On the 4th of July we celebrate American Independence, the birth of our nation. It is the day The Declaration of Independence was signed, and it is our national WHY? Why our forefathers broke from the King of England and embarked upon the creation of a new nation. In it, we declared to the world that: 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.
On September 17th some, though very few any more, celebrate our national HOW, The United States Constitution. After achieving a most unlikely victory over the most powerful nation on earth, how were these thirteen loosely tied colonies to form a lasting bond and not devolve into separated nation states? We the people created a system of Federal government in order to provide and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.
In schools across the country children recite The Pledge of Allegiance, our national WHAT? I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all. Thirty-one simple, powerful words that encompass what we, as Americans, strive to achieve.
On Memorial Day, we celebrate the WHO, those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, in order that we might be able to still enjoy the freedom and liberty enshrined in the Pledge of Allegiance, The Declaration of Independence, and The United States Constitution. Without those that have been willing to serve and protect our country from enemies, foreign and domestic; without the WHO, we would no longer be able to celebrate the WHAT, WHY, and HOW. That is why we celebrate Memorial Day.
On this Memorial Day, let us not forget to remember that those WHO serve our country do so, WHEN and WHERE they are required without complaint or hesitation. It is right and good that we honor and celebrate those that have, and those that are serving our country.
