Happy Independence Day

With all the cook outs, fireworks, and parades going on this weekend, there is a deeper meaning to the Fourth of July that is sometimes easy to overlook.

"For me, it means family time, and appreciating the ones that you love,".  Celebrating July 4th from the battlefield is ironic and profound.

The true meaning of Independence Day takes us back more than 230 years when the Founding Fathers adopted the Declaration of Independence, and we started a very rocky road to freedom.  Along the way we refined freedom many times, we engaged in a Civil War to end slavery and to unite our Country, Vietnam Era, WW1 and 2, Civil Rights Movement,  and granted civil liberties to women and minorities populations, etc.  Any road to freedom and independence is a challenge and Americans die and sacrifice along the way. 

Independence Day is a dynamic holiday! Although we celebrate it once a year with parades, cook outs, etc, we have to remember that it did not happen over night. We also have to remember that we continue to refine and redefine freedom and independence every day.

It's very heart-wrenching to see a lot of our fallen comrades, as well as people sacrificing their lives for us to enjoy the Fourth.  Men and Women have been doing this since the beginning of our country and will have to continue this unfortunate sacrifice because freedom and civil liberties are dynamic and not free and change as we change or as others' without the same prospective and desired way of life... force us to change and adapt. However, we maintain the notion that "America believes in FREEDOM".

The day that we decide not to adapt will be the day that our freedoms and lives that we know it and enjoy it;  begin to change in a way that may compromise our freedom.

War is not desired and not very popular, it has never been desired and popular.  However, I am proud to be here in Afghanistan serving our country along side of thousands of like minded Americans to ensure that our children and their children will be able to celebrate July 4th in the future.  You may ask "Is it possible for us not to have the freedom and liberties that would not allow us to celebrate Christmas, July 4th, etc?".

Of course it is possible, if we become passive and allow others whether outside or inside America to slowly erode our freedom.

Recently, a family and their close friends & villagers were preparing for a wedding celebration in a nearby Afghan village.  Unknown to them, a suicide bomber walked in, detonated a bomb killing many and wounding many many more.  Were their lives changed forever?  Why and how did this happen? Did they become passive, which allowed the Tabilan and extremists to contaminate their society?

Read a newspaper or watch the news, many many other Countries around the world are allowing their freedom to be eroded every day.  Did 9/11 change our lives forever?

Will we reset to a passive mind set and allow our freedom and liberty to be continually eroded away? Will we urgue among ourselves as to the best way to defend our freedom?

True Meaning Of July 4th At Times Easy To Overlook!

Stay Safe and as you enjoy the festivities and remember the Men and Women currently and in our past who died and who were forever changed to ensure that America was and continues to be the greatest Nation on Earth under GOD!

Selfless Service,

Robert