Patriotic spirit a Christmas blessing

Jennah Rose English-Welch

December 7, 1941.

“A day that shall live in infamy.”

A single day in history marking a milestone in creating the world as we know it.

The war was raging in Europe. Hitler was quickly and ruthlessly gaining power. The American people were pretending nothing was amiss.
December 7, 1941 brought war right to their face with the attack on Pearl Harbor killing nearly 2,500 dead and injuring 1,000.

But it turned the tide of the war.

They have been called The Greatest Generation—that generation of men and women who stepped up when necessary. Normal, everyday men and women who became extraordinary.

Now more than two or three generations later, I wonder how many of us see those people as nothing more than a few black and white photographs in a textbook. I wonder how many people stop and remember what happened to this country, and ultimately the world, that December day 68 years ago.

I don’t believe that spirit is completely gone. As we stress about finals and prepare for the desperately needed Christmas break, there are military men and women all over the world who will not be able to speak with their families on Christmas. Husbands, wives, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers who are still carrying that torch of liberty.

I know war is not pretty. It is not a thing of chivalrous stories. It is brutal. But patriotism and a steady support that streams from the people whom our troops represent is not without imperativeness. They need to know we know the price they have paid and are paying.

This is not a soapbox. This is not about politics. It is not about liberalism or conservatism, all the above, or anything in between.

It is about ordinary men and women doing extraordinary things in the name of freedom.

So this holiday season, while we are enjoying a comfortable break, time with friends and family, good music, good food, good gifts, let us not fail to remember those who have given and are currently giving the greatest gift of all.

God bless our troops—past, present, and to come.

And God bless America.

And Merry Christmas to you all.