Saturday
December 1, 2001

What being an American means to me ..........

I am proud and thankful to be an American. To grow up in America sometimes lends us a sense of security and freedom that we have taken for granted. People from many foreign countries do not have the scope to understand the freedoms we enjoy.

My Mother was the first of her family to be born in America. The first of her family to be an American Citizen. You can ask her even today, "What is your most cherished possession?" And she will answer, "My birth certificate." She has always known exactly where it is located at any given moment. Oh, I'm sure we've all seen ours - somewhere. Perhaps thrown carelessly in a drawer or filed away with other miscellaneous papers. Obviously it shows we are Americans, but do we know how valuable that piece of paper is?

What has this birth certificate entitled me to? In short, it's bestowed on me a freedom and way of life that I love. Let's review just a few things that have been important in my life.

My Dad's grandparents passed through Ellis Island on their way from Germany. They brought with them little money, a large family and the hope and trust that America could help better their lives. They came west and worked hard. They became landowners and respected members of the community. My Dad's Mother was in her mid-twenties during Women's Suffrage. She knew what it was like not to be allowed to enter the assigned voting sites, not to be allowed to vote on matters that were crucial enough to come up for a vote. She couldn't even vote for President. The one thing she instilled in all her daughter-in-laws and granddaughters was TO VOTE. It was never a God-given right, it was fought for, earned by thousands of women who had guts enough to stand up for their beliefs. In America we are allowed to do this. And if we care for our Country and what it stands for we will go out and vote.

There were four brothers in my Dad's immediate family. When America entered WWII all four of them enlisted. One was unable to "join-up" due to Asthma, he stayed home and helped with distribution of the rationing stamps, one joined the Marines and fought overseas, and my Dad and one brother joined the Army Air Corp. My Dad was a test pilot for B-24s and did not see overseas action, but his brother became a prisoner of war in a German prison camp for 2 1/2 years. They were proud to serve their country, a home of freedom that had given them so much. These are only three that served and these three came back home alive, I often think of the thousands that have died on foreign soil to protect a Country they loved enough to die for.

My Mother was also in the Army Air Corp (later to become the US Air Force) where she became one of their Poster Girls during WWII. Her tour of duty wasn't so bad.

I also think of all the women that went to work when the men went to war. Probably among the most famous were the riveters. Men and women stood and worked side by side and literally built our planes and warships. They were all proud to be of service to their country. What would we have done without that labor force?

Years after the war was over, I can remember going with my Mother to do "Sky Watch" for the Civil Air Patrol. Many people volunteered their time, literally watching the sky for hours on end, so important was it to keep the threat of war from our skies.

I remember with a smile when my Dad would ride horseback into the Arena at the local Rodeo carrying the American flag with all the rodeo people following. Those were sunny days, with the sky a blazing blue and the flag rippling straight out. These were days when Patriotism still was fresh in hearts and minds after soldiers had come home from WWII and Korea. People were proud, stood and cheered. We all loved America, we loved the idea that we could all get together, to celebrate, to talk, to state our beliefs with absolutely no fear of retribution.

Growing up, the lazy sunny days and cold winters passed all too quickly. Soon I was getting my drivers license, buying a used car, and driving anywhere I had the money to get to. Just another form of freedom that America has given us. We have the right to pursue an education at any level that we have the drive and interest to attain. We can marry whomever we choose, and hope we've made a good choice. We can join the service, but we don't have to and we can find a job. We can raise a family, these are all freedoms we enjoy within our Country. These are all freedoms we take for granted. No one, (except maybe our parents) dictates to us, we are Americans born and raised in the land of the free.

Perhaps the horrific events of September 11th will bring us back to be more appreciative of a Country that has been so good to us. Perhaps the terror that we felt that day will help instill not only a love for our Great Country, but a deep and healthy respect for those who have fought to protect us. We need to be thankful that we live here, where we enjoy so much for in reality some of us have given so little.

America, there is no other place I want to be .....