Everyone everywhere has a 4th of July,

but we here in the good ole USA have Independence Day, which just happens to fall on the 4th of July.. I choose to celebrate Independence Day rather than the 4th of July,

It'll be here before ya' know it...! No matter your political views, we all have a wonderful country, history & heritage to celebrate. We also have a fine military to thank for helping keep it safe & FREE! Many of them are working today to allow you to enjoy the party...



I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ,
AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE,
WITH LIBERTYAND JUSTICE FOR ALL!



For all of our other military personnel, where ever they may be.
Please Support all of the troops defending our Country.

God Bless our Military who are protecting our Country for our Freedom.
Thanks to them, and their sacrifices, we can continue to celebrate the 4th of July.

We must never forget who gets the 'credit' for the freedoms we have, of which we should be eternally grateful.


I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform;
So young, so tall, so proud.
With hair cut square and eyes alert,
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him
had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil;
How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
NO, FREEDOM ISN'T "FREE" !

I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still.
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant 'Amen.'
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea.
Of unmarked graves in Arlington .
NO FREEDOM ISN'T FREE

NOTE...This poem is important to Kelly Strong... because he wrote it as a high school senior (JROTC cadet) at Homestead High, Homestead, FL. in 1981. It is a tribute to his father, a career marine who served two tours in Vietnam. When he finds others trying to take credit for the authorship of the poem, Kelly sees it as a dishonor to the man who inspired the poem, his Dad.

Kelly is now an active duty Coast Guard pilot living in Mobile and serving at the US Coast Guard Aviation Training Center. He has three kids and a great wife, Najwa, who just completed work at the Miami VA clinic as a physical therapist.



Enjoy Your Freedom And God Bless Our Troops.

Please stop for a moment And say a prayer for our servicemen

hopefully you will stop and thank the Lord for your blessings before you
enjoy your holiday fare... one of the blessing you should thank him for are the brave men and women who protect us day and nite.

Of all the gifts you could give a U.S. Soldier, Prayer is the very best one.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY FTE !

JOHN

 

Thanks! Great post. Happy 4th!

 

John, you my friend are truly a man of words that many are unable to convay, thanks John, Garry USMC Retired.

 

ya and it means another year older. god bless america long live the free

 

Thanks, John. Well said. Happy Independence Day.......

Gil.....USAF Retired

 

[QUOTE=jniolon;13310169]Everyone everywhere has a 4th of July,
but we here in the good ole USA have Independence Day, which just happens to fall on the 4th of July.. I choose to celebrate Independence Day rather than the 4th of July. [QUOTE=jniolon;13310169]


I used to ask my history students if England has a Fourth of July. Of course they said "No." And I would say "Yes they do it comes after the 3rd of July."

Niolon, Thanks for the inspirational words, lest we forget the real meaning of this day. Our founding fathers put everything on the line when they signed that paper in Philly. If we lost the war they would have lost everything including their lives as they were rebels and traitors to the King. Even so, some did suffer greatly at the hands of the British.

I would also ask my students where was the Declaration of Independence signed and of course they would say "Philadelphia." And I would say, "it was signed at the bottom!"

 

Thanks John, Good Post, Have a great 4th of July.

 

Great post. This sentiment does not seem to be promoted like it should.
I don't think the younger generation realizes what our founders sacrificed to give us our freedoms. Now it seems popular to drag down our founders, yes they weren't perfect but they didn't do it for money and power like our "leaders" today.

Sorry, started to rant a little.
Enjoy your Independence Day.

 

Very well said for "Liberation from England Day"

Matt- 6 year Army Engineer

 

I'm afraid all too soon they will realize what 'giving up' really means... maybe not their lives, but for sure their way of life... it reminds me of the story about catching wild hogs... putting up fences oneside at a time while feeding them all they want... I think three sides of the fence are up already. !!!! really sad, because most of the population will either starve or whine themselves to death.

j

 

Great post as always, John!

Happy Independence Day!

 

I consider none more patriotic than I and being a veteran myself I can certainly appreciate and acknowledge what our military does to keep us free. But Independence Day would not exist without our Founding Fathers and their fortitude and courage. They have fallen out of favor in our politically correct schools and society but that does not change the fact that but for these men July 4th would follow the 3rd as it does everywhere else on the globe and have no significance in the western hemisphere.

Happy Independence Day to one and all. God Bless America!

 

Happy Independence Day from Canada.

 

 

excellent video Dick.... thanks for sharing... I miss RR

j