Operation Just Cause ...for as long as it takes
From Revolution to Reconstruction America Rock-The Shot Heard 'Round the World
American Revolution-The History Place
Liberty! The American Revolution
POW/MIA's on Independence Day
07/04/70 Charles F. Bookout ARMY Oklahoma City, OK
He walked down Main Street
As he approached the corner
Once he walked with his head high
Freedom... Yes he served with Pride Is this what he fought for People were in the park As he walks by they do not see Soon the sun starts down in the West © Willie G. Dougherty 1998
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. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and
a broken heart.
Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution.
These were not wild eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were
soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but
they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and
unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration,
with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we
mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our
sacred honor."
They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history
books never told you a lot of what happened in the Revolutionary
War. We didn't just fight the British. We were British subjects
at that time and we fought our own government. Some of us take
these liberties so much for granted...we shouldn't. So, take a
couple of minutes and silently thank these patriots.
It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
Remember: freedom is never free!
It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the
Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games.
Lou
One Year Ago This Month...
On July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies declared
their independence. The first Patriots, with diverse
backgrounds, representing different regions and
interests, were united in their quest for freedom
and their willingness to fight for liberty. Despite
the considerable risk of almost certain defeat at
the hands of the greatest land and sea power of that
age, they ultimately triumphed and a new,
independent United States of America emerged.
At sea, on land, and in the air, whether during
peace or war, the men and women of America's Armed
Forces have continued to ensure the sacrifices of
our forefathers and others who followed them were
not made in vain. The backgrounds of the individuals
in today's Armed Forces are even more diverse than
those of our predecessors -- yet we all continue to
unite behind the same ideals and values that guided
this Nation to independence over 200 years ago.
Today, on the first Independence Day of the 21st
century, you -- America's soldiers, sailors, airmen,
marines and coastguardsmen -- are America's new
Patriots, linked in spirit to the generations of
fighting men and women of our Nation's great
history. Around a troubled world, you deter our
foes, protect our friends, and keep the peace.
Despite enormous danger, personal sacrifice, and
lengthy separation from family and friends, it is
your indomitable spirit and steadfast willingness to
serve that define America and manifest its ideals,
both at home and abroad. On this Independence Day,
America honors you and all those who preceded you.
On behalf of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, thank you
for all you do in the defense of our great Nation --
on this -- America's birthday.
Henry H. Shelton The Vietnam War
Why are portholes (windows) on a ship round?
The constant up and down motion of a ship places a lot of strain and stress on a ship's outer covering, or skin. If portholes were designed at angles, the stress would tend to concentrate at those points and perhaps crack the skin (probably not a good thing). With portholes being round, this stress is evenly distributed around the holes, making it less likely for these cracks to occur.
A Vexillologist is an expert in what?
The history of Flags
The Flag of the United States of America
Knowing is half the battle.
- GI Joe
It is easy to take liberty for granted when you have never had it taken from you.
- M. Grundler If anyone wishes to send snail mail to Operation Just Cause, the address is:
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July 2000
July 4th, 2000
07/04/67 Phillip C. Craig USN Oneida, NY
07/04/69 Patrick M. Fallon USAF Pittsburgh, PA
by Willie D.
His head was hung down
His clothes were dirty and worn
He does not remember the last meal
Old Glory was waving in the wind
A sharp salute he rendered to the
Flag he loved so dear
His clothes were those of the Military
He went to a land far away to fight
Freedom was what they say he was fighting for
A high price so many have paid
Lives fallen at the hands of the enemy
Souls lost in a far away land
So that Freedom may ring
Yet in his head the battles
Go on and on everyday
To have his friends and Family
Turn their back to him when he returned
To be alone in his battle each day
With their families
Celebrating the 4th of July
To so many just another day off
The battle that he holds within
The War that goes on in his world
Day after day, but they are Free
He shuffles down the street
Knowing another night on the streets waits
Another night to fight the battles alone
Sent in by Lou Yanni
"John Jr., We Hardly Knew You Too"
Message From the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
"Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others...he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." ...Robert Francis Kennedy (1925-1968)
There are ways for us to work together to start tearing down those 'mighty walls of oppression and resistance' and gain a full accountability of our POW/MIA's.
Please feel free to browse through the following links to see what you can do to help.
PO Box 264
Stockholm, NJ 07460
2000
1999
http://www.ojc.org/NL
or when current issues are updated, please send an email to:
"The Moonduster Chronicles"
NL@ojc.org
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