American Resolve: A Passionate Hunger for Freedom

Imagine standing on the shore of New York Harbor one warm, sticky August morning in 1776 with no radio, no television, no fan or air conditioner, no early warning system to alert you to what you would soon see sailing into the harbor. You would have felt you were a very modern and cosmopolitan man or woman living in a wealthy settlement. Perhaps you were a prosperous merchant who wanted independence and freedom from the control held by the King of England so much that you "hooped and hollared" your approval of the recent Declaration of Independence. Looking out that morning you would have seen what would be a staggering sight today; so just imagine the impact in 1776 of some 400 to 500 British ships, here to join with the British forces and loyalists already at war with the patriot continental army. The awesome armada included 30 battleships, 30,000 soldiers, 10,000 sailors and 1,200 cannon aimed straight at New York, aimed straight at you. You would have known that your way of life in New York was at an end as George Washington's small and already beleagured army was only half the size of just the reinforcements aboard those ships and that your scattered and divided troops were mostly split in two different areas of New York (namely Long Island and Manhattan), a disasterous mistake by General Washington (one of very few). You certainly would have entertained thoughts of running as far and as fast as you could. Just how brave would you have to be to face those odds and persevere in your fight to bring freedom to this land.?

The British force under the command of General William Howe and his brother Admiral Lord Richard Howe who commanded the fleet were self-assured, well armed, and well-trained. What would it take for Washington's ill-trained army to face the crack British fighting machine landing in New York Harbor that day and take on what could only be guaranteed defeat. Only a man who was an inspiring, dynamic and attractive leader like Washington could have motivated those inadequately armed, poorly trained men to stand their ground as their comrades dropped at a shocking rate all around them. We don't always realize, now that we are so far removed from the reality of the patriot's struggle, that George Washington was a charismatic leader and a real flesh and blood man who was vastly admired in his day. Only a commendable cause led by such a compelling and honorable man could inspire men to lay down their lives as the men of our continental army did. They were fathers, sons, husbands, everyday workers; they were good, bad, strong, weak and learning fast the lesson of a lifetime. We are their heirs, their lineage, we are, every one of us, the descendants of nobility, nobility born of their passionate hunger for freedom.

Defeated at every turn, Washington was forced to order his army to retreat again and again until they crossed the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. By now the British believed that they had won this war and put down the rebellion. The Americans have abandoned Philadelphia and Thomas Paine was quoted as saying ".....These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country: but he that stands it NOW deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered. Yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."

What do we owe those men and women who died so that we might have the freedom we cling to today? Our forefathers quest for freedom was the single most zealous objective of their lives ahead of family, ahead of wealth, ahead of personal goals. Their fight was a life or death struggle, a fight for every inch of their beloved soil. You can only wonder what was said to the men who were motivated to re-cross the icy Delaware River in a snowstorm on Christmas day in order to spring a surprise attack on British trained Hessians (German Mercenaries) at Trenton, an attack led by George Washington that would turn the tide of this rebellion. We don't know when his men started to call Washington "The Old Fox" but this could have been the first time because after this battle his leadership and cunning proved him to be just that. We have all seen the artist's rendering of Washington crossing the Delaware so many times that we may forget what was actually going on, of how cold it was in those small boats, and how the adrenelin must have been pumping in their chests as they knew another defeat was out of the question. "Liberty or Death" was their reality that day.

The well-trained Hessians surrender in only one hour and the patriots take 1,000 prisoners with few losses. The confidence gained by this victory inspired the patriots to push on with the certainty it would take to be victorious in spite of the odds against them. The passion and honor of men who believed in a cause greater than themselves and who held their honor above all are glorious examples of principles we so sorely need now if we are to stand against tyranny and claim the ethics taught to us by the patriots. Our way of life is truly worth any sacrifice when we remember what it took to gain it.

Today in New York City a new monument is being planned. It will be called Freedom Tower and it will rise 1,776 feet from the ashes of the World Trade Center. The men who are planning the tower purposely planned the height of 1,776 feet as an affirmation to the year 1776 and a salute to our founding fathers. I believe that is a fitting tribute to the patriots who gained our freedom and who have entrusted us to preserve it.