Fallen Hero

The Concord Hymn
Ralph Waldo Emerson

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.

The foe long since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And Time the ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.

On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We set today a votive stone;
That memory may their dead redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.

Spirit, that made those spirits dare
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.

How do you say thank you to those who gave all, who sacrificed the very life they had and with that, all their own personal dreams and hopes expiring the moment they had their final exhale? How do you say thank you to someone you'll never be able to look in the eye and with tears streaming tell them what their sacrifice means to you and your family in this great Nation. I will tell you how. You will lift the flag and with precious care, raise it and display with pride. As you look at the stars you think about how each of their lives mattered and that they are now there among the stars in the sky shining down on a Nation that is still free. You will look at the white and think of the honesty in their sacrifice and the red of the blood they shed in your service. You will honor the men and women in uniform right now who believe with every ounce of their being that the Constitution is more than a piece of paper full of words, it is the very fiber of a Constitutional Republic where people are entitled to a life of liberty and justice under the rule of a Democratic Government of the people and by the people. You will stand up against any person, State or Government that seeks to infringe on our inalienable rights. I say, this weekend should be sacred and hallow as the grounds our Veterans are buried in. As we sit and relax and have our extra long weekend, remember why it is that we have the freedom to do so. May God continue to Bless this Nation and the Patriots who died defending it.