4th of July

The 4th of July is nearing and I can hardly contain my excitement over a three day weekend. This is the perfect opportunity to get outside and enjoy the beauty of nature. I’m planning on doing a little fly fishing at Lake Blue Ridge and should have a full report for you next week. I went to Orvis today and grabbed some flies for bass and blue gill (I don’t know of any trout in Lake Blue Ridge). I’m also running the Peachtree on Friday. I’m sure I’ll have something to write about that, but I promise you it won’t include my extremely slow time. More important than the opportunity to get outdoors, the 4th of July provides an opportunity for us to reflect on the greatness of our nation. As I said yesterday, I intend to keep this blog about the outdoors, but it’s the 4th and it would be un-American not to say something. Below is an exert from a letter written by an Infantry Platoon Leader. Please read it and take some time over the weekend to reflect on what it says and to remember the people who made us free and to thank the ones who continue to keep us free.

I was prompted to write today by tragedy. My battalion lost 2 men a couple of days ago. I ask that you pray for their families and friends. My patrol was sent to the hospital to pick up the wounded that were cleared to return to duty. As I walked in I saw my buddy from the Infantry Officer Basic Course. It caught me off guard when I saw him. We had been in the same squad in IOBC and saw each other every day. I knew it was his platoon that had been hit, but it hadn't even crossed my mind that he might be who I was picking up. His face was cut and bloody and he looked dazed. Not because he was hurt, but because he had lost a soldier. I think it's every leader's greatest fear. I didn't know what to do. How do you tell him it's OK? I just hugged him as best I could with all my gear on and walked him outside. We talked a little but he was still overwhelmed. I made sure he got in my vehicle and I took him back. The price is being paid and I hope Americans and Iraqis understand and appreciate it. When a soldier in this area is killed, all phones and internet are shut down. This is so that the family is notified by the proper means. When I was finally able to connect to the internet to let my wife know I was OK, it hit me. I hadn't been too upset yet, but as I was getting ready to IM my wife, I realized that the reason my computer was now working was because two families had just found out that their son or husband or father had been killed. In my beliefs, death isn't the end. However, it is painful for those left behind. I pray that America and Iraq stand strong and finish what we have started so that all these deaths are not in vain. I believe fully in what we are doing and other than hurting my family I have no qualms about dieing here, as long as it turns into something good. I have received so many emails from people I don't even know saying thank you, but I'm still not sure Americans as a whole understand what's at stake. They may get an idea of the cost of war when they see the death toll, but that makes them want to quit and run. To do so would be the greatest insult to those who have given their lives. It would say that they died for no reason or greater purpose. Or, that America is a nation of cowards, afraid to take risks for something greater than themselves. I do not fight for a nation of cowards and I do not risk my life without purpose. What is at stake is our nation’s survivability, and along with it goes everything America stands for. Not for us or our kids, but for many generations from now. So many Americans have degenerated into complacency and self-centeredness. They do not strive for something above their daily life. They have no purpose other than themselves or maintaining status quo. They are afraid to take risks or stand up for anything. Our nation was founded by men who knew a purpose greater than themselves and risked everything for it. Any Soldier knows that when you become complacent, you are endangering yourself and others. There are still millions of Americans who understand our greater purpose in life, but they are endangered by those who don't, and those who don't are endangering our future generations. America is a great nation with power and strength. Along with that comes great responsibility. Responsibility to the American people, and responsibility to the World. I'm not saying that everyone should join the military and go to war. I'm only hoping that people see the greater cause and support a nation that is not afraid.