All Aboard
In 1918, Homer B. Turner boarded the train with his ticket in hand. However, he did not know the tickets included. It may have included the loss of an arm or leg, blindness, hunger, disease, or other war related tragedy. He and all the men aboard headed straight into WW1 not knowing if their ticket was “one-way”, not allowing them to return home. However, they valued the right to fight for themselves and future generations to come.
Celebration
Not long into the ride, things changed. Suddenly, the smoke from the stack blew high in the air as the train’s wheels screeched to a slowing stop. Homer could hear voices shouting and guns shooting. “The war is over! The war is over!” Certainly, thankfulness was a first thought. How lucky he was for his train became a freedom train. The day he boarded was the day he got off. Homer went on to marry, be a teacher, and raise five children one of which is my daddy.
Freedom at a Cost
Freedom isn’t free. Today, July 4, we celebrate our nation’s independence. Our tickets to freedom came at a price. Unfortunately, the price is sometimes paid personally. Other times it is a family member, friend, or a total stranger who has paid the price for us. It is estimated that the total number of Americans killed in all United States wars total more than 1.1 million! This number does not include civilians who died from war-related disease and famine. Today many are still paying the price with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and physical losses.
July 4th
Growing up we celebrated Independence Day with tons of family and fun. We swam, cooked out, ate homemade peach ice-cream, and lit sparklers! Some of my favorite memories are of this holiday. I remember the year that Granddaddy Homer, who was late in age, decided to get in the pool. He walked in wearing his shoes. We all got very tickled. I’m glad his train stopped, and he was able to influence several generations. Not all were lucky. In 2016, Americans purchased 268 million pounds of fireworks and 150 million hotdogs for the special day. Don’t let today be only about food and fun. Remember those who fought to make that day in 1776 possible and those who continue to fight for freedom.
–Donna