Sacrifice..... a word we know well

Liberty, Independence, Freedom.  These 3 words are synonymous.  Look up any of the 3 and the others will be there.  They are forever linked, both by meaning and by our history.  There is another word with a different meaning.  It isn't synonymous with the other 3 although we couldn't have the other 3 without it.  That word is Sacrifice.  It has been with us since the very beginning and is woven into the foundation this nation was built on.   Throughout our history we have known the word well in defense of the ideals we cherish.  America has always been blessed with a citizenry that understands the cost of freedom.   Time and time again, when that freedom has come under attack they have come to it's defense, risking all to ensure our future.

On September 11, 2001 we once again came under attack, a new kind of attack from a new kind of enemy, an enemy most knew little about. Thousands died that day and thousands more lost loved ones, family and friends. The sorrow and loss from that day so intense. The sacrifice forced on so many so extreme it has been embedded into the lexicon of our very existence. And like so many times before, patriots among us put themselves between us and those who would do us more harm. How many of us have friends or family who enlisted or re-enlisted after 911? I personally have several friends who re-enlisted and went to Iraq and Afghanistan. Fortunately they all have come back safe and sound. Yes we are blessed, blessed with a freedom so rare and fragile it is the only one like it in the world..... and blessed by those willing to sacrifice all they are to keep it safe.- JP

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on 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."- Ronald Reagan