Happy Independence Day...

[Preacher]

to everyone. Hope you all have a great 4th of July this year. Let's also be extra watchfull and vigilant, as we are still involved in an anti-terrorist war.
Happy 4th y'all.

SF, Preacher

[thedrifter]

Happy and Safe Holiday


THE AMERICAN FLAG


When freedom from her mountain height
Unfurled her standard to the air,
She tore the azure robe of night,
And set the stars of glory there.
She mingled with its gorgeous dyes
The milky baldric of the skies,
And striped its pure celestial white,
With streakings of the morning light;
Then from his mansion in the sun
She called her eagle bearer down,
And gave into his mighty hand,
The symbol of her chosen land.



Joseph Rodman Drake
(1795-1820)

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hollow/2366/


Sempers,

Roger
:marine:

[Devildogg4ever]

Same here, Hope all have a fun and safe 4th of July!!

[Kalbo]

To all my Brothers and Sisters,

Have a great 4th!!!!

Semper Fi,

Bill "Kalbo" Long

PS: Remember: If you drive don't drink, If you drink don't drive. A 72 for all you not on duty!!!

[thedrifter]

Happy 4th of July.........

Sempers,

Roger
:marine:



10 Surprising Facts About the Fourth of July

Everyone loves Independence Day, the quintessential American holiday, full of parades, picnics, and … surprising facts? You bet! Be the life of the party--share a few of these tasty nuggets of knowledge with your fellow picnickers this year.

1. Independence Day commemorates the formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. However, it was not declared a legal holiday until 1941.
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761559234

2. Fireworks were made in China as early as the 11th century. The Chinese used their pyrotechnic mixtures for war rockets and explosives.
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761576898

3. Uncle Sam was first popularized during the War of 1812, when the term appeared on supply containers. Believe it or not, the U. S. Congress didn't adopt him as a national symbol until 1961.
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761570740

4. There are many precise rules for taking care of the American flag. And speaking of flag traditions, we're sorry to report that contrary to legend, historical research has failed to confirm that Betsy Ross sewed the first flag.
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761577016

5. Not all members of the Continental Congress supported a formal Declaration of Independence, but those who did were passionate about it. One representative rode 80 miles by horseback to reach Philadelphia and break a tie in support of independence.
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761567004

6. The first two versions of the Liberty Bell were defective and had to be melted down and recast. The third version rang every Fourth of July from 1778 to 1835, when, according to tradition, it cracked as it was being tolled for the death of Chief Justice John Marshall.
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761554751

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761553174

7. The American national anthem, the "Star-Spangled Banner," is set to the tune of an English drinking song ("To Anacreon in Heaven").
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761575047



8. The iron framework of the Statue of Liberty was devised by French engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, who also built the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761565909

9. The patriotic poem "America the Beautiful" was published on July 4, 1895 by Wellesley College professor Katharine Lee Bates*.

10. Father of the country and architect of independence George Washington held his first public office at the tender age of 17. He continued in public service until his death in 1799.
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761564084




-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
"Support Our Soldiers"
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

United We Stand
God Bless America
*****
Were it not for the brave,
there would be no Land of the Free!


Remember our POW/MIA's
I'll never forget!



Sempers,

Roger
:marine:


http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8122

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8134

[Art Petersn]

the Fourth of July, the birth of this Great Nation; so it seems fitting
to remember...
**********************************************
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, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the
British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his
headquarters.
He quietly urged General George Washington to 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. Some of
us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't.
So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and
silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
Remember: freedom is never free!






---

[Devildogg4ever]

Art, you and thedrifter, put up some interesting reads.
Thanks for the info.! :marine:

[thedrifter]

Article ran : 07/04/2003
Standing watch over our liberties

As we gather to celebrate the July 4 holiday, we hope most Americans understand this day commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which led to the birth of this free nation.

Unfortunately, it's likely that few would know this document spelled out specific grievances of government intrusion and eloquently summarized the precepts of liberty and limited government.

At a time when the world is changing in so many ways, it's important to step back and find assurance in the time-honored principles that have been the bedrock of America's greatness and ask how this document of independence in all its fullness would be interpreted today.

We were founded upon and have been sustained through the understanding that liberty is at the heart of the American experience - that this nation would put into practice the belief that freedom is a gift from the Creator and that proper stewardship of the free life carries with it responsibility in how we lead our lives and serve one another.

As the signers of the Declaration of Independence understood, freedom was not without sacrifice. Some were captured by British troops as traitors, others lost homes, property and sons in the fight for independence, and many endured hardship, physical and financial, simply by standing firm for the cause of freedom.

Consider the opening sentences of the Declaration of Independence and discover the message that is as fresh today as it was 227 years ago - that freedom cannot be taken for granted.

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

"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 - That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed Â…"

In his farewell address to the nation in 1989, President Reagan said, "I hope we have once again reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts."

We must not lose sight that more government means less freedom. Otherwise, we enter a slippery slope on which the roles of the governed and the government as envisioned by the Declaration are easily reversed and government authority is manipulated to contain our freedoms rather than defend and expand these unalienable rights.

As we celebrate this holiday with cookouts and fireworks, may we also appreciate the blessings of liberty and the vigilance required to maintain it.



Sempers,

Roger
:marine:

[thedrifter]

President's July 4th Message
Presidential Message: Independence Day, 2003



July 3, 2003

INDEPENDENCE DAY, 2003

On July 4, 1776, our Founders adopted the Declaration of Independence, creating a great Nation and establishing a hopeful vision of liberty and equality that endures today. This Independence Day, we express gratitude for our many blessings and we celebrate the ideals of freedom and opportunity that our Nation holds dear.

America's strength and prosperity are testaments to the enduring power of our founding ideals, among them, that all men are created equal, and that liberty is God's gift to humanity, the birthright of every individual. The American creed remains powerful today because it represents the universal hope of all mankind.

On the Fourth of July, we are grateful for the blessings that freedom represents and for the opportunities it affords. We are thankful for the love of our family and friends and for our rights to think, speak, and worship freely. We are also humbled in remembering the many courageous men and women who have served and sacrificed throughout our history to preserve, protect, and expand these liberties. In liberating oppressed peoples and demonstrating honor and bravery in battle, the members of our Armed Forces reflect the best of our Nation.

We also recognize the challenges that America now faces. We are winning the war against enemies of freedom, yet more work remains. We will prevail in this noble mission. Liberty has the power to turn hatred into hope.

America is a force for good in the world, and the compassionate spirit of America remains a living faith. Drawing on the courage of our Founding Fathers and the resolve of our citizens, we willingly embrace the challenges before us.

Laura joins me in sending our best wishes for a safe and joyous Independence Day. May God bless you, and may God continue to bless America.

GEORGE W. BUSH

[thedrifter]

07-04-2003

Declaration of Independence



IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.



The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,



When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.



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. - That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed - That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.



Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.



But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.



He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.



He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.



He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.



He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.



He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.



He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.



He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.



He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.



He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.



He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.



He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.



He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.



He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:



For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:



For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:



For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:



For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:



For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:



For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:



For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:



For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:



For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.



He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.



He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.



He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.



He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.



He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.



In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.



Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.



We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.



Sempers,

Roger
:marine:

[JChristin]

It's already the 4th of July! What a great day to celebrate the principles found in the Declarations of Indepence, The Consititution, and the Bill of Rights. These key documents are some of the most teasured documents of all of time. More nations - worldwide - use these three documents when structuring their own.

Based upon the years when these incrediable documents were written, how the Amercian culture and society differs today from way back then, and how true the words our founding fathers wrote back then remains true today, isn't it amazing! Isn't it amazing that people remain true to the principles founded in these documents - for they represent truth.

We may not be the most prefect society, nor the least corrupt, but what we do have is the freedom for each person to work towards becoming whatever they wish to become. The pursuit of happiness. When ever I hear people downtalk our country I can't help but notice that more people from around the world are more than eager to come here - the greatest country in all of society since the time of Rome.

Heck, if we choose to, we can walk infront of the White House and carry a sign against the policies of the President who lives inside that great house. We can do the same up on Capital Hill in Washington. Like to see that happen in most any of the other countries.

Gonna go watch the largest display of fireworks west of the Mississippi River tonight between Portland Or and Vancouver WA right on the Columbia River. And I will be thinking about those documents the secure my freedom each and every day. Gonna think about Jefferson, Adams, Payne, Washington, Madison and Franklin and how their great works affect our lives today. I offer a toast to these great men.

In memory of these great men, I offer a toast!

ooh rah!

[thedrifter]

07-04-2003

Some Thoughts for Independence Day

By Matthew Dodd



On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed a resolution in the Second Continental Congress: “That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”



On July 1, 1776, the Continental Congress reconvened, and on the following day, the Lee Resolution for independence was adopted by 12 of the 13 colonies, New York not voting. A committee of five was chosen – John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Robert R. Livingston of New York, and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia – to draft a declaration of independence. The task of actually writing the declaration fell to Thomas Jefferson.



On July 4, the Declaration of Independence was officially adopted. Of the 13 colonies, nine voted in favor of the Declaration, two – Pennsylvania and South Carolina – voted No, Delaware was undecided, and New York again abstained. John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Independence “with a great flourish” so England's “King George can read that without spectacles!”



All the patriots involved with the Declaration of Independence knew they were risking their lives and their families’ welfare when they signed it. Benjamin Franklin jested that if all those present did not hang together, they would all surely hang separately. Perilous times demand bold thoughts, and heroic leaders are needed to transform bold thoughts into focused and decisive actions to support higher causes like freedom and liberty.



Liberty is a state of the physical environment, and freedom is a state of mind. The British tried to deny liberty and freedom to the colonies. Today, al Qaeda’s terrorists are still trying to take away Americans’ liberty and freedom. In Iraq, freedom stands a good chance of emerging from war and chaos. But in other repressive countries, freedom remains a distant dream.



On July 3, 1776, the day after Lee’s resolution for independence was officially adopted, John Adams shared in a letter to his wife, Abigail, his vision for appropriate celebration of America’s independence from tyranny. Let me share Adams’ letter with you. Around your barbeques and as you watch the 4th of July fireworks, I ask you to reflect on the spirit of Adams’ words, and think about your vision of an appropriate celebration of America’s independence from terrorism:



“But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”



“You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.”



HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, AMERICA!



Lt. Col. Matthew Dodd USMC is a Senior Editor of DefenseWatch. He can be reached at mattdodd1775@hotmail.com.



Sempers,

Roger
:marine:

[Phantom Blooper]

The Fourth of July weekend was approaching ,so the nursery school teacher thought that it would be appropriate to teach the children about the founders of our country,the military heroes and the people who keep us free and about patriotism."We live in a great country,"she said"One of the things we shoud all know about is that,in this country,we are all free." One little boy came walking up from the back of the room. He stood with his hands on his hips and said,""I'm not free,I'm four!!!!" HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!!!!! :marine: