As one who served in the United States Army, I find that the Fourth of July carries an incredibly special meaning. It is the celebration of our nation’s commitment to freedom and strength.
When we look back at the Declaration of Independence signed 240 years ago, we also look back to the battles that have been fought and to those individuals who have stood for truth and the soldiers — both men and women — who went to war.
We celebrate the Fourth of July not only for the birth of our nation, but also because of our fallen and serving soldiers. These soldiers fought in the past and are still fighting today for our country, our lives and our freedom so that we can all live in peace.
Countries that would do us harm have dangerous people — many of them terrorists — who wage war to gain power. Our soldiers go to war with these terrorists so we can live in a safe environment every day.
Most Americans have a day off on the Fourth of July to celebrate the holiday. Some celebrate with backyard barbecues and others celebrate with fireworks at night. Many do both.
But American servicemen and women serving in harm’s way do not have the day off. We give our peaceful celebrations meaning by honoring and remembering them, and giving thanks to and for the members of the armed forces who put their lives in danger to protect our safety and freedom.
We speak about the Founding Fathers who crafted and passed that document in Philadelphia, but I actually believe that we all are founding fathers in a sense.
We clearly understand that our nation was shaped by men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams but we fail to realize that the job of shaping our nation today is on our shoulders.
It is up to us to pay taxes, vote for the political side that we believe in and teach our children and our families what it means to work hard and live honestly.
Freedom is a fundamental aspect of the founding of our nation. But what matters as much as the principal of freedom is the practice of it. Given recent events in the United States, it is about who we are, how we behave and how we set the example that can make the freedom that animates us as today’s founding fathers compelling to others.
On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence declared the American colonies free from Great Britain, but this day also means remembrance of the brave soldiers who kept and who keep our country safe so America can continue to practice that very freedom declared 240 years ago.
That’s why we celebrate America.
John Avila is the chairman of Thos. S. Byrne, a general contracting firm in Fort Worth. He has been Byrne’s chief executive for 21 years. He served on active duty from 1966 to 1971 in the United States Army, including a combat tour in Vietnam. Upon his return home to Texas to pursue an engineering degree he joined the Texas Army National Guard and served 27 years. He retired in 1998 as a brigadier general.