Independence Day 2024

Each year I try to write something about how our country achieved independence and came to be. I review past writings to see if I can create anything new, or at least not be too repetitive.

So, this year I will be nearly completely repetitive! I found this from 2017.

"The Independence Day celebration is always a bit of a mixed bag for me.

I remember as a kid how much it meant to me and my anticipation and worry about if my folks would take me somewhere to see fireworks? Usually, they did, but I always worried.

As an adult, it seems important to continue these traditions and to honor those that have allowed us to retain our independence. Vietnam and more recent wars have never really seemed to be about our independence and we all know the questions, right or wrong, about whether or not we should be engaged in wars of dubious intent and outcome.

As a Grandparent, I want my grand kids to know and understand what Independence Day is all about and to enjoy their thrill at all the festivities.

As a 'Nam vet, well that is a completely different matter all together.

I hate the noise, and God, I hate the smell, and what it has all come to represent for me. So, each year I wrestle with the question of what am I going to do?

I don't want to go.

I know many vets that feel the same way.

But, the grandchildren love it, just as I did all those many summers ago, How many years will I get to treasure their joy as they grow up and away? Also, I do not ever want to pass on my anxiety, so I work to keep it masked from them.

So, today, I will swallow what I feel and take my girls to the fireworks and concert in our area and watch them laugh and thrill to it all.

And, I will hope that they are never burdened with their own memories and doubts.

I hope you all have a great day."

Jefferson statue at Williamson, Va.

OK, on a lighter note, a quiz.

When was the Declaration of Independence signed?

July 4th, right?

Well, no.

It was signed on July 2nd and sent to the printer. He didn't get around to printing it until the 4th and, hence, used that date. So, the rest as they say.....

Detail from Jefferson's writing

2024 Update: 

My girls are older now. The eldest is finishing a degree in Cybersecurity and the younger one, currently, wants to be a Large Animal Veterinarian, so I guess it all worked out.

Now, I don't have to go to fireworks and all that so, I don't. That doesn't change even as my girls grow and prosper.

Next time on July 9th, we will retrace our steps to Michigan's Heck Park, so join me there at 9:00am.

To see Vietnam memorials from any state just click the state name on the left side of this page and please note that Canada, Ireland, and Puerto Rico have been added to the list.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a  number of you, like Joan from Wisconsin, Tony from Texas, Mike from Maryland, Ron, and Molly from Florida have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here. Thanks, once again, to all who have contributed.

Independence Day 2015

Followers know that at certain times of the year I choose to write about something other than Vietnam Memorials; Thanksgiving, Christmas, Veteran's Day, Memorials Day and others.

I have been thinking a lot recently about Independence Day and what it means. I guess if we asked 100 people we might get 100 different answers, but I think that it represents the bravery and thoughtful consideration of some very great men. Men who wanted freedom from tyranny and freedom to make their own choices, to establish rights for the common people, to live as they chose to live. A struggle that continues to this very day.

It got me thinking about how many have been willing to defend, often to their death, this dream. I went looking for this information and was, quite honestly, astonished at the numbers and some of the events, which I had never even heard of prior to seeing the list.

The numbers are staggering.

Since 1775, 664,440 have been lost in combat, more, 673,929 were lost to other war related incidents for a total of 1,354,644 lost, add to that the wounded and it doubles, again, 2,852,901.

These numbers are, of course, not exact or completely up to date as they change all the time. Recently, in May of 2015 several more names were added to the Vietnam Memorial, bringing the total to over 58, 300.

Vietnam ranks as the 4th highest loss rate of American wars, behind only the Civil Wat, WWI and WWII. Korea is 5th on the list and cost almost as many as Vietnam, but in far fewer years. Vietnam averaged 11 deaths a day while Korea averaged 45.

So, as we celebrate our founding and our freedoms lets also remember and honor the, literally, millions who made them possible.

Here, if you are interested, is the source of this information. Wiki is often criticized for inaccuracy and as I said these numbers can never really be known, but the number of involvements is astonishing, so check it out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_casualties_of_war

The 4th of July was one of my favorite holidays in my youth. Summer, school was out, picnics, hot dogs and watermelon and fireworks, what kid could ask for more. Then, of course, I didn't really, deeply. fully, understand about the sacrifice, pain, and death that all of this encompassed. Now, I have a better idea and it saddens me. I don't much care for the holiday any longer. It is not that I don't respect and treasure the Founding Fathers, their efforts and the costs paid by those supporting these new ideas, no, it is that I no longer like the smell of the fireworks or the noise associated with them. It brings back too mush. I go every year because my son, years ago, and now his children, like all children, like me as a boy, enjoy it. I hope every year that just maybe this year will be better, but it never is. Sometimes, later in the evening, I watch the rerun of the fireworks on The Mall in D.C. on PBS and this is usually better; No noise, no smell of cordite. I will continue to go for the kids as long as they are interested, but am not sure what will happen after that. Perhaps, I will have moved on some more and it will be OK, but I doubt it, after all, it has been 50 years. I have no way to elegantly end this, so...

I'll end with a little historical side note.

Sometimes, it seems even the things we think we know are not so! We celebrate Independence Day, the day the Declaration of Independence was signed, on July 4th, but that is not the actual day the Declaration
was signed. It was signed on July 2nd, but the printer did not get around to printing it until the 4th, hence he dated it the 4th and the rest as we say, is history!

Next time, on the 9th we will return to South Dakota, so join me there at 9:00am.

To see Vietnam memorials from any state, click the state name on the left side of this page.