Blogs > 143wildcat143 > OP -true or false > ..Happy 4th..Freedom...Liberty...Unity..

..Happy 4th..Freedom...Liberty...Unity..  


7/3/2009 8:13 am
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..received an email last night..07/02/09...from a friend..served together in the U.S. Military...together...we shared many sights...many hardships...many memories we wish to both forget and remember...we became brothers in an unusal way ...linked forever.....am not going to go into the personal area of the message...just share something about the 4th which he had attached to his message...have no idea who wrote it..or where it originated...so just putting quotation marks around the whole thing..

.."..Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence...?..

...Five signers were captured by the British as traitors...
...and tortured before they died....
...Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned...
...Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army...
...Another had two sons captured...
...Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or...
...hardships of the Revolutionary war...
...They signed and they pledged their lives..their fortunes...
...and their sacred honor...
...What kind of men were they....?
...Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists....
...Eleven were merchants...
...nine were farmers and large plantation owners...
...men of means...well educated...
...but they signed the Declaration of Independence...
...knowing full well that the penalty would be death...
...if they were captured...
...Carter Braxton of Virginia..a wealthy planter...and
...trader ..saw his ships swept from the seas by the...
...British Navy...He sold his home and properties to...
...pay his debts..and died in rags...
...Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British...
...that he was forced to move his family almost constantly...
...He served in the Congress without pay...and his family..
...was kept in hiding..his possessions were taken from him...
...and poverty was his reward...
...vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery..Hall..
...Clymer..Walton..Gwinett...Heyward..Ruttledge..and MIddleton..
...At the battle of Yorktowm..Thomas nelson Jr. noted that...
...the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson...
...home for his headquaters..he quietly urged General...
...George Wwashington open fire...the home was destroyed...
...and Nelson died bankrupt...
...Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed...
...the enemy jailed his wife..and she died within a few months..
...John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying
...their 13 children fled for their lives...
...his fields and his gristmill were laid to waste...
...for more than a year he lived in forests and caves...
...returning home to find his wife dead ...
...and his children vanished...
...so..take a few minutes...while enjoying your 4th of July...
...holiday and silently thank these patriots...
...its not much to ask for the price they paid...
...Remember..FREEDOM...IS NEVER FREE...
...Guess..it is time we finally understand....
...that patriotism is not a sin...
...and the Fouth of July ..has more to it
...than.... ...beer..parades..picnics...and baseball games.."....

.....a few minutes later...my phone rang...it was my friend...
and he said to me.."..Zeb..will you recite the pledge with me..for those who we have seen ...with our own eyes...give their life ... in battle...for freedom...

...I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE...
...TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
...AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS...
...ONE NATION...
...UNDER GOD...
...INDIVISIBLE...
...WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL...

...there was a brief moment of silence...and then I heard the phone click...I knew buds never say goodbye...

.....want all to know...that this happening between two great countries occured so many years ago...and because of it...a great Nation was born...and this great Nation...stayed friendly...with the Mother Nation from which it sprang....and today...a bond of friendship still exists between the two......zeb..
anthony160
Explicit Photo
13 posts 

7/3/2009 6:43 pm

 Hey Zeb..I think you and I really know what the real meaning is behind the pledge and what the 4th is really about..were both ex service men that served out country proudly..I am proud that I served my country even though I was hated when I got back from vietnam...I spent 6 months out there before returning to the ship..I have seen the blood shed and wounded of our brave soldiers..I have seen the bombing of the hillsides at night from our destroyers off shore...I have seen what no man wanted to see Zeb...I lost friends over there myself but I can say a veteran friend is a life long friend... I still stay in touch with alot of them I served with over there...war's are no good..they really don't acomplish anything but heartache...I don't regret serving and if I was younger, I would go back in again....the 4th is not a day to get drunk and party..its a day to remember our fallen hero's...yes, they are the hero's not us..we stil live while they died but we are hero's to each other zeb...we served out country..I am proud of it...ex navy seal..seal team 4..san diego, california...silver strand...len...

drkmtmn
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1 post 

7/3/2009 8:30 pm

 Beautiful...deep...very moving.

cefntx2
3864 posts

7/3/2009 8:32 pm

 This is a great blog that should remind us that its not about a holiday, but a reminder of the soldiers that have fought the wars for our freedoms that we have today!!! We should never forget that! Thanks for reminded us of this and the facts, never new about the men that signed the Declaration of Independence, you learn something every day!! Very fascinating!!

mark4you57
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9 posts 

7/3/2009 11:38 pm

 Zeb,
Again, thanks for sharing with us what was shared with you. And thanks for your service - I can't even imagine what you saw that no man should ever have to see in war. And thanks to everyone else out there who has served to keep us all free!!! Your description of reciting the pledge with your bud brought me to tears - a simple act, yet profoundly deep in meaning. Happy 4th to everyone and especially to you, Zeb - for being open to us all - you bring us all closer together. You've become my hero.
Mark

johnboy951
55 posts 

7/4/2009 1:13 am

 Hands across the ocean - All Respect for the 4th July
Love John

attaboy4
744 posts 

7/5/2009 9:53 pm

 Thanks Zeb buddy for a wonderful 4th of the July and everyday gift. However did you know just what I wanted and needed. Hugs & Take good care. George

PS: I do not believe OP encourages deception.

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