
July 4th
The following are my original thoughts on July 4th. —
US Army Officer
When I was a US Army officer I was there of my own volition to defend and to protect the life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness of others. At this time I voluntarily surrendered my own freedoms where others could enjoy theirs. I gave up the right to be with my own family and friends so that others could enjoy that right and be with theirs. I gave up the warmth of home and familiarity of residence, so that others could enjoy such things. I gave up the right to come and go as I pleased so that others could enjoy that right.
My actions allowed others to work where they wanted, to worship the God of their choice, and to not worry about being enslaved by a foreign power. On July 4th I appreciate the right I had to make that choice and I appreciate the men and women serving in the military and US government, both in domesticated foreign service that have allowed me to have these same liberties after my service to my country. That is what I think of when I think of the Fourth of July.
Freedom, Liberty, and the Selfless Sacrifice
I think of freedom, liberty, and the selfless sacrifice of Americans for other Americans.
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Published by Jimmie Aaron Kepler, Ed.D.
Jimmie Aaron Kepler is an award-winning writer and poet. Born in San Antonio, Texas, to a career military father and stay at home mother, he lived in six states and attended eight schools before graduating high school. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in History with minors in English and Military Science from The University of Texas at Arlington, Master of Arts and Master of Religious Education degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as the Doctor of Education degree. His writing awards include the CIPA EVVY 2021 Bronze Winner in the Spiritual/Religion Category and the 2021 NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite for Christian Non-Fiction for Kissing Guilt Goodbye: Breaking Free from the Shackles of Shame (enLIVEn Devotional Series Book 3) for which he was a contributor and the East Texas Christian Writer’s Confernce best short story award. Before writing full time, he worked as a US Army officer for 8-years, religious educator for 18-years, and as an IT software application engineer for over 20-years. He is a widower. He lives in North Texas with his cat Lacey. View all posts by Jimmie Aaron Kepler, Ed.D.
View all posts by Jimmie Aaron Kepler, Ed.D.
Thank you for sharing what our military personnel sacrifice for us. We often consider that our soldiers may be wounded or killed, but we fail to consider the many other sacrifices our military make for us. Thank you for your service, Jimmie and for the opportunity to thank all active duty and retired military. THANK YOU!
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Thank you for your kind words. I’m a proud US Army veteran, honorably discharged at the rank of Captain, serving on active duty during the Ford & Carter administrations & in the United States Army Reserves during the Reagan administration. I served my first two years of active duty in th Infantry. I was also airborne having graduated from US Army Infantry Airborne School Class 37-76. When prompted to First Lieutenant I became an Ordnance Corps officer. At 22 years old I lead 44 soldiers. By age 25 I lead over 175 soldiers.
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