Freedom in America
I would like to tell a part of my story about being free in America as I see it and lived it during my life and how our nation has had to fight for our freedom.
I believe in America first, the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the freedoms we have in this country.
I am a 92-year-old Korean War veteran and now this is my story.
My ancestors came to this land from Herefordshire, England in 1635, arriving at Boston Harbor. They came for freedom of religion and other freedoms written in the Declaration of Independence. Most of them lived in Massachusetts and New York.
The first war for our freedom was between the 13 colonies and the English. History tells us about many details in that war. My ancestors were patriots and some fought under George Washington in the Revolutionary War. I learned about this war in my high school history book. I sometimes wonder what Francis Scott Key was thinking when he wrote the Star Spangled Banner and saw the bombs in the air and knew our flag was still there.
I also sometimes wonder what Paul Revere was thinking when he made that midnight ride. The 13 colonies won this war and then became the first 13 states. As immigrants from other countries came to this land, new states were admitted to the union and this country began to grow. Yes, this war was won for our freedom. This union was now the United States of America. The writers of the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence knew how to secure our freedom and independence as this new nation was being born.
The Civil War, 1861-1865, is past history and no one can change it no matter how many books are written about it. Almost 620,000 people were killed. Families fought against families, brothers against brothers. My great grandfather was a Union soldier. My wife’s great grandfather was a Confederate soldier.
The next war America had to fight for our freedom was World War I, in Europe when Germany started to invade one country after another. My father was in the army in 1918-1919. After the war ended, the League of Nations was organized to prevent another world war. I was told many stories about this war by my father and other veterans who fought in this war. This was another war the United States had to fight for our freedom.
My grandfather moved from New York to Red Oak, Iowa and then to the Oklahoma Territory in 1900 where he homesteaded land that is now in Woodward County, where he raised his family and farmed the land. Our family still owns this land.
After several moves during the 1920s, my parents moved to McAlister, Oklahoma in 1928 where I was born. Calvin Coolidge was president and Herbert Hoover was later elected.
The great depression began in 1929 when the banks failed. Most people had no money and my father like many others, worked for fifty cents a day and we were still a free country. In 1930, we moved to the farm in Woodward County Oklahoma where we lived in a house built in 1900 by my grandfather.
I remember when Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president in 1932. Many benefitted from his policies while some did not approve of his New Deal. In my view, he really helped our country during the great depression-but most of all, he kept our nation free.
I started school in 1934. After I learned to read, I would read every page of every newspaper we had. During the presidential election years, my father would talk about the Democrat and the Republican on the ballot. In our farming community some of our neighbors were Democrats and were Republicans. They were friends and helped their neighbors harvest their crops. They went to church together, ate supper together, gave them a ride to town and their children went to school together. After the election, they were still friends regardless of who won. At this point in my life, as I saw it, both parties generally wanted and supported the same things for the people even when they had a different view on some issues. We all flew the American flag and enjoyed our freedom during these trying times.
On September 1, 1939 another war was starting in Europe in which the United States would soon be fighting. This is World War II, started by Nazi Germany when it invaded and occupied country after country with its aim to conquer the world. Japan joined the side of the axis when it attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. We now had two battle fronts where our armed forces were fighting for America, fighting for our freedom and fighting for our very existence as a nation. Men were drafted into the military and many volunteered. The Treaty of Versailles was too lenient and the axis had the ambition and opportunity for world conquest. During World War II, 450 thousand Americans gave their life defending America and fighting for our freedom. I read newspapers, listened to news on the radio and followed the war news from the beginning to the end of the war. The European war was over on May 7, 1945 known as V-E Day. Millions in the free nations celebrated as soldiers began to come home as the war ended. Freedom won in Europe again. Yes, this was another war we had to fight to protect and defend our nation and our freedom. Americans who don’t like America and to those who were not yet born during World War II, I would ask you—Do you know about the invasion of Poland by Hitler? Do you know about the Battle of the Bulge, battles in the English Channel, the battles of Britain, Stalingrad, North Africa, Berlin, Omaha Beach and D-Day-Normandy, Hitler’s Occupation of 15 countries, the battle of Tarawa, General MacArthur’s “I shall return” speech, battles at New Guinea, Saipan and the Philippines, battle at Bataan-Corregidor and the death march, battles in the Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal, Wake Island, Two Jima and Okinawa? These are some of the battles our brave soldiers fought and died for our country and for our freedom. I remember them very well and will never forget them.
After Germany’s surrender in Europe, America’s attention now turned to the Pacific where we were still at war with Japan. Okinawa was the last big battle before Japan.
Work on the atomic bomb began in 1940 and was the world’s best kept secret. On October 9, 1944 four great nations, the United States, Great Britain, Russia and China met in Washington D.C. and announced the decision to create the organization to be known as the United Nations. The purpose of the UN was to prevent another world war.
On August 6, 1945 President Harry S. Truman gave orders to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima Japan. On August 9, 1945 the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki Japan.
On September 2, 1945 Japan surrendered with the signing on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay known as V-J Day. The atomic era was here. Winning the war in the Pacific protected and defended our freedom and liberty again.
We fought in the Korean War-1950-1953 to stop the spread of communism and protect our freedom when North Korea attacked South Korea. I followed the progress of the post war era including the Marshall Plan and United Nation when countries began to rebuild.
The Vietnam War in the late 1950s-1960s, was another war fought to prevent the spread of communism and to defend our freedom.
On September 11, 2001 terrorists attacked buildings in New York and Washington D.C. now known as 911. They wanted to destroy America. We now had to fight the terrorists to protect our nation. President George W. Bush went to war against them with Desert Storm in Iraq and then in Afghanistan.
America has the best form of government in the world. I don’t see anyone leaving American but there are a lot coming in. We had to fight for our freedom from the time America was born to the present and we will defend our nation and freedom when or where we are challenged. I sometimes wonder when something or someone will wake up a sleeping giant.
I have been in all fifty states and traveled in sixteen countries. I came back to United States on a ship from Okinawa with 2,000 others service men. When we sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge and came ashore, I felt a sense of safety and freedom.
As my days living on planet earth will be coming to an end, I can proudly say I have enjoyed living free in the land of the free and the home of the brave. On July 4th, America’s birthday, I will fly the American flag. I hope you will too. That flag stands for America—it stands for freedom and liberty. It hurts my heart when I see it abused.
Happy Birthday America. Let’s keep it free.