Thursday, July 3, 2008

Freedom & The 4th Of July

Freedom & The 4th Of July
In Honor of those who have gone before us into the dark night.......

"When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation." From "The Declaration Of Independence".

In a letter from John Adams to his wife, Abigail, on July 3, 1776, as the Declaration of Independence had just been approved. "It ought to be commemorated," said the man who would become our second president, "as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will triumph in that Day's Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not."

I recently read "Flags Of Our Fathers" and it got me to thinking about the cost of our Freedom in terms of human life. Whenever I hear some war protester exercising their freedom of speech to use the deaths of our brave men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan to justify their protest against the war I get very angry! How dare they! It is clearly apparent to me that these people have no idea what it has taken over the course of our history to secure that Freedom for them and countless other people around the world.
The next time you meet one of these ingrates, present them with these figures and explain to them that these are friends and family of their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents that gave their lives in the cause of Freedom. Kindly ask them if they have ever thought of it this way; That they have the freedom to protest paid for by the blood and lives of people who they didn't even know.

This 4th of July, remember them, and remember; Freedom Isn't Free!


WWII Losses for the USA

Battle deaths were 292,131, Army 234,874, Navy 36,950, Marine Corps 19,733, Coast Guard 574, and United States Army Air Forces (included in Army) 52,173[69][16,584]
The United States Merchant Marine war dead of 9,521 are included with military losses .[79].
During World War Two 1.2 million African Americans served in the Armed Forces and 708 were killed in combat. 350,000 American women served in the military during World War Two and 16 were killed in action.[16,584-585]

Korean War; 36,516 dead


Vietnam War; 58,209 KIA and other dead

Figures are from; http://en.wikipedia.org


These are only figures from the most recent wars in our long history as a nation, they are staggering enough in their numbers. I could have researched them all, but I wanted to point out the ones that the living still remember. The fight to preserve Freedom never ends! It will always have a cost, and that cost is always paid in blood!

For the Fallen; May God forever hold them in His hands.

For God & Country!
Infidel Dog

1 comment:

Fire Base America said...

Hey good post. Wasn't the book 'Flags of Our Fathers' four times better than the movie!?

It was hard to put down and sobering.