This holiday which we celebrate every year on the last Thursday of November, Thanksgiving, is a special and uniquely American event. The tradition dates back to the very first "immigrants" to the North American continent, who struggled to establish a colony free from the oppression they felt in the lands from whence they traveled. After a rough start, the harvest of 1621 was a time of celebration in the Plymouth colony, and from that thankful gathering sprung the tradition which we continue to this day.
Our "harvest" may be different today than it was some 388 years ago, yet the need to give thanks doesn't change. So on this holiday, for what am I thankful? Let me start by simply saying "thanks" for the freedoms in this country which we hold so dear. Enshrined in the Constitution, tested throughout the centuries, and defended by Americans against all challenges. The right to speak, to gather, to privacy, to bear arms, to due process, and to practice our own faith--these freedoms are at the center of what makes our country great.
I am thankful for those Americans who have in the past and at the present defend those freedoms--Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen...in Iraq, in Afghanistan, elsewhere across the globe, and right here at home in the United States. And I am also thankful for those American citizens who simply take pride in our freedoms and teach their children to value them as well.
I am thankful for the "Airmen" of the 97th Air Mobility Wing--officer, enlisted civilian, and their families who also serve--for their dedication, enthusiasm, perseverance, and creativity in performing the mission of our wing.
I am thankful for a community, of which Altus is the center but which is composed by so many others, all of which contribute their support to our Airmen and our families so that we can accomplish our mission. In all reality, we also need to remember that there is a real "harvest" going on in our midst, and I am thankful for the bounty which comes from the fields surrounding our base and our community through the work of our farmers.
I am thankful for my own family, whose love and support have sustained me throughout the years. And I am thankful for health, and good fortune as well, since somehow I've "lucked into" the best job in our Air Force.
Finally, I am just thankful for the ability to say "thank you"...as a friend once said, it can never be said enough.
So on Thanksgiving, your list may be similar...or it may be entirely different. It really doesn't matter, as long as you do give thanks...because all of us, no matter who we are or from whence we come, have something for which to be thankful.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving Day!
Also read Holiday Safety Message |
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