Happy 250th USA!
I had planned on having this up earlier, but I got summoned to help a friend and then the kids went to the lake and I was babysitting Huskies. I don’t mind either. The dogs are always happy to see me and who doesn’t like to be loved?
I want to start out by saying happy 250th birthday, USA. You aren’t perfect. No country is. If you’ve found a perfect country, go live there. Be happy.
The US was hard won. If you haven’t seen Young Washington, I’ve heard the writer tried to stay very true to the story. I haven’t seen it yet.
Diana Gabaldon’s facebook posted a link to an Instragram post Onyourfeetsoldier shared. I don’t think either will mind if I pass it on. Jamie is encouraging men to fight for freedom. Diana has always been very careful in researching her books. So, the later books dealing with the Revolution strike close to home for many of it. She brings the true sacrifices and heartache to life.
There were fifty-six signers to the Declaration of Independence. They pledged everything—their fortunes, their lives, and their sacred honor. Often, their families shared their fates. Some of those fates are revealed in the history books.
Others aren’t mentioned as often, like Haym Salomon, who gave all his substantial fortune to finance the colonies and the war. Afterward, the US couldn’t repay him and he died in a pauper’s prison at age 44. His life, his fortune, and his family were ruined.
The men who fought in the Revolution suffered terrible privations. There was often no money to pay them. They were starving, freezing, and many had no shoes in the middle of winter as they marched excruciating miles for a surprise attack on the Hessians.
At each turn they seemed defeated, but they persisted.
People should be reminded of this. They should read some first-hand accounts from the time.
My father’s family is Danish. They immigrated through Ellis Island like so many others. Grandpa came with nearly nothing. Somehow, he wound up in Montana. He delivered freight with a wagon. He and his wife Julia lived frugally until they could buy a farm. They still lived frugally. Grandma never had indoor plumbing or electricity in her house.
They earned what they owned and appreciated it. They appreciated the opportunities here.
My father was in the Merchant Marines at the end of WWII. He was part of the effort to bring concentration camp survivors to New York. He kept yellowed newspaper clippings of their stories—families searching for loved ones, two twin girls separated in the camps who were reunited, and the tragedies. He told me about the ones who couldn’t make the crossing. The ones who had survived the war but couldn’t survive the grief, the loss, and the survivor’s guilt.
One man, a well-known architect before the war, had lost everything—fortune, wife, children, family. One night he walked up on deck, took off his shoes, took off his coat and folded it neatly and placed it on the shoes, then took his hat off and placed it on the stack. Then he climbed over the railing to end it.
I was astounded. He said it happened often.
But there were also the stories of hope. When they knew they were getting close, they would often stay on deck so they could search the skyline for the outline of the Statue of Liberty. As soon as it was sighted, they fell to their knees crying and praying, giving thanks.
I have been giving thanks lately and praying hard for the US.
The beginning of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolution, begins: “In the Name of the most Holy & undivided Trinity. It having pleased the Divine Providence to dispose the Hearts of the most Serene and most Potent Prince George the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Duke of Brunswick and Lunebourg, Arch-Treasurer and Prince Elector of the Holy Roman Empire etc., and of the United States of America…”
It continues for 373 words in one of the longest run-on sentences ever, basically laying out who was there.
Lawyers.
It’s OK if we pray for the US. She was founded acknowledging God.
One of the things I have been particularly thankful for lately is, oddly enough, the World Cup. I’ve been amazed and pleasantly surprised at the number of visitors who have fallen in love with this country, our people, and our culture. It’s restored my faith a bit. I was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with me for being happy and loving it here.
The love and appreciation from the people who have fallen for America feels boundless.
German fan loves Boston.
Jason Stills wrote a song about our fans. Welcome to the Land of the Free.
Boston did good. When the Boston Pops plays the 1812 Overture on the 4th, they use real cannons as Tchaikovsky intended.
A celebration at Mount Rushmore again. Yay!
French flew over the Statue of Liberty, which seems appropriate give France gave us the statue in 1885.
Japan! They set off some awesome fireworks and a drone show. They also donated 250 new cherry tree saplings. There is a long history of those cherry trees. Another story for another day. Thank you, Japan.
North Richland Hills, Texas put on a massive drone show. Good job Sky Elements Drone Shows. You can contact them at https://skyelementsdrones.com I don’t mind advertising for them.
The tall ships converged to support us. They suffered a massive storm before the parade. The USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) was there. She’s the oldest continually commissioned war ship in the world. We’ve almost lost her several times, not to battle but idiot politicians who want to scrap her. Although congress authorized repairs to her in 1900, they didn’t allocate funds and attempts to raise them privately failed. In 1905, Secretary of the Navy Secretary Charles Bonaparte proposed hauling her out to sea and using her for target practice. Moses Gulesian offered to buy her for $10,000, but congress refused. Much better to use her for target practice.
Gulesian started such a public stink that it spread across the country. Congress somehow found the funds to refit her. Amazing how that works. In 1970, she was dry docked for more repairs. They had to strip away red oak that had been used in the 50’s as an experiment and because it was cheaper. It had all rotted. Back to the original live oak to repair her correctly. The live oak is why cannon balls bounced off her sides, in case you’re wondering. Today, the navy keeps a farm of live oak trees in Indiana set aside just for Constitution repairs. The trees they use for repairs have to be between 110 and 125 years old. The more you know.
Amerigo Vespucci came to visit.
The Mediterranean, 1962. The USS Independence passed an Italian tall ship under full sail in the Mediterranean in 1962 and flashed a signal light: “Who are you?”
“Training ship Amerigo Vespucci, Italian Navy.”
“You are the most beautiful ship in the world.”
The name stuck. In Italy she’s been “il veliero più bello del mondo” ever since.
USS George H.W. Bush found her again in the Adriatic Sixty years later, in 2022 and sent the same message: “Amerigo Vespucci, you are still the most beautiful ship in the world.”
There was a rodeo on the mall among so many more events.
The Great American Fair.
Some of the states declined to participate. Their choice, but they did their states no service. On the plus side, individuals stepped forward, raised money, and put up lovely displays. God bless them.
WWII vets here honored and got to watch the festivities.
Relay for America used 250 runners to cover 3,000 miles to run from California to Washington DC for the Fourth to honor veterans.
Chris Richards (@eastmamba) of the USMT soccer team posted a picture on July 4 depicting the crew in some pretty good looking patriot gear. Good job, guys.
I could go on forever about all the remarkable celebrations. Suffice to say, I think America has gone above and beyond. Our friends around the world have joined us. Thank you. That is appreciated more than you know. I was especially happy we could share our celebration with our soccer friends.
In private I will find a way to preserve these memories. I’m sure the websites I link to, the posts, the people will disappear over time. That is the sad and fleeing thing about our digital age. In my bookcase before me are three books of poetry over a hundred years old. They were gifts to a relative. Alas, they are in Danish, so I can’t read them My point is, I have journals, diaries, volumes of letters people wrote a hundred years ago. I have five boxes of theology books from the 1700 and 1800’s. They’ve been around for hundreds of years. Even now, I’m have trouble tracking down stories that I saw last week. We’re on to our newest shiny thing.
I hope y’all had a wonderful Independence day. Enjoy your long weekend. I assume some have Monday off or had Saturday off. Share some of your favorite recipes.