Honoring Freedom

 

Happy July 4th!!!!

 

Yesterday in church, we unexpectedly got to sing "I'm Proud To Be An American", or, as the actual title of the song is: "God Bless The USA". I say unexpectedly, because it was at a church service, but, it really was very, very fitting and that is why I say 'we got to sing' as in 'had the privilege to sing'. Because it is a privilege to be, to exist, to worship and praise God and your country at the same time along with others that feel the same way.

Have a Safe and Special Celebration today!

Foot note: Speaking of privilege ... I once had the pleasure of hearing Lee Greenwood play "The Star Spangled Banner" at the opening ceremony at Nissan Stadium (then LP Field) in Nashville, TN for the CMA Festival nightly concerts. He played the saxophone at that particular occasion.

Capital Memories

It was very special. The trip to Washington D.C. To go there, we went by car from Nashville by Knoxville and then northwest through Virginia and the Shenendoah Valley. I really enjoyed the picturesque scenery of the agricultural settings in Virginia, it was a very pretty landscape. The highlight of the trip was definitely the visit to Arlington National Cemetery. I was thinking as I was walking there that I really have the outmost respect not only for the fallen and the servicemen and women interred there and their service and the families sacrifices, but also for the ones who work there. My thought is that they serve those who served. What a legacy.

Virginia landscape.

A quote by JFK at the President John F. Kennedy Gravesite.

Looking over the Arlington  Memorial Bridge towards the Lincoln Memorial.

Memorial Day

Chase and I honored the special day and its significance by watching the concert on PBS and other related programming on TV, having a picnic dinner at home and contemplated. I thought about last years Memorial Day, when we went to the Chattanooga National Cemetery and paid our respects to our late friend and neighbor John, who served in WWII in the Navy. John gave me a flag of his that he had been presented after serving as the President of the Eagle's Club in Chattanooga. He gave me that flag on the day I was granted my Green Card. What a nice gesture and what an honor for me to now have that flag. Thank you John for that and for your service. Thank you everyone.

The section of Chattanooga National Cemetery where my late neighbor and friend John has his final resting place. R.I.P. and thank you. Thank you all.

Below: the Bill Anderson video of his tribute song to the military Service Men and Women