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Ladies and gentlemen, to all the people of the United States of America, to all our remaining living veterans of the Second World War of 1939-1945 and of all conflicts past and present and their families, to our veterans, active servicemen and women and reservists of the entire United States Armed Forces, to all the immediate families, relatives, children and grandchildren of the deceased veterans, fallen service personnel and wounded personnel of our military services and civil uniformed security and civil defense services, to all our workers, farmers and intellectuals, to our youth and personnel serving in youth uniformed and cadet organizations and all our athletes, coaches, judges, team managers and front office staff, sports trainers and sports officials, and to all our sports fans, to all our workers of culture, music, traditional arts and the theatrical arts, radio, television, digital media and social media, cinema, heavy and light industry, business and the press, and to all our millions of people of the free world:
Today, as one united people, we mark yet another year since the pivotal events of July 4, 1776, the day in which the 13 colonies of then British North America officially declared independence from the United Kingdom as the first of the great republics of the modern world, the United States of America, through an historic act made by several representatives of the Second Continental Congress - Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston and Roger Sherman – in the city of Philadelphia, Pennslyvania, and approved by almost the whole Congress on this very day 243 years ago led by its president John Hancock, which was the climax of a month-long efforts by its delegates on the future political destiny of the colonies, which had been at war against the Royal Navy and British Army for over a year.
The shots fired at Lexington and Concord 244 years ago was only the spark that began the long road towards the independence longed for by the American people and her armed forces supported by the governments, people and armed forces of France and Spain in the Revolutionary War,which would end in 1781 with the victory in Yorktown and the subsequent Treaty of Paris much later. It was only the first of many events that would shape the identity and character of our homeland to the superpower and fame it enjoys today as a beacon of liberty and independence to the millions all over the globe. Today the billions of Americans remember with deep pride and honor the millions of men and women of her Armed Forces, the National Guard and state defense forces, as well as of the local state and community police and fire departments, beach lifeguard, forest firefighting and emergency management service units and the federal law enforcement organizations who in times of peace and war have offered their lives for the defense and protection of our homeland and people, many of them paying their ultimate sacrifices for the cause of the freedom and independence of the republic born out of the great revolution of 1776, as well as the people who through their time and talents brought glory and honor to the homeland and spread to their world the American way of life and culture, as well as our place as a sporting powerhouse, and ordinary citizens of all ways of life who even risked their lives to save others and thus placed their marks on the altar of our independent republic. In this wide land streching from the Pacific to the Atlantic, either in the snowy expanses of Alaska, the tropical lands of Hawaii, and in our vast and diverse landscape, whenever the people of all races, genders, nationalities and religions live, work and gather, as the nation has changed so much in these past 243 years, the character of this people will never change – a people humble, happy, loving, friendly and ready to share with others and the world at large.
It is with great honor that Americans everywhere mark this great day with great celebration as the whole country celebrates yet another year of independence and recalls once more the sacrifices of the millions of men and women in the uniformed services, the hard work and labor of her people in all fields of endeavor and the proud culture and tradition it shares to the millions of people everywhere in the globe. In these evolving times for the Union, her people and the uniformed services of the republic and the local communities, together with the nation’s industries and corporations, united more than ever as one, are determined, standing under one flag, to show the world that no matter what happens every American man and woman will be ready to risk life and limb to live the values that are part of the heritage of our vast country as the beacon of freedom and independence, the hand of assistance to the suffering of disasters everywhere, the strong arm of defense of the free nations of the world and the spirit of friendship, cooperation, excellence, sportsmanship and fair play of her people.
Today, as the people of these United States of America celebrate as one nation the 243rd anniversary of her independence, I join once more in sending my greetings together with all the peoples of the free world to the American people who once more on this day of remembrance of the origins of the republic and of the freedom they have so cherished and in which millions fought and died, rejoice as one nation as they commemorate the day in which this great republic was created during a period of national revolution as a union of 13 states united against a common aggressor, which in the years afterward grew up into the country known today as one of the strongest, prosperous and independent countries of the world. Today, as we joyfully commemorate this historic day in the history of humankind, Americans everywhere march on as one in the streets in every parade and celebration all over this great country honoring the men and women who have made this day come true while keeping alive the memory of the millions of men and women who served in its uniformed services and have made the nation proud through their services in various fields of endeavor, in sports, culture, industry and in film, radio and television and the millions who died in the service of this great country in the uniformed services and in civil acts of heroism. All over our great world, the Fourth of July thus is a great day in which we join hands in celebration of this very birthday of the first of the great republics of the modern world, a very day of great importance to remember and commemorate the memory of the heroes who built this nation and of the men and women who have given the republic honor, glory, prestige and distinction and have flew the Stars and Stripes all over the world. To all our dear military, police, fire, EMS, forest service and border guard servicemen and women, agents and detectives and our veterans of military and civil security operations within the country and abroad, as well as to all our national athletes and coaches in sports, we remember you today with our deepest respect and gratitude, for the service you gave for this country will be honored for generations to come. Today and always you will always be the beacons of hope for the youth of our tomorrow and for the millions of the people of the world an inspiration and guide towards a brighter future for all of humanity. And to all who died for the sake of this great nation, today and always, we keep you all in our remembrance in our memories, for your legacies which sustained the young nation in the early years of her existence will continue to guide our republic today and in the years to come as it walks forward the third century of independence and beyond. As the United States and her people march on as one to the 250th Indepedence Day in 2026, more than ever, it marches on with the spirit of determination, bravery and courage of her heroes and martyrs and the great spirit of freedom and independence that has led this country out of the womb of foreign dominance and into victory after victory in the past, the very same spirit will guide this country today and into the future.
In conclusion, may we who join the American people in celebration of this the 243rd year anniversary of the historic declaration of the independence of the United States of America declared on this day in Philadelphia by the delegates of the Second Continental Congress, as one united people, mark this important day with fitting tributes and always hold on to the legacy and promise of this great land for the inheritance of our future generations and joyfully celebrate the very day in which the American people broke the chains of British colonial governance, which brought great suffering to the peoples of the colonies which make up the first states of our Union, and opened wide the door of a new era of the history of humanity with the creation of this the first independent republic in the American continent and in the modern world!
ETERNAL GLORY TO THE MEMORY OF THE MILLIONS OF MEN AND WOMEN OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHO DIED FOR THE INDEPENDENCE AND LIBERTY OF THIS GREAT COUNTRY AND HER PEOPLE!
ETERNAL GLORY TO THE MEMORY OF ALL THOSE WHO MADE THEIR MARK AND HAVE DONE GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND HAVE BROUGHT FORTH HER NAME TO ALL CORNERS OF THE WORLD!
LONG LIVE THE 243RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
LONG LIVE THE VALORIOUS, INVINCIBLE AND LEGENDARY AMERICAN NATION, ITS EVER-VICTORIOUS PEOPLE, AND THE ACTIVE AND RESERVE SERVING MEN AND WOMEN IN SERVICE OF ITS ARMED FORCES, THE NATIONAL GUARD, STATE DEFENSE FORCES AND CIVIL UNIFORMED LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EMERGENCY SERVICES!
LONG LIVE THE VETERANS OF THE UNIFORMED MILITARY AND CIVIL SECURITY AND DEFENSE SERVICES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
GLORY TO THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, GUARDIAN DEFENDERS OF OUR DEMOCRATIC WAY OF LIFE, OUR FREEDOM AND OUR LIBERTY AND GUARANTEE OF A FUTURE WORTHY OF OUR GENERATIONS TO COME!
GLORY TO THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE OF JULY 4, 1776, ONE OF THE GREATEST EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF HUMANITY, THE GREAT EVENT THAT TRANSFORMED 13 COLONIES INTO ONE, MIGHTY, STRONG AND GREAT COUNTRY, THE FIRST REPUBLIC OF OUR MODERN WORLD AND OF ALL OF HUMANKIND!
GLORY TO THE FIRST AND THE GREATEST OF ALL THE FREE NATIONS OF THE WORLD, OUR GREAT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
MAY OUR ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE, OUR GREAT AND ETERNAL HOMELAND, OUR INDEPENDENT COUNTRY, THESE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
0000h, July 4, 2019, the 243rd year of the United States of America, the 244th year of the United States Army, Navy and Marine Corps, the 125th of the International Olympic Committee, the 123rd of the Olympic Games, the 78th since the beginning of the Second World War in the Eastern Front and in the Pacific Theater, the 74th since the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and the victories in Europe and the Pacific, the 7th since the attacks on Benghazi, the 14th of Operation Red Wings, and the 72nd of the United States Department of Defense and the modern United States Armed Forces.
Semper Fortis
John Emmanuel Ramos-Henderson
Makati City, Philippines
Grandson of Philippine Navy veteran PO2 Paterno Cueno, PN (Ret.)
(Star Spangled Banner) (Taps) (Rendering Honors)
