A Happy Medium by Erin Murtaugh

Happy (day before) Independence Day! Have your lawn chairs and blankets been sitting out on the parade route for a few days now? Well, the day has finally come to put those bad boys to use.

America: where people set their lawn chairs out three days before a parade for the purposes of getting a good spot to watch it. More importantly though, America: home of the free, because of the brave.

The holiday celebrates the anniversary of the day which the Declaration of Independence was signed, making the United States free from Great Britain. So originally the holiday was a day to commemorate our freedom as a nation. This still rings true today, too. But we should also keep in mind that this freedom has come at a price. There are men and women who put their lives on the line every day so that we are able to keep our freedom; some have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Last week, I took a week off from writing. Partially because I was in Arizona half the week to register for classes, but mostly to take time to remember the life of one of the most important men in my life.

My grandpa, Jim Murtaugh, passed away unexpectedly. He served twice in the U.S. Army, once from 1946 to 1948 and again from 1950 to 1951 to serve in Korea. My grandpa is a hero to me. When he was recalled to go to Korea, he had to stop his schooling at the Dunwoody Institute. He ended up going back and finishing his education there, but he still had to take a break from school to defend our nation.

Many men and women have made this same sacrifice; others make even greater sacrifices. Some leave behind loved ones, spouses, children and other family members. Others make the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

Last weekend was the Corey Goodnature Memorial Golf Classic. The event raises money for scholarships for local high school seniors. This year, I was humbled and honored to be a recipient of the Corey Goodnature Memorial Scholarship. Hearing the story of the Night Stalkers and the mission Corey was a part of was eye-opening. Corey made the ultimate sacrifice, not only fighting for our country, but also trying to save his fellow soldiers.

As you’re out celebrating Independence Day, remember a few things. We are a free nation. We are free because people fight for our freedom. The people who fight for our freedom make sacrifices. Some of those people are off serving right now and don’t get to be with their families on this holiday, others have lost their lives for our freedom.

Just keep in mind that our freedom comes at a price, but it is something to be proud of and is still a day to celebrate our independence and freedom.

 

Albert Lea resident Erin Murtaugh is a 2014 graduate of Albert Lea High School. She is an intern this summer for the Albert Lea Tribune. She can be reached at murtaugh.erin@gmail.com.