[July 4, 2025] The first fireworks I ever saw were when, at the age of 11, my dad drove our family to see my great aunt in Little Rock, Arkansas. After dark, late that evening, as we crested a hill overlooking the valley where the city is located, from the backseat of the family’s ’49 Chevy four-door sedan, I got a great view of fireworks over the city. My dad said to us that those fireworks were about Independence Day.
I was familiar with Independence Day. Our teachers in the small school I attended during the regular school year with my brother and sister taught us facts about the day. We learned through a variety of teaching techniques, including each of us reading from a book on the Founding Fathers, participating in a stage play about patriotism, and listening to selected town leaders talk to us about what Independence Day meant to them.
To us, it was something to be proud of and to be a part of something unique and powerful. Perhaps that’s where I gained my pride and happiness to be an American. I’m also privileged to be one of many who served their country in time of war. My friends hark from those days in northeast Louisiana where we played sandlot baseball (although there was no sandlot) and hunted small game on a wooded lot outside of town.
We also “played army” as we ran around town with our makeshift, wooden rifles. Yes, we were “army men” and nothing would stand in our way. We are still close to one another to this day.
Like all the families near us growing up, we celebrated with cookouts, games, and visiting relatives. Those times were special, and I try to keep the tradition alive today. Those were good times and I personally will never forget them. Special thanks to my Dad and my Mom for making it great for us kids. But also thanks to my grandparents and cousins for adding so much to those very special days.
My goal was to spread this idea to my children and fortunately, they were able to also grow up in small towns, those that honor our military members. There participated in parades and school events that helped mark this very special day. As I look back into our family photograph albums, those on the 4th of July stand out the most. All the kids were smiling from ear to ear.
We were happy that there is an Independence Day and each of us knew that it means we stand up to defend it whenever it is threatened. All Americans have my respect for the part they play in making the USA a great and independent nation.
Today it is fashionable to talk bad about America, that somehow our country is oppressive the world over. This is all moral preening by uneducated, ungrateful, immoral, and weak men and women who do little themselves to help their neighbors. These folks would rather complain about some perceived wrong, than to actually do something concrete to help. Until Leftist politicians stop encouraging these ingrates, they will continue on the destructive path they have voluntarily chosen to follow.
America is a great country. America is the greatest country to ever exist and thanks to great leadership, we are headed to another great decade where common sense, the rule of law, and respect for families and Christians, America will continue to be the beacon of light on a hill.
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Please read my books:
Happy . Independence . Day .
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Late to the plate, but Happy Fourth of July and holiday weekend.
💥👀🇺🇸❤️😎⚾🫡
🇺🇸 I had a fabulous Fourthnof July with friends and family. This is what freedom is about. Wishing all my good friends here on Gen. Satterfield’s blog a great weekend. America is coming back like a Lion. 🇺🇸
America, I sometimes worry, has gone out of fashion. Recent polling from Gallup finds that just 58 percent of Americans report that they are “very” or “extremely” proud to be an American—the lowest figure on record, down from a peak of 91 percent post-9/11. The trend is driven by Democrats, just 36 percent of whom are proud to be American. But warning signs have appeared on the Right, too: while about 90 percent of older Republicans report American pride, the figure for GOP Zoomers is just 65 percent.—Charles Fain Lehman, senior editor
Good one, Xerxes. Thanks. It’s good feel to be alive on the 249th “Kings Day” in an independent America.
Sir, thank you for the post today and, yes, Happy Fourth of July. And happy Independence Day for all. Even other parts of the world rightly celebrate our Independence day because it is a model of how to do it right.
Support Veterans with PTSD during the Fourth of July Activities
PRESS RELEASE, July 2, 2025
“Many Veterans find the noises and visual stimuli associated with this patriotic holiday to produce extraordinary levels of anxiety, and it can lead to an increase in distressing mental health symptoms in the days before and following Independence Day,” said Dr. Heather Flores, VANEOHS’ assistant chief for PTSD and Trauma-Related Services and PTSD Clinical Team program manager. “This is particularly evident when fireworks are used unexpectedly on the days surrounding the holiday, or very late into the night. We strongly encourage local groups and communities to help constrain the typical use of fireworks to well publicized days and times, and encourage the general public to avoid unexpected, and potentially distressing, fireworks use.”
https://www.va.gov/northeast-ohio-health-care/news-releases/support-veterans-with-ptsd-during-the-fourth-of-july-activities/
I never thought of that. Thanks Jonnie. The things we take for granted that our Veterans have allowed us to enjoy, yet we rarely think of them having problems.
Yep celebrating. 🎆🎇🎈🎉and cooking out for my family. 👍💥🇺🇸👏🔴
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY INDEPENDENCE DAY
Gen. Satterfield wrote …….🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
“America is a great country. America is the greatest country to ever exist and thanks to great leadership, we are headed to another great decade where common sense, the rule of law, and respect for families and Christians, America will continue to be the beacon of light on a hill.”
…… and he is spot on. For those who hate America like most Democrats, then go to someplace else like Gaza, North Korea, or better yet, go to China or Russia.
I think most of the readers here are very much patriotic for America or for their home country and that is a good thing. But to slam your country like our domestic terrorists in the Democrat Party, these are just Marxist tools and fools.
Indeed, 🇺🇸 America is GREAT. 💯
…🇺🇸🇺🇸👀👀 Happy Independence Day in America.
Sir, thank you once again for being a great American and patriot. From your free blog to your books to your service in the army, we all celebrate our nation’s independence with you on this very special day. I know your blog is now more than a decade old and I’ve read nearly every article. Now, I’m about to go and finish preparing for a huge cookout in my backyard. You are welcome anytime. 🫡
💥💥💥💥💥 Happy Indepence Day 💥💥💥💥💥