With the upcoming Memorial Day celebration come memories of battles on this continent that have helped shape the nation, where our ancestors fought and died to protect our freedoms. It is sobering to think that we would take up arms against each other in the Civil War, but such was the case, and despite negotiations, that war honors the sacrifices that kept the nation together, in hopes that it should never be separated.
It is a troubled time again when quotes such as “The only united cause in this country is the fight against cancer” are heard amidst the grumbling. I disagree, and feel that regardless of our differences and diversity, “One nation, under God” will prevail.
Some of the historic battlefields mentioned this month in American Legion Magazine include the Yorktown Monument, which was the site of the last battle of the Revolutionary War, and Fort Sumter, where the first shot of the Civil War was fired. Closer, and just as important: the Alamo. Located in San Antonio, it was the site of a losing battle fought to secure Texas’ independence from Mexico. Further east are Gettysburg and Antietam, where monuments to the civil war sadly commemorate the two bloodiest battles.
We must constantly remind ourselves that those sacrifices are what make us great. My Grandfather Webster was born the day Gettysburg began, July 1, 1863. Sadly, I never met him as he died in 1932.
Contrary to rumor, I was born a good deal later.
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