Happy 4th of July

July 2, 2018

This year I thought I’d do a little research on the 4^th of July. Specifically, I wanted to learn more about the document that started it all, the Declaration of Independence. During my study I found that Elizabeth Harrison wrote a most informative piece entitled, 9 Things You May Not Know About the Declaration of Independence.

I already knew that 242 years ago, 56 brave Americans signed the document authored by Thomas Jefferson. Actually the 2^nd Continental Congress met on July 1, 1776, and on the next day 12 of the 13 colonies approved this motion for Independence. However, I was surprised to learn that the document wasn’t accepted as Jefferson originally wrote it.

A Continental Congress of Substance

They debated and revised, and it wasn’t approved until two days later. Then, even though it’s dated July 4^th, it took several weeks after that for all of the delegates to sign it. I was also surprised at the age difference of the signers. The oldest delegate was Benjamin Franklin (70) and the youngest was South Carolina lawyer, Edward Rutledge at 26. Yet despite these differences they were all of one mind when they pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor.

What I find most interesting is that several hundred copies of the Declaration were printed on July 4^th. In fact, an original copy was discovered in 1989, hidden in the back of a $4 picture someone bought at a flea market. It eventually sold for $8.1 million.

Our Nation’s Birth Certificate

That price made me wonder why this document is so valuable. Certainly there’s the antique value of a document that old, but it’s more than that. The Declaration of Independence is our nation’s birth certificate. It’s a statement of freedom both for our country and our citizens.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

I look forward to this celebration like I do every year. We’ll share in the festivities at the home of our good friends Bob and Sue. They’ll organize games for the kids, and there’ll be swimming, cornhole, great food and fireworks. As part of their kitchen centerpiece, they’ll have a replica copy of the Declaration of Independence. It’s a reminder of the freedom we enjoy and the freedom Americans fought and sacrificed for throughout our history.

Heroes Among Us

Certainly Bob knows something about fighting for freedom, having served as a Marine during the Vietnam era. Bart will also be there with his family. He served for 20 years as a Navy Pilot and his sons-in-law, Andy and John, also served 20 years. Along with those guys will be Jay, a 20-year Air Force veteran and Ken with 20-years in the Navy. Then there is my son-in-law Brian, who is currently a Lieutenant Colonel and a pilot in the US Marine Corps. He leads a dual command and has one deployment to Okinawa and two to Iraq. He’ll be there too. Finally my father-in-law, who survived the Bataan Death March and 3.5 years in Japanese captivity, won’t be there. But we’ll celebrate his service as well.

Of course, there’ll be plenty of people like me there who have not served. However, they’ll all be aware of the service and dedication of these men in support of our freedom. No doubt, this will be a great day of rest and celebration, but we must also remember that we enjoy this day because others around us have so selflessly fought to preserve our freedom.

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Happy 4th of July

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