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Health & Fitness

A Victory Fought, A Victory Remains

The Spirit of '76 is carried on by our Armed Forces..

Today marks the 236th birthday of our independence from English rule. It may be difficult for us to understand what our founding fathers and the colonists encountered when they decided to defy the British Empire. The odds were surely stacked against them; a tenuous government with a patchwork military against a battle-tested, and well-funded, imperial force. Defeat in battle became the norm for the Continental forces. Lack of funding and desertion plagued the American military. However, as the war progressed, the leaders of the Revolution adapted and overcame. The Continental plan became a war of attrition, bolstered by superior marksmanship, small unit engagements and unconventional tactics. Eventually, the tide turned. The colonists, against all odds, brought the world's greatest empire to its knees in the New World. 

Representatives of the 13 colonies, of widely varying backgrounds and motivations, found common ground to achieve a common goal. Those they represented paid the price with extreme loss and their own blood. Loyalists to the British throne also paid a price during the war and for years to follow. Yet in spite of all the loss, in spite of all the contention and uncertainty, a new nation was forged that became a model for all democracies that followed.

Today marks the day when American colonists declared they would no longer be subjects, but instead citizens. From then until now our country and its people have been tested and tried, yet we have always found our way forward. No different than 236 years ago, our young men and women today volunteer to defend and preserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We are not celebrating July 4th, 1776. We are celebrating every day since the first signature was committed to the Declaration of Independence.

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