4th of July - Fireworks Day or Michael Jackson Day?

Today, Saturday, July 4, 2009. Ive got little Victor with me and we've spent much of the day just hanging around the house watching movies, playing video games and making ice cream. I bought a new ice cream maker last week and I promised him we would make some this weekend. We decided that our first batch would be coconut ice cream. He loves coconut, as do I.


While we were gathering and mixing the ingredients together, I asked him to put on the news. I usually like to watch FOX because I feel that they're the only news station that will actually report in a bipartisan manner. Unfortunately at that moment, it wasn't time for the news and instead they were showing COPS. I'm not a big fan of reality TV, especially those that are full of drama and minorities (mind you, I'm Hispanic) playing up the stereotype of constantly being involved in crime, drugs or some sort of domestic dispute. So I put on CNN. They definitely had the news on but not what I was expecting. Today, being Independence Day, or as society commonly calls it, 4th of July, I expected to see a special documenting the history of our country. Something that might remind us of the sacrifices made by our countrymen so that we could be free. So that we, could call ourselves a nation. Instead, CNN is doing a special on Michael Jackson.


What?


Don't get me wrong...I'm a BIG fan of Michael Jackson. I love every song he has ever put out. I think he is solely responsible for the way music has evolved into what it is today and I think that he is (or was) at a level all by himself when it came to dancing. Nobody can or probably ever will be able to dance the way he did. I remember as a kid, and admittedly as an adult, I would try to imitate some of his dance moves. Specifically, the moonwalk. I believe most of us have. I got pretty good at it but in my opinion, never as good as Michael. I don't think anybody could. So its not that I'm against a special on Michael Jackson. I do believe that his memory and talents should be "immortalized". But not today. Not on our nation's 233rd Birthday.


I thought CNN did great on D-Day. On June 6, 2009, CNN was live in Normandy, France, documenting all of the events that were taking place in celebration of the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings. They showed the speech given by President Obama. They showed the veterans that waited on dignitaries to approach them so they could give them a "recap" of that incredible day 65 years ago. They showed everything. It was an amazing special that I must admit, brought me to tears.


So why not today? Why, on the 233rd anniversary of the single most important day in American history, was there no prime time special documenting the various events that led up to us as a nation to be able to call ourselves Americans? Is it because Obama didn't set up a lavish ceremony. Because he didn't give a speech? Or is it because we as Americans have forgotten what it means to be an American? Because we as American citizens do not value what it truly means to be FREE.


How many of you received text messages today saying "Happy 4th of July"? How many of you responded with the same? I'm willing to bet most of you that are reading this.


Now how many of you received or sent out a text message saying
"Happy Independence Day"? Not too many I'm assuming.


Please don't take this blog that I'm posting as me castigating you. By no means, that is not my intent. The purpose of this open letter to you is to reach out to the millions of Americans out there who spend hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on fireworks, charcoal and food for a BBQ but don't spend a few minutes to educate your children on the importance of this day. I'm asking your to educate your children on the reasons WHY we celebrate this day. July 4th is not a holiday. Independence Day is. July 4th just happens to be the day it lands on.


Much like Memorial Day, Independence Day is usually rewarded to working Americans with an extra day off. Be it the day before the holiday or the day after. But sadly, also much like Memorial Day, the holiday is celebrated for all the wrong reasons in all of the wrong ways. I enjoy fireworks just as much as the next guy. I like to see all of the different varieties of colors and explosions that come about but for me personally, its not necessary. I don't NEED to spend a bunch of money on something that will last a few seconds or even a few minutes. I can almost hear the "ca-ching" of a cash register with every pop or fizz of each firework I light up. But I do it for my son. Like any child, he is mesmerized by the sparkles and noises that come about as a result of the money that was spent. Although he doesn't think about the money. I do. He thinks about the colors. How high the last firework went up. How much higher the next one went. How from one little shot up in the air, came about a bunch of different explosions that turned into different colors. And then he goes to bed with a smile on his face and memories to last a lifetime. So even if it hurt me to basically watch my money, literally "burn" right before my eyes, it pleases me that little Victor enjoyed the show. And for that, its worth it. Any second I get to spend with him, regardless of what or how much it took to get it, is most definitely worth it.


When we woke up this morning, as I was preparing breakfast, I was explaining to little Victor why Independence Day is such an important holiday. I explained to him (in kid's terms) why we celebrate it, what led up to the Declaration of Independence and why it is so important for him to remember that. I explained to him that on this day we celebrate "Independence" and not a date on a calendar. And I explained to him that to say "Happy 4th of July" is not only inaccurate but also wrong in the way it is expressed. At 7 years old, I wasn't expecting for him to really pay much attention to what I was saying. I also didn't expect for him to fully comprehend everything I was telling him. But if I can at least plant the seed of historical sense, hopefully, with enough examples in the future, and certainly many more "July 4th's" ahead of us, he will begin to take hold of what it is that I'm attempting to convey to him. I'll keep my fingers crossed.


We shot off all of the fireworks we bought and then sat down to enjoy the ones that were being set off all around my neighborhood. It was truly a spectacular show. Somewhere off to the South-East, someone had definitely made an attempt to end the recession all by himself. His fireworks display must have gone off for at least a half hour. Someone on the neighboring apartment complex set off what sounded like an M80. It was so loud, it set of 3 car alarms in my neighborhood, including my own. That wasn't fun. In the pain I had already been in all day, I had to go inside to get my keys to turn off my alarm. Before heading in, one of my neighbors stuck his hand out to little Victor, introduced himself and said to him "Happy 4th of July little man". Little Victor, always very polite and courteous, stuck his hand out as well and responded, "Happy Independence Day Sir". I was so surprised, I almost fell out of my seat. He didn't even look at me as if seeking approval or anything. He just shook his hand and went right back to watching the fireworks. But I definitely let him know that I noticed and was proud of him. I cradled him in my arms, gave him a hug, told him that I was proud of him and that I loved him. He's such a great kid. He constantly surprises me in how smart he really is. Maybe that talk this morning was worth it after all. If he didn't remember everything that I had told him, he certainly remembered one of the key points and maybe one of the most important points of the whole "history lesson".


I will now end this blog from a quote from my neighbor. After little Vic went inside to watch some TV, I began to clean up the spent fireworks containers. My neighbor had stayed out there with me and helped me clean them up. As we were putting everything away, I began to tell him pretty much everything Ive mentioned in this blog. His mom, who had flown down here to visit him, was outside smoking a cigarette. He told her that even though I was Puerto Rican, I was more patriotic than most Americans. The last thing he said before I went inside was...




"Vic, I bet if you would have known that you spent two years in Iraq, so that on July 4th CNN could have a special on Michael Jackson, you would have moonwalked your ass all the way back to the states".


How true that is...

Memorial Day 2009

Hello Everybody! For my first post, Id like to share with you a speech I recently had the honor to give to the people of Miami Dade County. County Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz and Miami City Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones' staff contacted me a week before and asked me if I would speak at this year's Memorial Day ceremony and I immediately agreed. Commissioner Diaz has asked me to speak at other veterans related events and I usually choose to speak "off the cuff" which I feel is more honest and theres no chance of anyone editing or trying to control what you want to say. (Not to say thats what they would do). But given such an important holiday, how people have so easily forgotten the TRUE meaning of the holiday and the current state of our nation, I chose to write down what I wanted to say. That way I had a source from where to keep my ideas and thoughts tracked. Also because whenever I speak, once Im done, I usually sit down and immediately think of something I should have said or forgot to mention. Well...Enough introductions. The following is the speech I had the honor to give to the people of Miami Dade County. A county that is very well known throughout the nation and is probably the most culturally and politically diverse location in our great nation. I hope you enjoy it!!!


March 25, 2009 (Memorial Day)

A Veteran is someone that at one point in their life wrote a blank check, made payable to the United States of America, in the amount of: Up to and including my life…

Today is Memorial Day. While families today are gathered around a barbecue grill, at a local park playing football, soccer, basketball or whatever other sport they enjoy, many Americans are currently overseas ensuring that we as Citizens are free to enjoy those activities and the many freedoms we so often take for granted.

Freedom of Speech (wether politically correct or incorrect), The Right to Keep and Bear Arms (which protects us from those criminals who choose to break the law, regardless of which ones or how many are emplaced) and The Right to practice whatever religion we choose are just some of those that we are aware of but so easily forget that there are those who shoulder the responsibility AND the burden of ensuring those rights are there for us.

As an Iraq War veteran, I have been lucky to come back home various times to a country that not only supported us but greeted us with open arms. There are the occasional conversations where someone, as soon as they learned that I served in the military and in Iraq, feel that it is their duty to inform me how they think that service members are entirely overpaid (Yes, there are those) and that they believe that we have no business in that country.

I will admit, that although anger immediately rushes through my veins due to their ignorant and ill-informed comments, I smile and remind them that if it wasn’t for the French intervening, we would still be under British control and would not have the freedoms we enjoy today. I remind them that it is our duty as a world power to help out those less fortunate than ourselves. I also remind them that it is due to those “overpaid” service members, that he or she is able to make such comments. I also, just for my own amusement, ask them how much a civilian Infantryman makes.

But the Vietnam War veterans were not so lucky. Too many times they were shunned and cursed by those that they saw when theyd walk down the streets of their own hometowns. Too many times were they called names like “baby killers”. In actuality, most combat veterans took great measures when fighting around civilians to not injure or kill them. These cautions sometimes led to injuries and death unto themselves. Now, I will not stand before you today and claim that children as young as the very same age as my son haven’t been killed as a result of combat action. But let me ask you this, put yourself in the same situation. A man, woman or child is shooting at you from a hundred meters away...Who’s going home? You or them? This is the situation that so often happened in Vietnam and believe you me, it happens in Iraq. That very scenario, even though we here in America are not aware of its occurrence, and will not affect any events in our day to day life, it DOES affect those of us that have been put in those positions.

None of us are proud of EVERY decision we have ever had to make. But it is the decision that had to be made in order to accomplish the mission, save our own or one of our buddy’s life or to ensure that our families and friends back home are able to enjoy the freedoms we so easily take for granted.

I will take this opportunity to share something with you. The majority of Iraqi citizens love the American servicemembers. They appreciate what we have done for them. Stabilized their country, brought wells to a town that has little or no water. Bring pencils, paper and chalk to 10 year old children that never learned to write because the school was never provided the resources to teach them. But there are those few that do not. And believe it or not, too often, it is those that want us there that end up injuring or killing us. Confused? Ill explain….

Too often, Iraqi fathers have been faced with this situation. Someone comes into his house, takes his wife and daughter and threatens to kill them if he and his son don’t do exactly what they are told to do. Wether it be set up a roadside bomb or to fire a few mortars into a military base.

Another situation is bribing them with money. Mind you, this family is so poor, they cant even provide pencils for their children. So when someone tells them that they will be paid an equivalent to a year’s salary (which is about $2000) if they just place a mine under the road. Sometimes, it’s a combination of both. What father wouldn’t do everything he could to ensure that his family is safe and is provided for? What would you do if you were in the same situation?

On this Memorial Day and every single day after that, take a minute out of your day. To say a small prayer, to thank someone in uniform, to bring a meal to a Veterans home, or to visit a gravesite.

To thank them for the service they have provided. To show your appreciation to those that will forever bear the memories of actions necessary for survival. Of actions necessary to ensure freedom back home. Im often asked if I had the opportunity to go back in time, would I change the way things worked out. Would I tell my driver to turn around a few seconds sooner? Would I have avoided that route altogether? That is a tough question. Mainly, because that decision doesn’t just rely on my outcome. My gunner and one of my best friends was killed as a result of what happened on July 13th, 2006. So in a sense…I would change my decision. Theres nothing more that I want than for Tommy Turner to be able to be with his family today. But at the same time, the fact that my vehicle was blown up ensured that someone else’s wasn’t. And in that sense…Im glad it was me. Also, due to what has happened to me, be it physically, mentally or emotionally…I have been able to help out other service members and their families that have been placed in similar situations. In situations where I may have failed or stumbled on since my injury…Like relationships (girlfriends, family and friends), adapting with the adjustments of civilian life, finding a job…Things like that, I have been able to take my experiences and use them to help out those that are currently or WILL be going through them.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Army and the VA for the care that they have provided for me. I am officially retired now and I can tell you personally that I have NO complaints whatsoever about the care that I received both while on Active Duty and since the day I enrolled in the VA healthcare system. I am eternally grateful for what my doctors and nurses have done throughout my recovery process.

Lastly, I truly believe that none of us are heroes. We are just men and women doing our jobs. Doing our jobs just like the teachers, doctors and nurses that everyday look after our minds or our bodies. Men and women who felt compelled by patriotism to give back for the lives we lead and the freedoms we have been blessed with.

But every once in a while, we may be having a bad day. We may be jarred by a memory of something from the past. And a simple “thank-you” from an appreciative citizen will brighten up our day and remind us…. that our blood, sweat and tears were all for a reason and have not been wasted away in vain.