Growing up in Louisa – 4th of July?
Weekly feature . . . by Mike Coburn
As the great mid-summer holiday approaches, I am filled with those memories that are little more than are quick snapshot in my mind of the celebrations of times past.
Frankly, the years have flashed by so quickly that those images have faded and are little more than fleeting moment that are almost impossible to capture. I have to rely on those and the longer-term memories of the lessons learned in grade school and reinforced though my high school training. I can’t help but remember lessons about the flag, the struggles of the Revolutionary War and the heroes such as Paul Revere, Patrick Henry, Tom Jefferson, George Washington, Ben Franklin, and a number of other men that are, in spite of efforts of a few to defame, the highly respected founding fathers of this nation. I remember many stories of ‘Old Ironsides’ (USS Constitution) and the ‘Boston Tea Party.’ I remember learning about ‘Bunker Hill’, ‘Valley Forge’, and Washington’s crossing of the Delaware.
Since those days, I have learned even more facts that stir my pride in America, a nation formed to provide its citizens freedom, liberty and justice. Those are spelled out in the constitution, but are too often debated, or weakened by courts, and folks that take arguments further than many of us find comfortable. Those challenges are, after all, what makes us unique and defines who we are.
As it happens I ended up living in the cradle of democracy for all of my adult years. The deciding battle of the war took place in Yorktown, VA, a twenty-minute drive from my home. Williamsburg, VA, the fully restored town that is a prime tourist attraction where kids run and play in three-cornered hats and shoot toy muskets, is but a half-hour’ drive. Museums abound around here that tell stories of eighteenth-century life. Several plantations still reside along the famous James River, and give tours. My home is perhaps three hundred yards from the James. My children played on the beach a short walk up the block. It would be difficult for me to forget all those grand anthems, reenactments, fife and drum corps (a son once played in one), and the parades that spark excitement in the hearts of child and adult alike.
Yes, I remember a time that we all stood, hands over our hearts, and remembered the men and women who have given their lives and energy that we might continue to enjoy freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If we fail to strive to maintain these ideals, those who worked and died have done so in vain. By all means, we should set off fireworks, march in a parade, or at least be a witness to those marching. Absolutely, we must salute the flag and make an effort to participate wherever we can.
I remember years ago, when I was very young indeed, eating a picnic out in High Bottom at Beech Grove. We had watermelon, hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, pop, potato salad, and baked beans, all of which made the trip worth the fight with the ants. We spread a blanket, or quilt, over the ground underneath a large shade tree. I know I spent most of the day running up and down the rolling hills and screaming in delight over this new-found freedom. I also remember having the juice of the melon dripping off my chin and onto my shirt. Man, it was sticky. Thinking of it, perhaps we also had fried chicken instead of the normal Independence Day faire, but I know we had watermelon. Maybe I’m remembering two or more different occasions. In any case, I expect I slept well that night with the sounds of fireworks popping. Boys do get tired sometimes. I doubt that completely goes away.
When my ashes are finally encased in container at my reserved space at Horton National Cemetery in Suffolk, VA, and the bugle has played ‘taps’, and after my wife is handed the folded flag, perhaps someone will remember that I played my little role in this great experiment of democracy. I don’t deserve to be mentioned with the real heroes, like Charles Jones, or others that gave it all. We all know good people from Lawrence County who have died in service. That’s true across the whole country. Very few of us have been unaffected by wars. We must remember that we live in the greatest nation on earth, and I believe it is altogether worth dying for. When I finally lay down, my reward is hopefully that I have helped provide freedom for my children and grandchildren to show them the way to live, how to keep the faith, and the importance of fighting for the ideals and principals of this nation. I have not always liked the way the country was headed, but I have always loved America and in the end, in spite of differences, I love its people.
Therefore, lovely people, please celebrate and enjoy the holiday. Kick back and hold the fishing rod, or grab some watermelon and let it drip. Oh, and by the way, thank a veteran, a soldier, marine, airman, or sailor. Thanks to them, life is good.
