Several years ago (30) my family and I sat on the bank of the Thames River in Groton, CT.  We arrived hours early to watch the fireworks that were sitting on three barges in the middle of the river.  Our wait was well worth it.

 

At 9:45 pm, music began and the fireworks lit up the sky for over 2 hours.  It was fantastic.  There was cheering, yelling, ah’s, and gasps.  Several times, there were waves of clapping.  It was a night to remember. 

 

At the end, there was a twist.  The last song was Taps.  Immediately, all service men stood, followed by family members and then others.  Red, white, and blue colors adored the night sky. 

 

At that time, we stopped and remembered the ones who were not there.  Those that we at sea, stationed over seas, or at that time, those in Desert Storm.  We also acknowledged those who died.  Those men and women who sacrificed all for freedom. 

 

We are truly blessed in this nation.  Yes we have freedoms.  Most of all, we had men and women who valued those freedoms with their very lives.  We are blessed by their sacrifice and God’s blessings.