This was the first year in several that our neighbor, Darrel, didn't host his annual 3rd of July bash. He sold his house across the road from us and moved to Ammon. That party would never fly in the City of Ammon. With about 80 wild, drinking, barbecuing noisy people, a band playing, illegal fireworks and noise that could be heard a country mile away, there would be arrests. Even though we still see him at the golf course, we miss Darrel as our neighbor.
The City of Rigby put on their "first annual" July 3rd fireworks show set to music and narration on 94.3 on the FM dial. We were all moved to tears by the historical essays and music.
Richard and I still cry like babies each time we hear Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA." Back in September 1993, we watched our son's platoon sing it at the top of their hoarse, beat-down, young Army private voices after their basic training graduation at Ft. Sill, OK. At that time, we thought basic training was as tough as it got in the Army. We and our son learned that basic training is benign compared to what he later faced. After his six weeks of POW training, he was convinced he had seen the worst of any training. When that young man says it was the worst, he fully knows what he's saying. The few stories about POW training we heard made us cry.
I can't put into words the love, admiration and pride I feel for him and our other military people. Knowing what they and others before them sacrifice for us is far beyond humbling. I often ask myself if we are really worthy of it. This year, more than ever before, I was grateful for my freedom and those who protect it.
Here's a bit of an e-mail I received early the morning of the 4th:
Mom, thanks for writing. I wish I could be there for the
Menan celebration.
I have such good memories of that from when I was a kid.
One thing I'm
not missing right now is the fireworks; I'm getting plenty
of those right
now. Heh. Anyways, it looks like I've got less than 2
months left here...I
really did this deployment right. Having lots of fun,
taking out lots of
bad guys and livin the dream. I hope yall are enjoying
summer...
