July 4th - to Americans, it’s Independence Day - the day we celebrate the birth of our country, signified by the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and telling King George to go to hell. Most people celebrate it with parades, fireworks, going camping or to the beach with the family - just another day off from work. Not many even bother to think back to what actually happened to give the people of this country their freedom, and the hell our forefathers went through. It’s taught in High School, and History majors in college might learn more about it - but once exams are done, all too often it’s usually forgotten. Many of us military veterans do remember it, cause of the bond we do share - a common bond of service to our country, to protect the rights of the citizens - ordinary people like you, like me, and like our forefathers. I received this email first from someone who I only know from the name on the email - John Riddle - and a couple of days later I also got it from Bundy himself. I informed him that I planned to put it in a post on the Fort, not only to continue a tradition he had started, but because I feel the same way about things he does.
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners;
men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of
Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they
were captured.Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and
trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold
his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.Thomas
McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his
family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and
his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and
poverty was his reward.Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At
the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr, noted that the British
General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters.
He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was
destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John
Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their 13
children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid
to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning
home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later
he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston
suffered similar fates.Such were the stories and sacrifices of
the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing
ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had
security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and
unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with
firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually
pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."They
gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never
told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn’t
fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we
fought our own government! Some of us take these liberties so much for
granted, but we shouldn’t. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your
4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It’s not much to
ask for the price they paid.
Now, I’m not asking you all to get all gung-ho and patriotic all the sudden - entirely too much to ask in this day and age. All I’d like, is for you readers to take a brief moment to consider the character of these brave men, and ask yourself "would I have the same strength of will to stand up for my beliefs like they did?" These men were soldiers too, fighting for what they believed in, and many paid a horrible price. They fought not only for themselves, but for their families, their neighbors - for everyone who believed in that way of life. They were all heroes, and not all got monuments or holidays named after themselves. Very few real heroes get the accolades they deserve. The common soldier, or policeman, fireman, paramedic, schoolteacher, father, mother - these folks are heroes too. They fight their own battles every day - stalwart, not complaining, doing the best they can all the time, whenever they are needed.
America does NOT have a monopoly on heroes, either. The soldiers of all countries are viewed as heroes by their people, whether it’s the USA, Canada, England, France, Germany, Israel, Russia, Italy - or any other country. Their members serve to protect the way of life of the people of their beloved homelands, whether they have mandatory service, or they are volunteers. In wartime or in peace, they stand ready to defend. The same is true of all the other people I mentioned above - they all do their part, what they see as their duty. And I salute them all.
So, with all this rambling, what exactly is Tot trying to say? Yes, it is Independence Day here in America - but even if you are not a citizen of the USA, take a moment today, to think to yourself of someone you consider a hero, who gave of themselves for the betterment of other people. And if you can’t thank them in person - thank them in your head, for what they did, and might continue to do. It won’t take long, and you might discover something about yourself you never knew before, while doing it. And to all the people that read what I rant about here - I thank you as well.
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