Celebration of Democracy

The fourth of July always makes me think of the fourth in 1968 I spent traveling from communist East Germany into Czechoslovakia, ultimately reaching Prague (see above). We had spent several days in East Germany where the buildings and landscape were dull and gray – no color anywhere – and the people were downtrodden and suspicious. As we were held up at the border for what seemed like hours, we experienced an epiphany about what it means to be an American and live in a free world under a democratic government – something we had taken for granted all our lives. We found ourselves singing “God, Bless America” to pass the time. I remember pulling out my red, white and blue Budweiser bowling shirt so I could be more patriotic (although I think the Budweisers originally came from Czechoslovakia).

I began to appreciate what my father and both parents had sacrificed so that we could be free. Certainly not as much as I appreciate them today and what they went through, but it was a start. While in Prague, we realized that the people were actually excited to see Americans. It was the summer of 1968, and they were moving toward democracy and away from the control of the Russians.

Every fourth someone asks me if I was going to see fireworks and I always replied, “I hate fireworks because they remind me of war.” I had reread Tim O’Brien’s classic story, The Things They Carried, which is a poetic description of what the Vietnam War was like on the ground. He does an amazing job of describing fear. Coincidently, I just watch a 1974 Academy-Award winning documentary called, Hearts and Minds, about the futility and waste of the Vietnam War. How different this war was from World War II. I lost many friends from high school. The whole country was conflicted about it, but if it hadn’t been for television bringing it in to our living rooms every night, most Americans, including myself, were far removed from the conflict, going on with our daily lives. I often think about if I had been a male instead of a female. Would I have signed up? Would I have been influenced by the legacy of my father in World War II? Would I have gone to Canada? As I said, I hate firecrackers and the thought of gunfire and bombs bursting makes me sick. I even hated the cowboy and Indian battles in the movies as a child, often hiding my eyes and covering my ears. I don’t think I would have been very brave. If women were running the country today, would we have so much war and so much military buildup?

On August 20, 1968, more than 500,000 Soviet Union troops invaded and occupied Czechoslovakia where their tight grip remained until 1987. We have a lot to be grateful for. With the exception of 9/11, we don’t know what it is like to be invaded and live in a war-torn country. We should thank God everyday that we live in the United States. Thank goodness my father played his part in defending our democracy in World War II