Craig reminded me via email, many of us have given an oath…
There were some others along the way but this is the one I will recall until I am no longer.
“I solemnly swear that I will support, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and these United States of America against all enemies, foreign or domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will obey the lawful orders of the Commander in Chief and of my superior officers; that I will well and faithfully execute and discharge the duties of the office which I am about to enter; that I will do no harm but will, without reservation, preserve, protect, and defend the interests and life of those to whom I am called to aid; that I undertake this obligation freely, without reservation, evasion, or coercion; that to these endeavors and to my fellows I pledge my life, my fortune, and my sacred honor.
So, help me, God.”
This one doesn’t have an expiration date either…
On the way back yesterday I had a rather interesting conversation with a very nice young lady with an ‘interesting’ accent…
She is an PHD astrophysicist working at NASA Goddard with the Hubble Telescope (very impressive and lost me in the first five minutes)…
But…
The interesting part is she was born in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and her family escaped the war when she was about ten years old. They came here legally as political refugees, and all, ALL of them are now US citizens. She talked about going back and seeing the ruin of what was once her home, the dispirited people who remain, and the lack of recovery due to basically a corrupt administration and no economy anyone is willing to invest in. She does go back and tries to help where she can, but admitted there is not much she can do. I asked her if she would be where she is today, had she stayed…
She looked at me like I was an idiot (yeah, I know)… And said she would never have had the chance. And she wanted to get back so she could go to the fireworks! 🙂
These are the folks that will make the next generation great, NOT the ones currently flooding across the Southern border…
And since it’s the 4th… All American food!
I’m going to sneak down to Ft. Myer and watch the fireworks… I hope y’all have had a good day, and take a moment to remember those that are serving far from home today to keep us free…
You have a great 4th, and I hope the fireworks were awesome!
Have a pleasant and happy Independence Day.
A wonderful happenstance for you, thanks for sharing. Hope the fireworks were Awesome for our birthday!
Wing- 20+ minutes with the Washington Monument in the background? Hell yes! 🙂
Euripides- Thanks hope you’re able to do the same.
Dammit- You’re welcome.
I was discharged from active duty, but the oath remains in full force and vigor.
238 years strong, hopefully, prayerfully we’ll make it to 239.
Thanks for the good word. My daddy taught me to keep my promises.
Enemies foreign and domestic.
Rev- Concur!
Craig- Mine too!
Ed- Exactly…
defend Constitution listed first. “Obey” “orders” qualified with the word “lawful”.
Whoever composed that oath had the wisdom to look around and they saw how other countries, civilized countries went into the ditch. I think they had a clear vision that it could happen here and put in fusible links to ensure, to the best of their ability, the continued integrity of our nation.
Thanks for posting.
You meet the coolest people . . . We had a great 4th. A little work, visit to the grandkids, good meal . . . and Susie missed the deer on the way home. What more could an old fart ask for! BTW, got your email . . . workin’ on it.
Joe- Good point!
Bill- That’s great! And missing deer is good! Just sayin… 🙂
I’m of the opinion that the oath I swore lo these 51 years ago not only has not expired but is more important now than ever.
God bless the United States of America and the men and women that keep her free.
I have never forgot it. Just waiting for the shinola to hit the fan.