After last night’s fireworks display in my neighborhood, around the Taylorsville and West Jordan area, I am pretty sure that I know how the Germans felt after being shelled for hours on end just prior to D-Day. Or in a more American vein, how the center line at Gettysburg felt as they were bombarded by the Confederacy for three hours just prior to the infamous Pickett’s Charge.
I am just saying that there was likely more firepower shot off last night in this area than in the initial phases of the Shock and Awe campaign in Iraq.
I love the 4th of July! It is amazing! And not just because I have an enduring love for all things artillery. I live in a great nation that I truly am proud to be a part of. I love my country!
A couple of weeks ago after a grueling session of Stake Conference (I am in the Stake IT group. We have had some problems with our between building transmissions….) I was rewarded with a wonderful, glorious loud long buzzing! I heard it long before I saw it. And I knew exactly what it was. That sound cuts through my soul like the roar of a lion. Only twice in my life have I seen an American B-17 Bomber from World War II in flight. Each time it has brought a tear to my eye. It is truly a glorious sight.
Seeing these planes makes me think of a simpler time. In my opinion, a better time. It was certainly a time of people who possessed great courage and character.
Back then, stepping into one of these aircraft meant you were certainly putting your life on the line. You were entering a plane that had no pressurization and no heater. At a certain elevation you would be warmer in your Kelvinator. You were also certain to be subjected to mile after mile of flak (anti-aircraft artillery) and enemy fighter planes which were much lighter and quicker than the Flying Fortress that you had embedded yourself in. I have seen pictures of these planes that returned to England with pieces of German fighter plane stuck in their fuselage. I have even seen pictures of these planes that landed that had the entire front of the aircraft torn off. The B-17 was a tough airplane. But it was also slow and vulnerable. If it was unlucky enough to be shot down very few of its crew were likely to make it out of the dying plane.
Lots of these men never came home. My point is, they never questioned what they were called to do whether they were Army, Navy Air Force, Marines or any of the other branches of the service that protected our nation during that turbulent time. They stepped up to defend the freedom of our nation and other nations whose freedoms were threatened by tyranny.
The bodies of American soldiers line the fields of France as proof of this.
Some time ago my brother and sister-in-law and I were up wandering the Salt Lake City Cemetery looking for family names for our genealogy. As I was walking across the cemetery something gold and blue caught my eye. I know that symbol. It is the symbol for the Congressional Medal of Honor. Instinctively I stopped to look. After all here lay one of our nation’s finest. It was then that my heart stopped. The death date on this marker was December 7th 1941. This soldier’s medal was issued posthumously.
I realize this post has a bit of a more serious vein than usual. I offer no apologies for this. I instead offer two challenges to anyone who has a chance to read this. First always remember that freedom is not free! For each freedom that we enjoy on a daily basis someone paid the ultimate price. Honor those lives daily by not just being a good citizen, but by being a patriot. Love and be thankful for our great nation every day!
Second, if you get the opportunity, seek out someone who served our country. See if you can get them to talk to you about their experiences. Some may not. It’s hard for them to do so. Some I am sure hold it in out of humility. Growing up my neighbor had flown fighter planes in the Pacific. In all of the mock battles that I set up in my yard, which I am sure that he saw, he never once mentioned that. My family only found out about it after his funeral. But if they do speak about their experiences, you are in for an event that will change your life. In my opinion these men are shining examples of what we should all aspire to be!
Thank you.
God Bless The U.S.A.!
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