USA — Chairman’s Corner: Independence Day 2010

WASHINGTON, July 2, 2010 — This Inde­pen­dence Day we cel­e­brate our Nation’s 234th birth­day. As this hol­i­day week­end approach­es and we enjoy parades, pic­nics and fire­works, I hope we also take a moment to remem­ber the gen­er­a­tions of Amer­i­cans who have safe­guard­ed our inde­pen­dence.

Today, there are more than 200,000 uni­formed Amer­i­can men and women deployed in harm’s way, pro­tect­ing us. Their steady lives of ded­i­ca­tion remind us that our Nation’s promise must be tend­ed to every­day. I won’t for­get the gifts of their ser­vice far away from home or the sac­ri­fices of the fam­i­lies who wait for their return. 

Anoth­er way we tend to America’s promise is through our care and acknowl­edge­ment of our wound­ed war­riors, their fam­i­lies, and the fam­i­lies of our fall­en and our miss­ing in action. For many, their heal­ing will last a life­time, and our com­mit­ment to them should be equal­ly enduring. 

Pres­i­dent Dwight Eisen­how­er once observed that free­dom resides in “the hearts, the actions and the spir­it” of our peo­ple. Today, espe­cial­ly, we cel­e­brate every­thing that Amer­i­cans do – in both action and in spir­it – to ren­der that free­dom inviolate. 

The Joint Chiefs, their fam­i­lies, Deb­o­rah and I wish every cit­i­zen a hap­py and safe Inde­pen­dence Day. Hap­py Birth­day America! 

Source:
Chair­man of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
U.S. Depart­ment of Defense
Office of the Assis­tant Sec­re­tary of Defense (Pub­lic Affairs)