Reflections On America’s Freedom Fighters
On November 11, 1918 at 11:00 AM, World War I officially ended as the Allied Powers and the Central Powers acted upon a mutually agreed ceasefire that was to take place at 11:00 on the 11th. It marked the end of a bloody conflict of which man had not seen up to that point, but the argument, historically, can be made that the conflict tilted toward the Allied Powers with the arrival of the American GI in 1917. World War I was not the first time the world witnessed the endearing spirit of America’s fighting men, and it definitely would not be the last. What enables America’s heroes to fight with such veracity?
I believe, above all else, America was founded on the principle that all men should be free, a principle that comes straight from God’s Holy Word. God desires all men to be free, and America, in its founding documents, put forth the notion that all men are created equal and should be free. Freedom is always in opposition to tyranny, and for America to champion freedom, she needed to enlist the fighting spirit of men and women emboldened by the ideas for which she stood. This was not by conscript but by conscience. The American soldier, the world’s freedom fighter, is just one part of a volunteer army eager to pounce upon tyranny’s head, so that all people can be free.
America’s soldiers have fought gallantly and bravely against tyrants from King George V to Saddam Hussein. They have valiantly fought against evil from Santa Anna to Adolf Hitler from Kaiser Wilhelm to Ho Chi Minh. America’s soldiers have engaged oppression and evil in places such as Bunker Hill, The Alamo, San Juan Hill, Verdun, Omaha Beach, Okinawa, Pusan, Saigon, Grenada, and Fallujah. America’s sons and daughters have served when called upon. America’s sons and daughters have died for freedom’s cause. America’s sons and daughters have rescued millions from tyranny’s cold grip.
America has been blessed to be protected by its soldiers, and peoples all over the world can celebrate their freedom this morning due to the sacrifice of the American soldier. In our busy schedules, we often neglect to realize what the American soldier has done for all of us. It is really a shame that we set one day a year to honor our veterans. We should be so thankful for those that have given it all. Those soldiers that made the ultimate sacrifice, those soldiers that were permanently scarred, and those soldiers that returned to a welcoming nation need our praise, support, and prayers. On this Veteran’s Day of 2021, thank a veteran for his or her service.
These reflections are my reflections on Veteran’s Day of 2021.
Jimmy Clendenin