I must confess that the Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. Growing up, I loved everything about it. The firework shows were always a lot of fun and the barbecues always seemed so much more yummy on the fourth than on any other day of the year. I still get crazy excited about that aspect of this holiday. There are, however, more substantial reasons for being a major fan of July 4th.
I am a history nerd. I love learning about history. When my family lived in Bosnia, we got to tour some places in Europe. My favorite place? The bunkers on the beaches outside of Dunkirk that were used by the Germans in World War II. I thought it was just so cool to be standing in a physical reminder of the price our country has paid not only for our freedom, but for the freedom of so many others. That is something we as Americans do well. We see the value of liberty and it makes us hardheaded. We don't settle for less.
When it comes down to it, our freedoms were bought with the lives of men who were willing to lay down their own to prevent their families and their descendants from having to live under brutal tyranny. America was colonized originally for religious freedom. Our ancestors came here where they could be free to worship without fear of persecution. Eventually, that persecution followed them with the British rule. King George set up colonies in what eventually become the original 13 states. The people were made to believe that they were being equally represented in the British parliament. When it became apparent that that was not the case, they fought back. Initially, their fighting was in small demonstrations...if you call things like the Boston Tea Party small. King George levied taxes and established laws that our forefathers did not have a hand in making. Now, they could have chosen to wait it out and hope that things would get better. They knew, as so many of us still know, that government should be of the people, by the people, and for the people and that a monarch an entire ocean away was not what was right. They wanted freedom.
On July 4th, 1776, the first continental congress signed a Declaration of Independence. In it, they listed everything that had been done that had forced them into making such a decision. They also listed their belief that all men are created equal and are endowed with certain rights that no one had any right in taking from them. The most amazing thing to me is that these men didn't just arbitrarily decide to plunge their fellow Americans into war without trying other avenues first. They'd tried for several years to get King George to work with them. Like Pharaoh and the Hebrews, King George was not interested in negotiating. So they did the only thing they could do. They cut ties and fought for Independence.
In the 1700s, warfare was much less, and in some cases much more, sophisticated than our current methods. At the time, the colonies didn't have a professional army or navy. They relied on militiamen. In my mind, that was probably the best thing they could have done. A man fighting for his family and his home is much more determined to succeed than a soldier simply being paid to fight. A regular army was formed on June 14, 1775. The Continental Congress appointed George Washington as its Commander-In-Chief. Washington knew the value of militia and utilized them for short stints while coordinating his own army. On November 10, 1775, the United States Marine Corps was formed at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia. At the beginning of 1776, Washington's army had 20,000 men, one-third of which were state militia. 20,000 men volunteered and fought for freedom against the much more rigorously trained British redcoats. Before the end of the war, 250,000 men served as regulars or militiamen during the eight years of the wars duration. Think about it. Right now, that's not a lot of people in a war. At the time? That's incredible.
Eight years after a handful of men took the initial step toward freedom, the British were defeated and we were free. We established our own form of government and adopted a constitution of rights and laws. Throughout history, our country has fought many times to maintain that hard earned freedom. In 1812, we again went to war with the British. In 1860, South Carolina seceded from the union and was quickly followed a month later by many other Southern states, beginning the most devastating war in our history. More American lives were lost in the Civil War than all the other wars combined. Brother fought brother. Each side believed they were in the right. Our constitution was put to the test. Are all men created equal no matter his color? Again, thanks to men willing to lay down their lives for the freedom of others, that questioned was answered with a resounding Yes!
Irony is a funny thing. In the early 20th century, Germany declared war on the world. Old grudges were momentarily laid aside and the United States of America came to the aid of all European countries and fought for their freedom. This action was repeated when Hitler took control of Germany and declared war on the world for a second time. The United States was understandably leery of joining, but did so enthusiastically when Japan sucker-punched us on December 7, 1941. Try as they might though, they were unable to defend against the countless numbers of men and women who heeded the call for soldiers to fight for freedom. So many of that generation went willingly into battle, knowing the likelihood of their own return home was not great, but doing it anyway. They knew that freedom isn't free and were willing to pay the price. Many of them did.
Our country has fought for others freedoms many times since then. My grandfather fought in Korea with the Marine Corps. We fought for the South Vietnamese. We fought for the Iraqis twice. Seeing a pattern?
Our country and our people are the home of the free BECAUSE of the brave. Men and women of valor have stood up to tyranny and injustice and fought back and won on countless occasions. Think about that the next time you see a flag waving or sing the national anthem.
The Star-Spangled Banner Verse 3:
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
