The first thing my son Justin did when he and his wife Stacy arrived here in Sea Isle City to join us for the family 4th of July gathering was to put up his Seabee flag. A pride he has earned by serving our country for 20 years as a Navy Seabee.
The 4th of July brings to the forefront our family history of service. I am the family historian and have spent 44 years gathering stories and facts about our ancestors. Service to our country is threaded throughout our family history. From the Revolution to my son’s recent retirement from the Navy, the men in our family have stood up and served our country with pride.
I am lucky to have pictures and discharge papers from our 2nd great grandfather George Daniel Pifer, Major in the Civil War, grand father, John Ford, Sgt. in Calvary for the Army in World War I, and my father, William E Brown, Army, World War II. Prior to the Civil War we have ancestors on both sides of our family who were involved in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
Along with those mentioned, we have an Uncle, who enlisted and served for both the Navy and Army following World War II, my husband was in the Navy before being injured and retired disabled, my brother-in-law served during Vietnam in the Air Force, my brother served the Air Force and retired after 20 years service, (he met his wife who was also serving in the Air Force) along with his son is presently serving in the Air Force aiming for a 20 year retirement, and also my younger son also served in the Air Force for 4 years.
We owe it to our young men and women today to weigh carefully the obligation we ask of them. When so few of us carry so many of us on their back we need to make sure we not only keep our promises to them, but promise them that any time we ask them to go out in combat to serve our political needs, we do it with great deliberation.
Happy 4th of July to all, especially to those who have given their life to enable us to celebrate this great holiday.
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