THE UNBROKEN AMERICAN SPIRIT

I wrote and published this (and a Thanksgiving version) after 9/11. This blog also seems to be a good home for it as we remember our past and present military hero's, all famous for their sacifices rendered in defense of this nation and at times, a nation that can be grateful and ungrateful. Let us Thank God this 4th of July for our service personnel - all hero's in my eyes.

As I was told of the story Valley Forge and Bunker Hill,
a relative endured the savage cold of winter, and the hot,
violent air of battle to give birth to a new nation.
The Unbroken American Spirit.

As I was told of the story of Shiloh and the thousands
of American men that died there that day. A relative
learned the meaning of ultimate sacrifice for the unity
of a nation. His grave honors that battlefield.
The Unbroken American Spirit.

As I was told of the horrors of mustard gas and poison.
A relative experienced the gas in the fields of France
and lived the rest of his life in the Southwest due to
the damage done to his lungs. Never to return to his
Great Lakes home.
The Unbroken American Spirit.

As I was told of the battles in the jungles of the Pacific,
a relative went to meet the enemy in the jungle to defend
the daughter that would someday become my mother.
The Unbroken American Spirit.

As I was told of the desperate conditions of the Pusan
Perimeter, a relative slung his rifle over his shoulder
and went out to drive the horde back to save the freedom
and culture of a people that were not his own.
The Unbroken American Spirit.

As I was told of the violent air battles over Vietnam, I
saw the names of classmates and roommates that perished
defending freedom in a time when it was unpopular. I stood
there and silently watched my Father as he touched those
names on that wall in Washington.
The Unbroken American Spirit.

As I heard about a command plane that took a near hit over
the skies of Bosnia with damage that forced it to land in
a hostile environment. I knew my younger sister had learned
what service to country can really mean.
The Unbroken American Spirit.

As I tell my child and other younger people some day about
the events of September 11, 2001. I will tell them about
the heroism of the police and firefighters that paid the
ultimate price to defend and rescue their fellow citizens,
and the ordinary people that rose up and came together to
become again, "One Nation Under God".
The Unbroken American Spirit.