As a military brat, growing up in an environment of soldiers, I want to thank my dear friend, Perfessor, for sending this wonderful reminder to me.  

We must never forget who gets the credit for the freedoms we have, of which we should be eternally grateful.

   
  I watched the flag pass by one day,
  It fluttered in the breeze.



  A young Marine saluted it,
  And then he stood at ease..



  I looked at him in uniform
  So young, so tall, so proud,
  With hair cut square and eyes alert
  He'd stand out in any crowd.


  I thought how many men like him
  Had fallen through the years.
  How many died on foreign soil
  How many mothers' tears?


  How many pilots' planes shot down?
  How many died at sea
  How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
  No, freedom isn't free.


  I heard the sound of Taps one night,
  When everything was still,
  I listened to the bugler play
  And felt a sudden chill.


  When a flag had draped a coffin.
  Of a brother or a friend.

 
  I thought of all the children,
  Of the mothers and the wives,
  Of fathers, sons and husbands
  With interrupted lives.


  I thought about a graveyard
  At the bottom of the sea



  Of unmarked graves in Arlington
  No, freedom isn't free.



Enjoy Your Freedom & God Bless Our Troops!  (And be safe.)

SINfully Sinthia

"Freedom is not free" is a wonderful expression of a great truth.  Too many expect it to be free.

Happy Independence day to all!

Thank you for taking time to post it Sinthia.

I live in Arlington, drve by Arlington Cemetery often, and appreciate the enormity of what our fallen warriers have accomplished for us and what they gave.

Thank you for reminding me to look closely when I drive by again and thank those very special men and women.

-- Modified on 7/3/2008 12:07:16 PM

Amen to that!!!

Reading that Sinthia, I got goosebumps.  No, freedom is definitely not free, let's never forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice so we could have what we have today.  

And just because a veteran survived his/her military service, let's not forget their sacrifices for us also.

Have a wonderful Fourth!!!

Swim

SEMPER FIDELIS!!

Please take 3 minutes to watch this.

http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh289/Impish_Dragon/?action=view¤t=Untitled.flv