What Precedes Freedom?

My Uncle Dick is one of three men who’ve been father figures to me. There’s no man for whom I have more respect than I do for him. He flew several hundred missions over enemy territory, many at night. More than once he landed his fighter jet in worse condition than when he began the day.

I tell you this because he and I have had some incredible conversations about how freedom comes about. One day we were driving back to his house up 15 north in San Diego, which goes right by Miramar Naval Station. A pair of very large, very impressive, and very loud fighter jets (Dick said they were F- I don’t remember the number.) passed almost directly over us at an excitingly low altitude. I can’t imagine what fear they would engender in an enemy who knew what they were seeing coming their way.

I was like an eight year old kid. It was, without a doubt, the most impressive thing I’d ever seen up close of our military in action. Goosebumps appeared, as I welled up with enormous pride. I happened to glance over at Dick, who was smiling ear to ear. He wasn’t eight years old at that moment. He was back in the cockpit of his old F-101(?), bombing the enemy, at night with only flares for lighting, and about 28 years old. I asked what he was thinking about.

He then said something that brought the reality of the cost of freedom to me forever. He said, (paraphrased from memory) “Jeff, every time you hear one of our jets go over, think of the jet’s roar as the sound of freedom. No country has ever been free without having to have conquered an enemy attempting to take that freedom from them. The only thing worse than having to fight a war, is avoiding war only to realize, too late, that your very freedom was on the line. England very nearly learned that lesson the hard way in World War II. Military victory always precedes real freedom.”

America’s freedom was the result of our victory over the British. Think of where we’d be today if we’d lost World War II. Most of western Europe is free today because those who wished to rule over them were defeated militarily.

So the next time you see one of our military pilots flying overhead, smile — you just heard the incredibly sweet sound of America’s freedom. Without it we’d be a few pages in another country’s history books. God bless America — and to our wonderful people in the military, our most profound gratitude for your selfless service.

When you take your first bite of BBQ today, take a moment and look into the sky. Know then how our freedom came about, and appreciate the cost of our freedom and independence.

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