Freedom is Never Free

No one values freedom more than one who has lost it.

No one appreciates freedom more than one who gets it back through the generosity and sacrifice of others.

I’m speaking for myself and for the millions of immigrants who came to America lured by its beacon of freedom, hope and opportunity for all.

Freedom is fragile. Freedom is never free*. It takes people willing to make huge sacrifices to protect it for all of us.

America’s Veterans have done that for more than 200 years, and thousands of military service men and women on active duty are carrying on that mission. I’m sure many of you have friends, relatives and loved ones who deserve our thanks and our recognition for keeping America the land of the free.

People like Ret. Col. (AF) Lee Ellis who, during the Vietnam War, endured 1955 days of captivity at the infamous Hanoi Hilton, never breaking his code of honor despite the enemy’s inhumane treatment. You can read more about Lee in my earlier post, where I also talk about how he turned those experiences into leadership lessons. You may want to check out his latest book, Engage with Honor™: Building a Culture of Courageous Accountability (for which I had the privilege of writing the foreword).

For me as an immigrant, Veterans’ Day is special. It reminds me of what my family and I lost in Cuba and what we regained in the U.S. thanks to the men and women of our military.

As far as I’m concerned, no song better conveys that feeling of appreciation and gratitude than Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.” It hits a real nerve with me. It moves me every time I hear it, particularly when he sings the last verse:

And I gladly stand up
Next to you and defend her still today
Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land
God bless the USA

Thank you, American Veterans, and God bless the USA.

Ralph

*Freedom is Never Free” is also the title of a poem by James Grengs.

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