What is the 4th of July mean to you?

Of course it's all about celebrating our Independence. Do you honor those who have fought for us as well? Or is it just about the fireworks, parade, and picnic?
Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays! I always take a few moments to remember what our Independence Day is really about. A group of men who were willing to risk it all, their futures, their fortunes and their lives because they believed in the idea that liberty and freedom were more important than any of that. To me, it's nothing short of amazing that what started as a rough assembly of untrained men using whatever weapons they could get their hands on managed to become the somewhat more polished Continental Army and went on to defeat the army of what was, at the time, the most powerful nation in the world.

On that day, I also honor those who have fought for us since that time. Those that have come since are no less heroic in their sacrifices for liberty and freedom. They have continued the work started so long ago by those who fought the first fight for our freedom and, in my opinion, deserve to be honored on Independence Day just as much as those who founded our country.
I would like to say thank you to all our Veterans past present and future. I believe we should thank you every day of the year not just on certain days like the Forth of July and Veterans Day. But on Veterans Day especially.
From Armistice to Veterans, as one veteran to all, I salute you all!! We should honor ourselves' for keeping our flag free and secure, we are the courageous men and women who fought and died for the idealism of liberty and freedom for all.
We must thak God every day that we are Americans. We are the true leaders of the world.
I thank you veterans for not being selfish with your lives and believing in our nation's freedom.
Us Veteran's have a lot in common, we love our country (U.S.A.). I support all Veterans and especially the one's that are serving in harms way today in Iraq and Afghanistan. We may not all agree that we should have troops there, but we must support the one's that were sent there to fight for us to help defend freedom and Democracy. May God Bless America and the men and women in uniform.