Freedom... a small word that represents so very much. This American freedom that we enjoy has come with no small price. Americans have paid the price with many lives lost to protect this freedom of ours. The American Revolution; the War of 1812 when American independence was assured; the Mexican-American War; the Civil War; the Spanish-American War; World War I; World War II; the Korean War; the Vietnam War, Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom... all have played a part in making and keeping Americans free.

The number of lives lost in World War I totaled 58,480. It ended on November 11, 1918 and it was thought that this was a war to end all wars; that it would bring peace and freedom for all time. In fact November 11th eventually became the date when America honors all that have served the United States in war.

With much unrest in the world during the late 1930’s and the early 1940’s, the United States had pledged neutrality. With Japan’s surprise naval attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, this neutrality quickly came to an end with the United States declaring war on Japan the day afterward, December 8, 1941. And on December 11, 1941 Germany declared war on the United States.

With the bombing of Pearl Harbor, of the 96 ships in the harbor; 18 were sunk or seriously damaged; of 394 aircraft at Hickam, Wheeler, and Bellows airfields; 188 aircraft were destroyed and 159 damaged. The United States lost 2,403 lives at Pearl Harbor (1,102 on the Arizona alone) and there were 1,178 wounded.

For years the war raged in Europe; 500,000 American lives were lost and countless others were wounded. May 8, 1945 was declared V-E (Victory in Europe) Day when the Germans surrendered. On August 6, 1945 the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan and on August 14, 1945 Japan agreed to an unconditional surrender. On September 2, 1945 Japan signed the surrender agreement, V-J (Victory over Japan) Day.

Burnet County’s Herman Brown Fre ...

Read the entirety of this article in the print edition.

Subscribe online — it's quick and easy