In Honor of Veterans Day

Today, I'd like to share a special piano arrangement to honor Veterans Day. This is a medley of "Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier" and "When Johnny Comes Marching Home." You can watch the music video here. I've incorporated some images from Gettysburg and World War I in this presentation. My goal was to create a visual story of a soldier heading home after war.

Though I'm not doing a "Thirty Days Thankful" series this year, I've been giving plenty of thought to the freedoms we have to be thankful for. We must always realize that freedom is tenuous. President Ronald Reagan said it best...

"Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same."

A few more profound thoughts from Reagan...

"Veterans know better than anyone else the price of freedom, for they’ve suffered the scars of war. We can offer them no better tribute than to protect what they have won for us."

"Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women."

Perhaps it is because freedom is so fragile that the fight behind it is so strong. The idea of being free has spurred men to persevere in the most trying conditions, from the days of Washington at Valley Forge to Patton's march for Bastogne.

"The unparalleled perseverance of the armies of the United States, through almost every possible suffering and discouragement for the space of eight long years, was little short of a standing miracle."

~ President George Washington

Understanding the fragility of freedom should make us all the more appreciative. We must never take for granted the sacrifices that have been made to obtain and preserve our liberties.

Hope you enjoy the music.

Thank you for stopping by,

Eva

P.S. Learn more about the history of Veterans Day in last year's post.