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.

– Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.

– President Ronald Reagan

 

Yes, we did produce a near-perfect republic. But will they keep it? Or will they, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom? Material abundance without character is the path to destruction.

– Thomas Jefferson

 

On this, the 232nd birthday of this great nation, let us all make a pledge and a promise to preserve for ourselves and our posterity the blessings of Liberty. To get involved. To make a difference. To take pride in our history, and who we are as Americans. And to ensure that this great great nation shall not perish from this earth.

God bless us all, and God bless the United States of America.

CNN is reporting that a true hero, Sergeant Merlin German, has passed away:

A Marine who survived being burned over more than 95 percent of his body in Iraq and established a charity to help burned children has died, the military has announced.

Sgt. Merlin German was 22.

He was severely wounded February 21, 2005, en route to Camp Ramadi when his Humvee hit a roadside bomb.

He was not expected to survive, but he was transported to Germany and then to Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas, which has the U.S. militarys top burns unit.

He spent nine months in intensive care and underwent more than 100 operations.

Sergeant German did not sit idly by and let his injury beat him down. Instead, he turned his injury into a mission, which he attacked with the same can-do attitude that served him well in the Marine Corps, and helped him fight his injuries for three years. His new mission: to establish a foundation to help burned children and their families.

Please consider making a donation to Merlin’s Miracles. According to the website:

The donations would be used to assist burned children and their families to take vacations, trips, outings or anything the families needed to make life a little easier. Merlin loved to travel and knew how difficult it was for him to endure long lines at amusement parks or the frustration of not being able to do certain things because of the heat or being able to go to certain places because of special transportation needed.   

Rest in peace, Sergeant German. Semper Fidelis.

After completing two tours in Iraq, Sgt. Wayne Leyde won $1 million from a scratch-and-win lotto ticket on Tuesday.

Now that he’s won, Leyde, a 26-year-old member of the Washington National Guard, says he’s still going to volunteer to go back to Iraq for a third tour and won’t spend any of the money in the meantime.

Question: If there’s validity in the statements "we’re losing the war in Iraq", "we’re in a quagmire in Iraq", or "the war’s not worth it", then why is Sergeant Leyde going back? Certainly, he’s not doing it "for college money", as is another common theme. The only explaination is because he believes in the mission, and that he believes what we’re doing is worth his life.

Godspeed and God bless, Sergeant Leyde.

Full story here: ABC News: Lucky Soldier Wins $1 Million