eagle of some sort. First I tried carving a wooden eagle about 14 inches from wing tip to wing tip. After completing the rough cutting on a band saw, I began the handwork. It seemed it would take too long for my impatient self to wait. I discarded that project and started laying out a wing made from 3/8 rebar, attempting to create the upswept contours of feathers as they support the weight of a soaring eagle. When I was done with the wing, I felt God had smiled on me because it looked perfect.

Now I had one wing, and if this eagle were ever going to soar I would have create a mirror image of that wing to get the desired effect. I felt inspired as the second wing was completed. When I positioned them end-to-end on the floor, I could visualize the body suspended in air with its powerful claws reaching for its prey. The next two weeks went by swiftly, as the eagle took shape gradually. The body was completed and the wings were connected. The legs and talons were hung on the side. The supporting structure to mount the entire eagle on my truck was completed and the rocking motion was perfected. 3000 miniature Christmas Lights were tied to the frame. My family and friends put nearly 250 hours of hard work into the new creation. It's incredible how tirelessly people can work when they are inspired by the work they are doing.

Little did I know how much of an impact this eagle would have on me or the people that watch it soar down the streets of the nearly 250 parades and events it has attended to date. The people of Minonk were awed by it's size and the rocking animation that made it appear real as the wings dipped and leveled off just as a live eagle would. Since the Eagle started as a wire sculpture without garland, its ghostly image presented by the lights from a distance was quite impressive. Applause followed us along the crowded parade route, starting well ahead and finishing well behind the eagle. I finished that parade high as a kite from the excitement of crowd, as they shouted their approval along the route. I knew I would have to purchase the garland and prepare the eagle for daytime parading by constructing sign panels to hang on my truck with the phrase �Your Spirit Is The Wind Beneath My Wings�. The Bloomington IL Pantagraph ran a news article with large headlines and pictures, as did the Minonk News Dispatch.

Summer came and the Eagle was seen in various parades from near the Quad cities to Aurora to Springfield. Veterans in each location saluted the symbol of strength in each town, while people who had lost loved ones in wars would tear up and even outwardly cry as the Eagle passed by. I have shed many a sympathetic tear with these individuals when I realize how this Eagle has touched their hearts.

The summer of 1991 proved to be a most inspirational year for the Eagle, though we wouldn't know how inspirational for two more years. The Eagle was truly honored when the Illinois State Fair Parade organizers asked us to escort the returning Desert Storm Veterans and pay tribute to the Casualties as well. We were decked out completely, with American flags in the beak and a large yellow bow across the front signboard. Governor Edgar and his wife walked ahead of us while representatives of each of the armed services rode in a vehicle behind us. The crowd went nuts as we passed by playing �God Bless The USA� by Lee Greenwood and �The Wind Beneath My Wings� by Bette Midler. Thundering applause and shouts of praise followed us for the entire four-mile parade route and into the State Fair Grounds as over 50,000 spectators showed their patriotic colors. It was the most awesome display of spirit I have ever experienced. It was a tearful passing at the reviewing stand when we were informed that the families of the casualties were present there.

Two years later we were stationed on the civic center lawn in Decatur IL showing the Eagle sitting still waving the wings and playing our patriotic musical selections for the passersby for 2 days. The crowd had lots of praise for the Eagle, and it was a great experience explaining how it was made and the adventures to date. About mid afternoon a middle-aged lady approached and began picking up bits of garland that had shed from the Eagle and fallen to the ground. I explained to her that we would clean up the site before leaving and she wouldn't have to worry about it. She stopped me and told me that I didn't understand. She explained that the Eagle was in the State Fair two years ago to pay tribute to her son who had been killed in Desert Storm and that she needed some Eagle Feathers to put in her scrap book. Well, What can I say? You could have pushed me over with a feather. I had tears pouring down my cheeks as I hugged this wonderful lady, for her tremendous loss had given this hastily made idea a purpose for being. She had validated the Eagle's existence. It had become much more than a bunch of iron rods and mesh welded together and covered with lights and garland. It was now a ministry, touching hearts deeply, provoking emotions, recounting memories, and helping to heal the deep wounds of war. My family, friends and I were being swept along with the Eagle as it soared through the hearts of its' viewers.

The Eagle was honored again when asked to perform for the opening ceremonies of the Special Olympics State Wide Games where we did a �fly around� on the Illinois State University Football Stadium in Bloomington IL. The theme song for Special Olympics is �The Wind Beneath My Wings�, so we were the perfect symbol for the games. We put the Eagle together mid-afternoon so we could check all the lights. The various teams came over to look closer, so we let a lot of the athletes pull on the wings and make the Eagle soar. They would then take team pictures under the wings. When show time came, the stadium lights were shut down and our lights were turned on. There were 4000 Special athletes and their aids on the field, as well as several thousand spectators in the stands when we �flew� the perimeter of the field and performed a figure eight in the far end zone. As we returned to the center of the 50-yard line we could see the ear-to-ear smiles and hear thunderous applause of the participants. It was an overwhelming response.

Following the ceremonies the lights were turned on again, and the athletes were dismissed. A smiling woman approached us and grabbed my hand with both of hers. She told me that she had two children in the Special Olympics Program and that I would never know how much I had done for them this night. That type of praise is hard to accept when the ones that have done the most are the people who watched the Eagle soar. I choked back tears, realizing once again the awesome power of this bird.

On Memorial Day in Bloomington with a field of crosses ringed by red poppies on the front sign board we were coming around the corner by Miller Park when we all noticed a veteran in a wheel chair who was struggling desperately to get to his feet so he could properly salute the flag in the Eagle's beak as it passed by. He obviously only had the chair in case he needed it, but his valiant effort struck an emotional chord in all of us and we all wiped tears away. The image before him inspired him to make the effort, and we were proud to have seen him succeed.

In Colona-Green Rock on Memorial Day weekend we were about to finish the parade when a Viet Nam Veterans Flag Corps just ahead of us assembled along the roads edge and dipped their flags in salute to the Eagle. At first I thought they were saluting all the participating units and commented to helpers and Mother on how nice that was. They cased their flags and dismissed as soon as we passed and I realized the salute was for us. We felt very honored to have received that salute.

There have been many occasions when we have been praised for the creation of the Eagle and the impressive sight it presents. I've lost track of the number of times people have gone out of their way to seek me out, shake my hand, blessing me, and thanking me for building and showing such an awesome bird with such a powerful message. I think, however, that the real praise should go to God, for creating a real Eagle so mankind could admire it's majestic shape, powerful strength, undying spirit and ability to soar so high floating on the smallest of breezes. He deserves the praise for guiding my hands and eyes while we built our Eagle, and as the sign says, it's the spirit of the people that keep the Eagle soaring from town to town. We are merely blessed to have been given the job of caretakers for a truly inspirational symbol of freedom.

We always look forward to returning to the many places we have already been as well as sharing this wonderful sight with new friends. The Eagle has been so well received in Geneseo IL, that they have invited us back now for 16 years. Last year I was introduced to a second-generation viewer. A 10-year-old girl couldn't wait to tell me she thought the Eagle was the best thing in the parade. That thought was seconded by her mother, who proceeded to inform me she just loved it when the Eagle soared down the street when she was that age.

Sincerely
Edward Shirley