TOMORROW thousands of Guamanians will make their way down to the parade route and celebrate Liberation Day.
The air will be thick with barbecue smoke and laughter. Families will be together enjoying their time with one another. Wherever you are this Liberation Day, I’m sure you will be celebrating as well.
This is a time for us to look at our past, our rich history and reflect on where we’ve come from. We reflect on the bravery of the generations who came before us. Some are gone. Some continue to pass along the stories of the Japanese occupation. Uncertainty and the terror were everyday occurrences for them. But through it all, they gave us a renewed faith in the world, and led us to where we are now.
Because of them, we celebrate and rejoice in the freedom and equality that not many experience throughout the rest of the world. Many people still continue to fight for the liberties we have. Every day I thank God for the blessings He has bestowed upon us.
There is a funny thing that happens during the Liberation Day Parade: There is always a slight drizzle of rain. I like to think of it as a symbol of God’s many blessings on the people of Guam. We have so much to be thankful for, and we shouldn’t save it for a special day like Liberation to show it.
Let us remain thankful and respectful to the courageous people who sacrificed so much for us. I’m sure they weren’t thinking it at the time, but they left a legacy for us. They made it possible for us to live our lives freely and without fear of oppression. It is because of them we strive to make our community a better place to live in, a better place to raise our families, and a better place to share with the world.
This Liberation Day, we celebrate 68 years of peace and progress because of the sacrifices of those who came before us and fought to be free. It was their enduring spirit that has perpetuated our growth as a community. It is in remembering this spirit that we continue to progress, and see future generations embrace where we come from. We will continue to remember their sacrifices. We will never forget.
Happy 68th Liberation Day, my fellow Guamanians. May God bless you and your families, and continue to bless our island.
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Changing Guam Liberation: Where we come from...
Changing Guam Liberation: Where we come from...
Liberation: Where we come from...
- Friday, 20 Jul 2012 03:30am
- BY GOV. EDDIE CALVO
- Hits: 2637
