Many significant events have occurred in the past 226 years in the history of this country that will remain forever in our minds. With these years behind us, we have a national experience that is rich and varied, a legacy of which all Americans can be proud. As we approach Independence Day, we’ll celebrate the event that started it all, the birth of our nation. On the 4th day of July, 226 years ago, a group of American colonists, members of the Continental Congress, met in Philadelphia. There they made a bold decision that changed the course of history. They adopted the “Declaration of Independence.” In it, Thomas Jefferson wrote that all men are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” These are familiar words and familiar ideas to all of us who live in America today. But when Jefferson wrote them, they were radical because so many countries around the world had no liberty. For them, the main business of life was to stay alive. As John Adams said at the time, “Fear is the foundation of most governments.” Never before has a nation been born in such a manner. Never before has the birth of a nation been heralded by a declaration drafted by elected citizens of the new nation. And never before has such fundamental freedoms been declared the entitlement of all human beings. Like the people they represented, the authors of the Declaration of Independence were a diverse group. They were lawyers, merchants, doctors, judges, educators and farmers. Some came from cities, others from rural America and the farmlands. Whatever their differences, they were united in their fervent desire to create a new form of government, a government that would assure the freedom and rights of the citizens it served. Even now, more than two centuries after that hot summer day in Philadelphia, the words contained in the bold document reach out to us. They hold us with their simplicity, their beauty and their power, which echoes through the years. Listen once more to a brief passage from the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Those were inspiring words for the hard-working, independent pioneers and patriots of Colonial America. Inspiring as it was, it was only words. Acts of courage were called for to validate those words. So, too, were the sacrifice, dedication and perseverance. As we gather in our communities to celebrate our nation’s 226th birthday, young men and women are serving in uniform in more than 130 countries all over the world, pursuing the most honorable of professions, the highest form of citizenship, service in the U.S. military. U.S. armed forces remain at the “ready'” to defend our nation at home and abroad against any “foe” that threatens our freedom, our way of life. Our nation is the last true superpower in the world. For that reason, it is our government’s responsibility to project a forward presence with our military. We must stand up for other countries that cannot stand up for themselves, and allow them the opportunities to enjoy the spirit of democracy. Today, our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen continue a bond with patriots before them: Protecting the common cause of America, a cause of freedom and human rights for themselves and their families. Without this true measure of devotion, our freedom would be forever lost. The American Legion reminds us on this 4th day of July, Independence Day, America’s 226th birthday, let us pause in honor of those defending freedom, serving our nation in Operation Enduring Freedom, as well as those who served our nation in the past. Let us be ever reminded of their sacrifices in the preservation of democracy. “Happy Birthday America” McKendry is past commander and life member of the American Legion Post 301, Connellsville.

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