Remember Prices Paid for Independence
(July 5, 2010) |
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Army Photo |
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WASHINGTON, July 2, 2010 - On the Fourth of July, the nation will celebrate
its 234th birthday. For most of us, the coming weekend will be filled with
family gatherings, festivals and fireworks.
While we enjoy our freedoms here in the states, U.S. military members
around the world are patrolling deserts, flying in darkness, navigating the high
seas and risking their lives in far-off places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
The following commentary is an attempt to put that aspect of America's
independence into perspective and offer an expression of gratitude for all that
American warfighters have done and continue to do. |
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To the Warfighter:
You may be taking cover in some abandoned building in Iraq
or the occupant of a tent in the mountains of Afghanistan.
Because you are there and not here, you may be oblivious to
the Fourth of July celebrations that will take place in the
states.
Parades, barbecues and baseball games will dominate the day
- one in which people celebrate the nation's birth and
simultaneously exercise their freedoms.
For the time being, your freedom has been put on hold.
You're on watch, on patrol or in the midst of a dangerous
mission. You have been pushed to the far reaches of your
physical and mental capacities. More than once, you've
questioned your place and purpose.
That's OK. It's part of your evolution as a Soldier.
Our nation's finest raise their hands to join the military
for many reasons: to provide for their families, get money
for college, gain financial security or get job training, to
name a few.
Serving one's country, however, should be the principal
reason to don a uniform. Simply put, the country and the
freedoms it has earned provide the liberties to fulfill all
that we desire.
Protecting those freedoms requires military fighting men and
women to submit to more than a casual idea of service.
Fighting and winning wars absolutely demands your heart,
something far greater than what may be required of a nine to
five.
Maybe you considered it when you marched 10 miles up the
side of a mountain only to walk into an ambush and
subsequent firefight that lasted three days.
Perhaps you pondered it when you and your unit brought food
to starving villagers.
Or you came to grips with it when you held your battle buddy
as he muttered his last words.
However horrific or gratifying, episodes like those may help
to clarify your purpose. It becomes clear that all that talk
about freedom isn't just talk. It's real. You've seen lives
and places without it, and it's disconcerting. You're
grateful that you are an American.
Such experiences also bring to light how we achieved our
freedom. Who was it that sacrificed so much to get us where
we are? And where do I fit in that equation?
Your service is intertwined with the growth and success of
this nation. To understand it, you'll have to summon the
suffering of George Washington's ragtag, frostbitten Army at
Valley Forge and how it survived the winter of 1777-78.
How black Soldiers risked their lives during World War II
despite being treated as second-class citizens at home.
How during the Vietnam War a wounded Sgt. 1st Class Robert
L. Howard crawled under enemy fire to aid his wounded
platoon leader then took over as commander and repulsed an
attack.
Why did they fight? Where did they get the power and
inspiration to stand valiantly against the odds?
You could dismiss the notion that they did it for any kind
of material gain. No amount of money could ever be enough to
pay for the mountain of deeds they performed or the risk to
life and limb they incurred. No, there was something bigger
at stake than their personal lives.
We like to think the United States is the greatest country
on earth. Maybe it is, but that's not to say that it is
perfect. No country is, however, it is one full of
potential, one constantly evolving to become a more perfect
union, worth fighting for, worth dying for.
These are ideas you have to carry with you into battle. You
have to embrace it, live it and breathe it. Let it be your
inspiration and your mantra to endure, your reason to serve.
Your sacrifice, your unselfish ambition to hoist the ideas
of freedom above your own personal desires makes a day of
parades, barbecues and baseball possible.
You'll eventually arrive at this truth, if you haven't
already.
Sadly, some never will. They'll celebrate the Fourth and
never give a second thought to you or your battle buddies.
They'll be oblivious to the purpose of the celebration in
the first place.
That's OK. You've allowed them the freedom to exercise
ignorance.
You won't forget, however, nor will others. You'll carry the
precious experiences of battle with you for the rest of your
life. Your efforts will become a conglomeration of those who
came before you, part of the single most important force in
the perpetuation of American ideals and the most important
element in American prosperity.
That's cause to tuck in your underbelly, expand your chest
and walk with reverence.
You have earned the right to say, "Happy Birthday, America." | |
By T. Anthony Bell
Department of Defense Community
Relations
Copyright 2010
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