The Return

The Return

When I left the UN on September 1, 1952, I resolved to return when I had something the UN needed and couldn't find anywhere else in the world.

On July 27, 2001 I returned to the UN with this book, "Our Side - The Way to World Peace!". Let me tell you the story —

In 2000, to celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary (June 24, 2000), Darlene and I had purchased airline tickets to New York. Dar broke her leg and I also wound up in the hospital so we had to postpone our trip. I had planned a buggy ride in Central Park where I had given her her engagement ring.

We rescheduled our trip for the following year and booked our flights for July 26 to August 1 2001.

On June 28, 2001 I sent the following letter to Kofi Annan, Secretary General:

Three days later....
From July 1 to July 7, 2001 I was hospitalized with an irregular heart beat.

Sheboygan traditionally has a BIG July Fourth celebration with a parade, cardboard boat races on the Sheboygan River and evening fireworks over Lake Michigan. Our home is one block from the lake and normally our extended family and many friends gather here to celebrate my birthday. (That's me on the left, wearing my 4th of July swimsuit and my UNICEF necktie.) That year, on July 4th, we celebrated my 75th birthday in a hospitality room in the hospital with about 20 friends and family members. I was also surprised by my doctor and Kiwanis Club secretary, Dr. Curt Hancock who brought a Kiwanis Cake! (below, right)

About a week after my release, I reentered as an outpatient and was given an electric shock treatment meant to stop my heart and restart it in a regular beat pattern. It worked! As I write this, it is still beating normally and I play tennis every Wednesday at the Kohler Sports Core and plan on getting back on the beautiful local golf courses when the weather permits. By the way, the PGA Championship was held at nearby Whistling Straights, August 9th to 15th, 2004. Over 300,000 people attended and millions more watched it on TV. I was one of the marshalls on the 18th hole.

Dar suggested I check with my doctors before leaving for New York on July 26, 2001, but I said, "No, I'm not seeing any more doctors because no matter what they would say, I'm going anyway." I wasn't going to live forever and I had to get my book to Kofi Annan before it was too late. We went — our two daughters, Joni and Janet (shown left on the Staten Island Ferry) didn't think Darlene could manage me with my poor health and great ambitions alone, so they chaperoned us. Fourty-one days after this picture was taken, the twin towers of the World Trade Center came down.

We arrived at the Roosevelt Hotel on Thursday afternoon, July 26, 2001. Daughter Janet used her cell phone to contact her son Jacob who happened to be in New York at the same time as part of a youth mission group from our church, working in the soup kitchens. They were returning to Sheboygan by train the next day. She invited Jacob and his friend, Grant Blum, to the hotel. They came.

I asked Jacob if there was any way their group could join us at the UN in the morning to give me some moral support during my presentation. He said their group had other plans, but he would talk to Rev. Jim Hollister, our minister, who was in charge. The next morning we got a cell phone call from Jacob — they would be there around noon. WHAT A MIRACLE!

On Thursday evening, we had received a fax in our room. Sent by my son-in-law, Mark Koepsell, it was the front page of that day's Sheboygan Press. It carried a picture of me and my car with its EEIEIO license plates and a story about our trip to Kofi Annan's office at the UN to present this book "Our-Side, 'The Way to World Peace'."

Friday morning we called Kofi Annan's office twice, mentioning my letter of June 28 and asking for a ten minute appointment to present my book. By midmorning our calls had not been returned so we took a cab the short distance over there.

From the information desk in the lobby, I once again phoned Annan's office on the 38th floor. I explained our mission and my letter of the 28th once again. When they learned we were already downstairs, his secretary said she would have someone come down. In about 10 minutes, a handsome man who looked like he could play guard for the Green Bay Packers arrived. We moved to a bench along the wall where we could sit and, wearing my UNICEF necktie, I presented my credentials (above left) and the story of our mission. His name was Kenny Rosario, (from Brooklyn, NY). He was the Chief Security Officer of the United Nations. I showed him a copy of my June 28, 2001 letter, a copy of a 1952 letter from UNICEF, and the fax we had received the night before. I told him of the 22 people from my First Congregational Church of Sheboygan who were on their way to join us, and that we would ALL like to go to the 38th floor and meet with Kofi Annan. After 49 years, I was fulfilling my promise to return to the United Nations with something they needed and couldn't find anywhere else in the world — "The Way to World Peace." (see Chapter 2).

Kenny Rosario said he could not arrange for 26 people to go to the 38th floor on such short notice and that Mr. Annan had a full schedule that day — but he would see what he could do. He excused himself and said to wait while he reported back upstairs.

He returned a short time later with James E. Sutterlin, (right) an Executive Officer on Kofi Annan's staff. James Sutterlin was just as nice as Kenny Rosario. They were pleased to meet some people from the Midwest who had faith and hope in, and who spoke well of the UN, since they hear so much criticism on a regular basis. We also gave him some fine Wisconsin cheese for his staff. James Sutterlin allowed me to review my credentials with him, and then tell him my story about returning one day with something the UN needed and couldn't find anywhere else in the world.

About this time, 1:10 PM, Reverend Jim Hollister and the Sheboygan students and chaperones arrived. Was I ever glad to see them! They had checked their luggage at the train station but most had backpacks which had to be checked with security. Several were able to spend a few minutes in the souvenir area but then Kenny Rosario gathered us all together and he and James Sutterlin took us on a fabulous tour of the UN. (The General Assembly and Security Council weren't in session.)

We started in the General Assembly room. We were allowed to take pictures but since some remodeling was being done, they guided us over to the Security Council. Again, many pictures were taken. Everyone had a camera. In the corridors we saw beautiful objects of art, pictures, and tapestries donated to the UN by many countries. (click on image to the right for a larger view).

In the Security Council, Jacob Koepsell (left) and several others were allowed to sit in the chair of the US delegate and have their pictures taken.

I managed to find my way to the Secretary General's chair and stood behind it to have my picture taken. I had started September 1, 1952 as a file clerk at the UN with the dream of working my way up one day and being in a position to whisper into the ear of the Secretary General, "Why don't you try this," and help him move the world one step closer to world peace.

My first DREAM has now come true. I have finally gotten to that goal — I have whispered in the Secretary General's ear and now I am whispering in YOUR ear — be one of the "good guys;" be the captain of your own ship and set sail today toward our common goal of world peace. Join us, join UP - United People of the World and get all the "good guys" you know to do the same. My next dream is to have you, and millions of other independent "ship captains," listed on our web site, each sailing his or her ship toward our one goal of World Peace. If you sincerely want world peace, and agree in principle with Our Side, urge everyone you know to join us... join "UP" now and follow our progress. Sooner or later someone will notice us and sooner or later the whole world will follow us because we have finally found THE WAY TO WORLD PEACE. The question no longer is WHO, but WHAT are our common enemies. All human beings are on the same side, and world peace is everyone's goal. What could be better than this? "Our-Side" author, Larry Sands MacDonald, wearing his UNICEF necktie, pictured at the Secretary General's chair in the Security Council, July 27, 2001, during his return to the United Nations.

I thank Kenny Rosario and Jim Sutterlin for listening on behalf of Kofi Annan. It would be great if they could convince Kofi Annan to read this short book and come to "Shangri-La Sheboygan" to join us and join UP. Perhaps he would participate in the July 4th, 2006 parade and dedication of our new "Peace Pole Park" where the parade ends and the Road to World Peace begins. The media and the whole world would surely follow him.Larry Sands MacDonald (Mr. Sandman)