What the Fourth of July Means to a Navy Widow

The 7th of October is when my husband died on The USS Flint, as I stood onboard.

No matter how many years pass, the anniversary of his death is never easy. Veterans Day and Memorial Day, are days of remembrance for our fallen service members, and they are never easy.

I find that people who don’t have a connection to the military tend to think of the Fourth of July as a few days spent barbecuing and lighting sparklers. And that’s okay, as long as they also keep in mind that this is a day to honor our men and women who have impacted our freedom.

In my experience, it’s not that people forget. People want to care. But, I believe that they don’t really understand (and to be fair, it’s hard to understand when less than 10% of our country has served in uniform) what it means to get that knock on the door and hear about the sacrifices that our loved ones have made. It’s my hope that by sharing my story, and perhaps some of my pain, that it helps to bridge that gap.

The nation we live in has fought for the right to bear arms and celebrate freedom.

• American ideals that are unique to the world.

• We are a country that struggles to aspire to become greater than it already is.

• We are a country that is always attempting to improve itself.

All of the people in our country honor our values on the Fourth of July, but I just might be thinking of someone I knew, who died while serving. His life, death, and veteran status, in the US Navy makes me proud.

I have a tiny part in knowing someone who once kept our country safe.

Happy Fourth of July!