Why It's Important to Celebrate Our Freedoms and Remember Our Fallen Dead

By Donna Wichelman

Today is Independence Day in the United States of America, marking the 250th anniversary of the formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.

Declaration of Independence and Flag with Thirteen Stars: iStock

While many colonists in the original thirteen colonies would have preferred to remain British subjects, the Founding Fathers believed the British government had violated their rights by imposing taxes and trade controls without their consent after the French and Indian War. Students of colonial history will remember the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, and the Tea Act, which colonists considered intolerable. Perhaps if King George III had granted them representative seats in Parliament, we’d still be subjects of Britain today.

Continental Congress Signing of the Declaration of Independence: Wikiimages

Unfortunately, the king refused to grant any concessions to the colonists. So, believing the British government had become too tyrannical, they chose the only path they believed open to them to secure their freedoms and independence: war. Thus, the Founding Fathers boldly moved to create a new and independent nation they called the United States of America.

But there was a time when Britain and the United States worked together to defeat a common enemy, a more fearsome tyrant whose ideology and ultimate goal was to reshape Europe into a German-dominated, racially-oriented empire. Adolf Hitler wanted supreme power, ruling over conquered nations that supplied him with food and other resources, and exterminating those whom he considered undesirables. These people were not just the Jews, though they were the most visibly targeted group and resulted in the Holocaust. He also wanted to destroy the weak, the sick, the Gypsies, and the homosexuals, among others.

Nazi Flag on Town hall of Libourne, France During the Occupation in June 1940: Care of the Libourne City Archives

Jewish Man Made to Wear a Fabric Star in France

Actual Star of David owned by Josette Melinon, a Jewish Survivor 

from World War Two

Long before the United States entered the war, Britain had already declared war on Germany in September 1939. But badly in need of ships, weapons, fuel, and money by 1940, Winston Churchill approached President Franklin D. Roosevelt for aid. Though originally neutral, Roosevelt created the Lend-Lease Act of March 1941, enabling the United States to send Britain military supplies.

In August 1941, President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill met aboard a naval vessel in Placentia Bay, off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, to create a joint statement—a set of principles they envisioned for the postwar world. They laid out eight shared goals and summarized them in a statement on August 14, 1941.

“. . . After final destruction of the Nazi tyranny, [we] hope to see established a peace which will afford to all nations the means of dwelling in safety within their own boundaries, and which will afford assurance that all men in all lands may live out their lives in freedom from fear and want. . . . [S]uch a peace should enable all men to traverse the high seas and oceans without hindrance.” See more on the Atlantic Charter.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States and Britain cooperated militarily. It became a coordinated strategy through the Combined Chiefs of Staff, which gave a priority to defeating Nazi Germany. Several major campaigns emerged from the combined forces, the most well-known being Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.

American General Dwight D. Eisenhower served as Supreme Allied Commander. British, American, Canadian, and other Allied forces landed in Normandy, and the liberation of France and the rest of Europe began.

Map of the Combined Allied Invasion--British, American, Canadian, and 

French of Normandy, France, June 6 1944

Picture of French Citizens Celebrating the Liberation of France in Normandy

During the war, the British and Americans cooperated in numerous ways.
· Strategic bombing efforts;
· Intelligence gathering, particularly breaking German codes, i.e., Enigma, which enabled the Allies to track German vessels and military strategies;

Actual Enigma Machine, Normandy Museum: Donna's Gallery, May 2026

· Technology and weapons development, such as radar, sonar, code breaking machines, aircraft technology, and atomic research.

While US and British leaders didn’t always agree, and tensions sometimes ran high (e.g., over the timing of D-Day), ultimately, cooperation between the two nations enabled the Allies to win the war and defeat the tyranny Hitler sought to impose on the world.

I happened to be in Libourne, France on VE-Day this past May 8, 2026, eighty-two years after the Liberation of France. All over France, they still celebrate the day, remembering the great cost paid for their freedoms against a tyrannical maniac and giving honor to those who fell in action. On D-Day itself, all totaled, 10,300 British, American, and Canadian forces perished, sacrificing their lives, so that France and all of Europe might live in freedom without fear.

VE-Day, Libourne, France: May 2026, Donna's Gallery

What is the cost for our freedoms in the United States? That's a question we all must ask ourselves. No, we haven't always done it right, and it's appropriate for us to have those discussions. But in a world where there are still despots and dictators, what sacrifice are we willing to make to ensure our freedoms still survive for all time?

"When in the course of human events ..."

Donna is an Angel Book Award-winning author of Historical Romance for A Song of Deliverance. Book Two in the Silver Singing Mine series, Rhythms of the Heart, was released in November 2025. She is currently working on a World War II slip-time novel, Power of the Thorn.

Weaving history and faith into stories of intrigue and redemption grew out of Donna's love of travel, history, and literature as a young adult while attending an international college in Wales, U.K. She enjoys developing plots that show how God's love abounds even in the profoundly difficult circumstances of our lives. Her stories reflect the hunger in all of us for love, belonging, and forgiveness.

Donna was a communications professional before becoming a full-time writer. Her short stories and articles have appeared in inspirational publications. She has two indie-published romantic suspense novels, Light Out of Darkness and Undaunted Valor, in her Waldensian Series. 

Donna and her husband of forty-one years participate in ministry at their local church in Colorado. They love spending time with their grandchildren and bike, kayak, and travel whenever possible.

From Plymouth to Plymouth

Over four hundred years ago, the people we now know as "Pilgrims" set out from Plymouth for the New World, seeking relief from religious persecution in their home country. Every Thanksgiving, children don paper hats and cardboard bonnets to reenact the life of these settlers after their arrival. Their difficult journey as well as salvation at the hands of the local Native American tribes is the stuff of legends (as well as the basis for a national holiday).

But how much do you know about the Pilgrims before they were Pilgrims?

The Pilgrims, in fact, never called themselves Pilgrims. Instead, they were "Separatists" or "Saints," a congregation of disgruntled English Protestants from the village of Scrooby in Nottinhamshire. They did not want to pledge allegiance to the Church of England, an entity they viewed as a merger between church and state and one that, in their opinion, was as corrupt as the Catholic Church it had replaced not so long ago. Not only did Separatists believe that true worship must progress from an individual relationship with God rather than state-mandated religion, they also saw many of the church's doctrines and practices as direct contradictions to the Christian gospel to which they claimed to adhere. For example, the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer was viewed as blasphemous, having not been inspired by God nor having no scriptural justification. The Separatists wished to break away and form their own independent churches guided by the Holy Spirit rather than government assignation. (This was a split from another group of Separatists known as Puritans who sought to reform the government church.)

But, at a time in which church and state were combined, any break from the church was viewed as treason, and the Separatists were forced to flee to Holland. Although they found religious freedom in their new home, they also found themselves struggling to adapt to the realities of living in a foreign country, one in which they didn't speak the language nor understand the prevalent culture or customs. The language barrier prevented all but the lowest-paying jobs, and the relatively "modern" society was viewed as sinful and depraved.

It was soon clear that Holland was not the answer to their quest. They needed a place where they could establish their own culture, form their own society, and worship in a way free of government influence. The best place for this, they decided, was somewhere far from England, uninhabited and away from distraction.

A place like the New World.

Photo Credit: history.com

The Separatists returned from Holland, hoping to formulate a plan and secure finances for this new adventure. The Virginia Company, already staking claim in what would soon be America, gave the Separatists permission to establish a plantation on the East Coast between 38 and 41 degrees north latitude (roughly between Chesapeake Bay and the mouth of the Hudson River). The King of England, perhaps seeing the voyage as a solution to the headache the Separatists were causing, bid them a hearty farewell, so long as "they carried themselves peaceably."

Joining the Separatists on their journey was a group of not-so-kindly named "Strangers," non-religious people simply seeking fortune or a new life in America. Approximately 102 people bid England farewell in August 1620 aboard two merchant ships, the Mayflower and the Speedwell.

They returned only a few days later.

The Speedwell had begun to leak almost immediately, forcing the travelers to return to port and, after a thorough inspection, was deemed unseaworthy for the voyage. Rather than delay any longer and await, not only the finances for another ship, but also the unlikely availability, the passengers and crew of TWO ships instead merged onto one. The Mayflower now carried double the people, in addition to double the food supply, double the weapons cache, and an overwhelming assortment of live animals, including sheep, goats, chicken, and dogs).

When the Mayflower finally set sail on September 16, 1620, she was over-burdened and had also missed the window of opportunity for a smooth voyage, setting sail right in the height of the Atlantic storm season. In addition, the ship itself was never meant for a cross-ocean trip; more suitable for short crossings, its high, wall-like sides made it difficult to sail in the strong winds that often blew across the Atlantic. A voyage that should have taken a month instead lasted 66 days, causing illness, food shortages, poor tempers, and even a few deaths.

Even more hardships waited for them upon arrival. They landed well north of their allotted land, in the midst of Native American land in which they had no right to be (although the "right" of the Virginia Company to its own claimed land is still up for debate as well). The long journey had depleted their supplies and broken their bodies, and the New World wasn't at all what they had expected it to be.

Photo Credit: brittanica.com 

And yet they persisted, establishing a colony for the glory of God and the right to worship in the way they saw fit. Their determination and drive set the precedent for what we now know as the "American Spirit"--and became the basis for our modern day Thanksgiving celebration. 

Jennifer L. Wright grew up wanting to be a reporter, but it only took a few short months of working in journalism for her to abandon those aspirations for fiction writing instead. She loves to reimagine and explore forgotten eras in history, showcasing God's light amidst humanity's darkest days. Her books have won multiple awards, including Golden Scroll and Angel awards. She currently lives in New Mexico with her husband, two kids, a couple of hyperactive dachshunds, and an ever-growing herd of guinea pigs. 

 

Will The Real Independence Day Please Stand Up?

Happy Birthday to the United States of America!

 

America’s birthday is generally accepted to be July 4. Independence Day. A day filled with  hot dogs, fireworks, and flags. The day our founding fathers banded together to declare independence from Great Britain, marking the end of colonial rule and the birth of a new nation.

And it is. Sort of.

While most people are familiar with the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson and adopted on July 4, 1776 (hence the aforementioned Independence Day celebration), many more are LESS familiar with the original resolution, written on June 7 by Richard Henry Lee, a statesman from Virginia. In it, Lee stated “that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and Independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”

This original resolution was adopted by Congress on July 2, essentially declaring for the first time the creation of a new and independent nation. It was this day that was commemorated by our founding fathers, not July 4. In fact, John Adams wrote to his wife that July 2 would be remembered and celebrated as “the most memorable Epocha in the History of America.”

It was Lee’s resolution that began the movement toward independence. The founding fathers believed the new nation needed three things in order to begin: a Declaration of Independence, alliances with foreign states, and a plan for the confederation. Jefferson, as you may have guessed, was called to handle the first step; it was only because of Lee’s original resolution that the actual Declaration of Independence was drafted.

Photo Credit: Library of Congress

And, as we all know, it was this draft that was adopted on July 4, 1776, ultimately overshadowing Lee’s and giving rise to the Independence Day we all celebrate today. But, interestingly enough, Jefferson’s draft also created a conundrum in the new country.

Jefferson’s document contained the first use of the words “the United States of America,” though he also included language from Lee’s original text, referring to the new nation as “these United Colonies” in his closing paragraph.

Thus, for several months, the newly formed nation suffered a bit of an identity crisis, with some referring to it as “The United States of America” with others referring to it as “The United Colonies of America.”  For example, Congress itself used the term “United Colonies” when it appointed George Washington as commander in chief of the newly formed United Colonies armed forces. The abbreviation “USA,” however, was stamped on official gunpowder canisters by government inspectors to verify that the powder met government standards.

It wasn’t until the convening of the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia on September 9, 1776, that the issue was resolved once and for all. On this day, a resolution was approved and ratified, asserting “that in all continental commissions, and other instruments, where, heretofore, the words ‘United Colonies’ have been used, the stile be altered for the future to the ‘United States.'”

The United States of America was officially born.

Jennifer L. Wright grew up wanting to be a reporter, but it only took a few short months of working in journalism for her to abandon those aspirations for fiction writing instead. She loves to reimagine and explore forgotten eras in history, showcasing God's light amidst humanity's darkest days. Her books have won multiple awards, including Golden Scroll and Angel awards. She currently lives in New Mexico with her husband, two kids, a couple of hyperactive dachshunds, and an ever-growing herd of guinea pigs.