The following speech was written by Commander Brad Pieratt in the run-up to our 250th Anniversary of our Independence Day. The speech was broadcast several  times a day on a local radio station during the week before July 4th. It’s a message to veterans and civilians alike, to not forget the sacrifices made by veterans and current military members serving our nation at this critical point in our history.

Today we gather under the warm summer sky to celebrate the single most significant beginning in American history.

This is not just another Fourth of July. Today, we stand together on the threshold of history to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States of America.

Two and a half centuries ago, a revolutionary idea was born on our soil. It was an idea conceived by ordinary citizens who dared to stand up against the crushing weight of tyranny and taxation without representation. They believed, with absolute conviction, that liberty was not a privilege to be granted or rescinded by a king, but a birthright given to every human being by their Creator.

Since that monumental day, it has taken generations of continuous, selfless sacrifice to ensure that our nation’s independence survived. Freedom is never free; it is bought, paid for and maintained by the courage of veterans.

From the rolling hills of New England to the blood-stained sands of Normandy … from the frozen ridges of Korea and the dense jungles of Vietnam… to the dusty, dangerous streets of Baghdad and Kandahar … American service members have proven time and again that they will always stand ready to defend our way of life.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States will never waiver in our duty. We will continue to advocate for those who served. We will continue to support the brave men and women currently standing guard across the globe and we will never allow the torch of liberty to grow dim on our watch.

On this historic anniversary, let us honor every patriot who has kept us free. Let us thank our current service members whose vigilance ensures we can gather in peace today. And let us not forget the military families that served and sacrificed alongside and kept things together on the home-front. And finally, let us resolve to pass this precious inheritance of liberty, unimpaired, to the generations yet to come.

Happy 250th Birthday, America!