Companions,
This 4th of July we celebrate 247 years of Freedom since declaring independence from Great Britain.
Independence has allowed our nation to make its own decisions and forge our own way through history. We have found that the lens through which we view these freedoms is ever changing. It is the analysis that our historians provide that help us have a better 20/20 view of how we have progressed; and let there be no doubt….we have progressed.
Our view of our Naval History has provided some stark insights into our armed force as an instrument of freedom.
We have a significant advantage in my mind that we have tried for the most part to exercise our view of freedom through a moral lens with the desired result coming down on the side of right in the end!
We and our predecessors have been willing to fight for the rights of people to be self-determinate, even fighting a war among ourselves to forge that path for all citizens. Eight Score years ago on this very week the tide turned on a field in Pennsylvania and we have followed our destiny since.
Our historians of the Order and many others have taken the mission to document the actions that led to our successes and reflect on the actions that caused us to take a questionable path along the timeline of our history.
Our successes and failures in our decisions have generally played out in the open and we continue to learn from our actions. Our Naval Services have contributed to that destiny in the Pacific, Mediterranean, Atlantic, South Pole, Middle East, Caribbean and many other places and we continue to help keep those sacrifices and commitments alive through our efforts for Naval History.
Celebrate our independent right to self determination and the Freedom to express our values and change to become better in the eyes of the Almighty every day!
For the Good of the Order