“...But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced...” Abraham Lincoln – from the Gettysburg Address, 1863 Americans have fought and died for their country from the very beginning. In the French and Indian War, Americans fought as colonists of Great Britain and then in the Revolutionary War to gain Independence as a sovereign nation. While the Revolutionary War was fought to gain Independence, the War of 1812 was fought to maintain it. Some wars such as the Mexican-American War, the Spanish-American War, and the American Indian Wars were fought as part of this nation’s expansionist policies. The Korean War, the War in Vietnam, and the War in Iraq (Desert Storm), were fought to defend another nation’s freedom. World Wars I & II were fought in defense of world freedom, and the American Civil War divided this country and challenged it to truly make this one nation with freedom for all. Today Americans are fighting in Iraq to ensure freedom and democracy for that nation. Americans have always answered their country’s call to duty and fought no matter what the cause or reason for the war. We are proud of those men and women who have played an important part in defending our freedoms throughout our history. The events of these wars and the people that fought and died for this country are valued by all Americans as links to our common heritage and our growth as a nation. Many of the places where they fought are today commemorated in areas managed by the National Park Service. The National Park Service has the honor of preserving battlefields, military parks, and historic sites that commemorate and honor the service of American veterans. The ideals and freedoms they fought for are remembered throughout the National Park System in areas as diverse as King’s Mountain National Military Park in South Carolina, Fort McHenry National Monument in Maryland, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park in Virginia, USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii, and War in the Pacific National Historical Park in Guam. National Parks preserve and commemorate these sites of historical significance in the on-going growth of this nation as part of its core mission to preserve important cultural resources. What better way to honor America’s Veterans on Veteran’s Day than to visit a National Park that commemorates where they fought and served their country. This web site contains a sampling of National Park Service sites that can help visitors gain an understanding of what America’s veterans fought for, and provides a link to our past, present, and future. |
