MADRID – For millions of Americans, this July 4 will be a time of celebration and remembrance of those killed or estranged by war. The annual commemoration of Independence Day has always been a bittersweet moment for Americans, evoking the thoughts of Cordell Hull: “I am confident that, however great the difficulties and trials that lie ahead, our America will endure and the cause of human freedom triumph “.

First celebrated in 1776 and declared a legal holiday in 1941, July 4 is truly the most American of all holidays. A time for families and friends to get together, the 4th of July has become a landmark among the blossoms of Indian spring and summer.

Our national holiday is best described in the words of our most prominent leaders, past and present.

“Where freedom is, there is my country.” – Benjamin Franklin

“Only our individual faith in freedom can keep us free.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

“The experience of democracy is like the experience of life itself: always changing, infinite in its variety, sometimes turbulent, and all the more valuable because it has been tested by adversity.” – Jimmy Carter

This year, as millions of Americans celebrate at backyard barbecues and on beaches across the country, we will remember the thousands who are far from home and seek comfort in the words of our ancestors. As Elmer Davis, the legendary American radio host and newscaster, said, “This will remain the land of the free only as long as it is the home of the brave.”

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