Personal spirit of freedom and independence born in this land called America As Americans, we honor bravery and courage which our forefathers possessed as they fought for freedom and independence. As a result, we gained a personal freedom which the world had never known or seen before––a freedom to live, work and worship as each individual might choose––a fragile, new concept which took time to mature but became a model for the entire world. This new freedom––a political democracy––in turn was defended bravely by Americans in subsequent conflicts here in our homeland and later abroad, by brave and courageous Americans who gave their all, laying down their lives to defend the very freedom by which they and their loved ones lived. Today’s men and women are more highly trained and have the support of much more powerful and sophisticated weaponry than the "squirrel rifles" of the Revolutionary War, but these dedicated women and men of our country have and show the same courage as did their forefathers in the past wars and conflicts. An almost innate desire to protect a democracy is a very real part of their lives, their political and social ethics. In reality, these troops of today, fighting to liberate an oppressed people in Iraq, by the very act of doing so are underscoring the principles of freedom for which our country stands and our ancestors have fought and died. We applaud and support the efforts and sacrifices of each and every one of these brave individuals in our armed forces; our thoughts and prayers are with them and will continue to be with them and their families throughout this conflict.