Happy Fourth of July!
For the past six years I have had the privilege and honor of meeting many of the young men and women who are volunteering to serve our great county and keep us strong, safe, and free. Today I want to thank them and all who now serve and have served in the United States Armed Services.
As soon as these men and women pass their medical qualifying exam they take the following oath:
I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed.
Those I see come from all over this part of the Southeast – Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, even an occasional candidate makes his way from Illinois, Mississippi, of Florida.
Although most of them are late teens, but we see some of every age. The oldest I have seen was a man of 52. He had served for 12 years earlier in life and decided to put in 8 more so he could receive retirement benefits. (Seems kind of strange that a congressman can get retirements benefits after five years at age 62).
They come in every color. I have seen Americans of every race, background, religion, nationality, social economic background, and educational level. Many non-citizens come to serve their adopted country; I have seen some from Mexico, Canada, Norway, Germany, England, Saudi- Arabia, Kuwait, and other Mid-east countries. I am sure there are some from other countries too, but these are some of the homelands I remember.
They all come to serve what they think is the greatest country in the world. Some, no doubt, will make the ultimate sacrifice.
Today there is division in our country between the liberal and the more conservative. Many think this divide pre-sages the death of the USA. I disagree!
We have a constitution that is designed to keep us free. It is not designed to keep us safe and worry free. Nor, is it designed to keep us strong. But, I have met some of those whose mission is to defend the “…Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic….” If we and our leaders bear that in mind, we can save our country and our world, and maintain our God given rights.
Tomorrow we celebrate all those who made, and make, our country great, not just those who have served in the military. We celebrate those who crafted the Constitution, and those who have lived by it. We even celebrate, or we should, those who pay taxes to support our country’s needs.
But today and every day, please thank the men and women you see who have protected us and those who protect us now. And give a special thank you to those who have taken the above oath and are waiting to begin their service. They are willing to give their all to protect us even at the cost of their lives. Pray for them and our country, and may God bless the USA!