Proud to be a “One Percenter”

Last weekend, Americans celebrated their nation’s 238th birthday with family barbecues, trips to the beach and an evening of fantastic fireworks. We were celebrating the promises and privileges of the Declaration of Independence, signed on July 4, 1776. In the Declaration our Founding Fathers asserted that, “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

These promises have been the cornerstone of an exceptional nation of equally exceptional people and we continue to defend these rights from enemies around the world. Over our 238 years of life, liberty and pursuing happiness, millions of American men and women have put on the uniform of our military, put their lives on hold, and went to the remote parts of the world to protect these natural rights.

The total of all men and women who have ever served our nation, from the Revolutionary War to the deserts of the Middle East, is approximately one percent of our total population. Yes, the men and women who have defended our nation are a very important one percent. I am proud to be part of that one percent, the greatest force for peace in modern history.

Lynn McGinnis, Commander
Verdugo Hills Post 288