Independence Day Observance

Posted by Tina Grazier

National Review Online features Why We Fight-a gathering of patriots to commemorate this 4th of July Holiday. I thought you might enjoy reading what good men have to say about their motives for defending our nation. A sampling:

One of my very first military operations was flying into Grenada on the first day of President Ronald Reagans bold intervention to stem Communism in the Caribbean. I had fellow Americans depending on me, and I was mutually dependent on them. Its a bond that defies description, a kinship and an understanding that only those who share common experiences and common losses can understand. If I didnt have it before, I certainly had it from that point on an overwhelming pride in my country and in my fellow servicemen and women. Whether it was through operations in Somalia, Bosnia, or Haiti, I was honored to lead the finest Americans I have ever known and it was my privilege to serve our nation for the betterment of peoples everywhere. – Robert Buzz Patterson is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force

On July 4, 1776, our Founding Fathers set in train a series of events whose outcome, it is always essential to recall, was not preordained. Enormous effort and endless sacrifice eventually secured victory. Today these same qualities are required of every American in the face of a sinister enemy who kills without mercy. The Revolutionary War was fought for independence. The War on Islamic Terror is waged to defend our liberty, and all that is decent in democratic life. – Joseph Morrison Skelly is a history professor in New York City. An officer in the United States Army Reserve

Iraq and its people have a special place in the heart and psyche of many American Marines and soldiers. For those Marines and soldiers who are outside the wire or work with Iraqis daily, the bond gets tighter every day. Marines and soldiers see themselves as protectors of the Iraqi people until such time as they can collectively protect themselves. *** While we are here, we will do everything to prevent the evil and the wicked from taking this country and its people because they are worth fighting for. – Tony Licari is a captain in the United States Marine Corps, currently serving in Iraq.