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ROBERT

ABOUT OUR SON. SGT. ROBERT J BILLINGS GAVE HIS LIFE FOR OUR FREEDOM, HIS LAGACEY LIVES ON IN HIS 4 SWEET LITTLE PEOPLE. ROBERT WAS COMPASSINTE IN EVERY THING, HIS FAMILY, AND HIS GUYS. HE DIDN'T HAVE GO ON THIS MISSION HE CHOSE TO, SEE HE TRAINED HIS GUYS, AND HE TOLD ME WASNT GOING TO LET THEM GO INTO WAR WITH OUT HIM. HE KNEW EACH AND EVERYONE OF THEM. KNEW HOW TO GET THE BEST OUT OF THEM.... TO US OUR SON IS A HERO TO MANY WE ARE GREATFUL FOR HIS SERVICE THANK YOU HOPE BILLINGS HIS MOM.

Hope Billings
Amarillo, TX

Heroes who didn't make it home

The ones I'll always remember are the ones who didn't make it home. It forever changed their remaining family members.
Billy, AKA Wm E Tucker, captured after the sinking of USS Houston, and died, 21yrs old, as prisoner working on Death Railway.
Ginger, AKA Arthur Newcomb, lost in 1942 on submarine, USS Grunion.
Buddy, AKA Frederick Cobb, KIA as P-38 pilot in France, 1944.
Frankie Snook, MIA, part of crew lost when their plane was lost in Pacific. Four of the over 400,000 lost in WW2.

Anonymous
Santa Cruz, CA

A Personal Fourth of July

Early in the morning of the 4th of July in our town, city employees will put up hundreds of American flags all along the main streets of the downtown area before most people are awake. It always gives the whole downtown area a celebratory feel. I will, of course, go down to watch the parade with my wife, my daughter, her husband and our granddaughters. But I will do some quieter things during the day too.
For one, I will put on my Vietnam veteran's baseball cap for the day, and I will, sometime during the day, go to the large cemetery in Seattle with its well manicured veterans section, to wander among the regimented stones of all those veterans buried there. For a short half hour or so, I will think about friends I lost in Vietnam so long ago now, and about all those good men and women lying beneath those stones who, at some point in their lives, served the country and helped in their small, or great ways, to keep the dream of this fragile democracy alive and well.
Because I have a love and a respect for history, I see this holiday as more than just a day for fun and relaxation. It is all of that, of course. But for me, it is much more too. Though I worry about the health of the country at times, I am proud of the ideals it has stood for for so long, and of having had the opportunity to serve it in uniform. The 4th of July every year offers us a focused day for sharing some innocent joy and fun with our families and our communities. It is also a day to take a few moments to remember its historical significance. To all my currently serving military, and veteran brothers and sisters, I hope you all have the opportunity to enjoy a great 4th of July.
Thanks for your service. And welcome home.
Don't forget those who are still in harm's way.

Dan
Seattle, WA

4th of July in Lynwood, California

I don't know if the City of Lynwood, CA still does this or not, but when I was growing up there, every year there was a 4th of July picnic & Fireworks after dark. My cousins would come from Torrance and we would all go around to the different booths, get food, play games, BBQ & have a great time!
As my parents got older my mother went in a wheel chair, I can still see her there, enjoying herself, talking with her neices and nephews.
The fireworks were always great & gave us a great feeling of being an American!

Kathie Sprague Kennedy
Huntington Beach, CA

Uncle my family never met

I come from a long line of service men in my family. Both my grandfathers fought in WW1. My father served in Merchant Marines in WW2, Also have 3 Uncles who fought in WW2. My brother was also in the service,and cousins who served in military. But there was 1 person in my family that we never got the pleasure of meeting & thank him for his service. That was our Uncle Junior,our dad's brother who was killed in Iwo Jima. So I say to you Uncle Junior & to all service men & women who sacrificed who sacrificed the alltimate price 'Thank you for your service.' Thank you to all men & women serving today for your service to keep us free. They also sacrifice allot ,not being able to be with their loved ones. Thank you to the families who stand by them. They too sacrifice allot also.

Beverly Noel
Arcadia, OH

America, July Fourth, apple pie and baseball.

July fourth has always held a special meaning to me, for as long as I remember. When I was little, my mother would always watch "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and have a huge cookout with our family and friends. It stayed a long tradition with my own family when I got married. My father, uncle and husband all served in the armed forces. I have been using my grandmother's recipe for apple pie my whole life. My kids have grown up respecting our country, loving baseball and of course, my apple pie. Their father served in Vietnam, so they have great respect for our troops.
My favorote memory of the holiday would have to be 1976, when it was our country's 200th anniversary of our independence. My mother was in our hometown parade, my husband and I with our two little girls, celebrated with her at her annual backyard celebration. From that time on we carried on her tradition in our new home. We lived in the goat hill section of town with the Danvers river as our back yard. Every fourth there would be a parade of boats out for the fireworks and then pass on their way home. From our deck we could see three different city's displays. For many years our party was the one to go to, we had such great times back then.

Sharon Obelsky
Beverly, MA

My favorite 4th of July

My favorite 4th of July was when the ENTIRE family got together. We cooked out, swam at the lake, and stayed for The Annual Fireworks Spectacular. It had a petting zoo, live bands, located at Lake Murray!! Was a total blast!!

Venice
Parsons, KS

Bristol 4th of July Parade

When I was a child my Great Aunt and Uncle lived next door to the Franklin St. fire station and it was the parade route for the Bristol Rhode Island 4th of July Parade. All my in state family would gather at my aunt and uncles house from early in the am (still dark and sleeping in the cars) to miss the traffic. Because they were our Great aunt&uncle all our grandparent 6 out of 8 brothers&sisters and spouses would put together a wonderful clam boil and barbecue for after the parade and in the evening a personal fireworks display. There were at least 50+family members and friends. We had a wonderful time every year. I especially remember the 1976 celebration I was 8 it was a great 200th celebration! There has not been a 4th of July that has gone by since they had to stop doing it that my cousins and I don't remember those days,they are very special memories that will never be forgotten by those of us who were lucky enough to experience those wonderful family filled 4th's! Have a beautiful and safe 4th everyone! Don't forget to thank our veterans for keeping this Great Birthday Celebration of our Country Alive!

Dawn Winters
Johnston, RI

the olden america

THIS IS FOR ALL THE OLD FOLKS-----MY DAD AND MOM USED TO TAKE US TO THE MOOSE ON 4TH OF JULY --AFTER DARK THEY WOULD SET UP THE PROJECTOR ON THE WALL OUTSIDE (WE HAD OUR BLANKETS AND PJ'S ON ) THEY WOULD SHOW MOVIES WHILE WE GOT TO DO SPARKLERS AND FIRECRACKERS ( I TOLD U IT WAS OLD ) WE THOT THAT WAS THE GREATEST NITE OF THE YEAR -GOD BLESS AMERICA
D

dodi paigo
davie, FL

Hoosier 4th of July

We would go to the park at 6am. Have breakfSt, lunch, watch the parade, swim, supper and watch fireworks before going home. Aunts, uncles, cousins, all the Isenhours. Happy memories!!

alice
lebanon, IN