The True Cost of Liberty & Its Currency
“…For those who fought for it, Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know…”
Gone are the days when 16-year-old boys lied to go fight the war, when 18-year-old boys committed suicide because they could not, when women rose-up to ensure Liberty prevailed. Gone is the greatest generation and with them the American public’s deep appreciation for the true cost of Liberty. Perhaps America lost its appreciation because grandpa didn’t tell enough stories about how he held his friend as he died or how he still has nightmares about how he failed to save his best friend. Perhaps grandma didn’t share enough of her stories about how much she sacrificed for the war and how she would do it all over again. If they would have would their kids now realize how blessed, they are? Would their kids ensure that their children and grandchildren knew just how special and costly Freedom is?
“Some say Freedom is free, but I’d have to disagree;
Some say Freedom is won from the barrel of a gun.
Tell me why tell me why, does a soldier have to die.”
Whatever the cause, it is self-evident that America no longer comprehends the cost of Freedom. America has become the trust fund babies of Liberty, complaining about how it deserves more just for being born. Political parties proclaim that our “democracy” is on the verge of collapse, ignoring the fact that the people who paid the price of Liberty would never allow that to occur. Journalists write about how military training is too difficult and how it should be more equitable, implying that war and working at the bank are the same.
This Veterans Day, as a group of Veterans, we wanted to explain to you what your Freedom costs as we paid part of the price for it. The currency of Liberty is not found within the military budget, but rather: (1) it is found in the heart of a volunteer who proudly proclaims “I will risk my life for you;” (2) it is located in Arlington Cemetery and on the Beaches of Normandy ; (3) it can be seen in the folded flags that adorn living rooms; (3) it is hidden deep in the heart of loved ones as they pass by; or (4) it can be found in the homeless Veteran at your feet as you rush by to meet friends for dinner.
Normandy American Cemetery
The currency of Liberty takes the form of blood, death, tears, and heartache. Your Freedoms were not paid for proportionately, they are paid for by a small group of patriots and their families. They have primarily been paid for with the bodies of young boys, who we call “men[1]”, who went to war and never came home, by the veterans who did come home but struggle to find peace in a life after war. The currency of Freedom exists in the seen and unseen:
The Ones We See:
In the screaming cries of little boys who get reunited with their daddy (mommy). We view these videos as heartwarming, but the children’s cries are releasing more pain than joy.
In the eyes of a bride as she walks down the aisle without her dad, remembering him with each step.
In the concerned face of a father as he hopes he taught his child how to be brave in the face of mortal danger.
In the trembling bodies of the wife, mother, husband, father, son, daughter, brother, and sister who only receive a flag as a symbol of our appreciation for their loved one’s honorable and faithful service.
In the soldier who returned home to feel utterly alone, wrestling demons others don’t care to know about, to only find peace after war through suicide.
Normandy American Cemetery
The Ones We Don’t:
As loved ones quietly cry themselves to sleep each night alone.
In a wife’s quiet whispers, as she prays that she won’t have to raise her children alone.
In a mother’s heavy heart as she worries about her baby’s safety despite begging them not to go.
Hidden in the stoic face of the soldiers who demonstrate a nation’s gratitude at the funeral of his brothers and sisters.
In the Veteran who lives every day for his fallen brothers and sisters, hoping to make their sacrifice mean something.
Your Freedom was expensive and most never paid a “dime.” So, this Veterans Day, don’t just say “thank you for your service” as if you just got a free cup of coffee, your Freedom cost more than that, but proclaim what you are thankful for. Perhaps you are thankful for the fact that you can walk through life never thinking about the true costs of Freedom or perhaps you are grateful you never had to feel the pain demonstrated in the videos linked above. Maybe you are thankful to be the trust fund babies of Liberty, as that is what we wanted for you. This Veterans Day, spend some time thinking about all you have received for the little you have contributed. Reflect on how lucky you are to live in a land that allows you to live your life how you want. Thank your god that people whom you don’t know exist stand ready to ensure Liberty for all men, women, and children despite race, creed, or gender.
Dear Madam,
I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle.
I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.
I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.
Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,
Abraham Lincoln
This is so true. Sadly I think schools are part of the problem due to not teaching our true values and history. The cost of our freedoms if lost or destroyed or stolen from us. Our children are being manipulated and the war is here in our own backyard.