Chickashanews.com

Opinion

Discussion

Add a comment on this story
July 3, 2012

The Rocket’s Red Glare

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.)

Most Americans are very familiar with the lyrics to the first verse of our National Anthem.  However, few are familiar with the other verses originally penned as a poem by Francis Scott Key.

Our National Anthem, adopted as such by Congress in 1931, was written on the morning of September 14, 1814.  Shortly after the British burned Washington, D.C. during the War of 1812, they attempted to capture the city of Baltimore, a major American port at the time.  Standing in their way at the entrance of the Baltimore Harbor was Fort McHenry.

On September 13, 1814, the British began a twenty-five hour bombardment campaign in an attempt to blast Fort McHenry into defeat.  As the sun rose the next morning, Key saw the large American flag still flying over the Baltimore fort and was inspired to write the lyrics we now sing.

The lesser known fourth verse begins by saying, “O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand, between their loved home and the war's desolation!”

Indeed, nearly 200 years after Key wrote these inspiring words, our men and women in uniform continue to defend liberty.  They stand in the gap between the freedoms we enjoy here at home and those who seek to destroy us.

This is no more evident than with the brave Oklahomans who have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan over the course of the past twelve months.  Since last year, over 4,000 Oklahomans have defended freedom in the Central Command area that includes both Iraq and Afghanistan.  With roughly 3,400 being sent from the Oklahoma National Guard’s 45th Brigade Combat Team alone, this was the largest deployment of Oklahomans since the Korean War.

With thousands of Oklahomans having loved ones in combat overseas, we personally felt the sting of war more sharply as all gave so much and some paid the ultimate sacrifice.

I had the honor and privilege to visit these troops in the days just before their deployment and several times while they were on the front lines.  Each time I visited them in Afghanistan, I saw the successes of their hard work and witnessed the hardship of enduring fallen comrades.  I heard the grit of their fight and their determination in their voices.  In the face of adversity, they performed brilliantly and left Afghanistan better than they found it.

Key sums up what I witnessed in our brave men and women when he writes, “Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!  Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, and this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’”

As we celebrate America’s birthday this July 4th, may we remember and thank our service members and their families.  It is because of their sacrifices and the sacrifices of others like them in the generations that have gone before that allowed Key can conclude, “And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!”

 

Happy 4th of July!

Senator Inhofe is Oklahoma’s senior U.S. Senator.

 

Text Only
Opinion
  • Point-to-point

    Does vaping beat smoking? Read and find out what we think.

    June 11, 2013

  • A child's life is a terrible thing to waste

    The massive tornado, reportedly over a mile and a quarter wide at one point, moved northeast along a 15 mile path from northwest of Newcastle through what is now part of Moore and swept away at least 30 homes.  Thirty-three people were killed with 11 people dying in one home, 6 in a second home and 4 in a third home.

    June 9, 2013

  • Take Obama at his word? which one - and when?

    In a somersault of a speech, President Barack Obama, sounding like he did when he first ran for the Oval Office, recently declared that "a free press is also essential for our democracy. That's who we are" ("Obama, in Nod to Press, Orders Review of Inquiries," The New York Times, May 24).

    June 7, 2013

  • Editor addresses reader storm comments

    I try to make it a habit of not addressing critiques of the paper or of my staff. After all, we are public servants and should be judged as such.

    June 4, 2013

  • Weed removal not sign of citizen abuse

    The city of Chickasha is not picking on you or your lawn.
    I have taken more calls over the past few weeks asking why the city is bullying the little guy when there are businesses in downtown with overgrown weeds, and this misunderstanding needs to be put to rest.
    First, no member of the council, or the city manager's office has the ability to see everything in Chickasha. They do not have an all seeing eye.

    May 29, 2013

  • Shelter bond is safe bet

    We could not agree more with Representative Joe Dorman's idea to push a $500 million bond forward before the end of the legislative session intended to prevent future tragedies like the one suffered in Moore this week.

    May 27, 2013

  • Heritage Park provides fantastic fun for film fans

    I love movies. I can't stress that strongly enough.

    May 25, 2013

  • Dorman planning to work with officials on storm recovery

     I want to start off this week by sending condolences to those who lost loved ones, their homes and other property in the storms and tornadoes over the weekend.  As I am writing this column on Monday, we were just allowed to go back to our Capitol offices after tornado sirens sounded about the f-5 which hit the Moore area.

    May 21, 2013

  • Uncle Joe, the windmill man for the Common Good

    South of town, my grandfather’s family grew wheat. North of town, my grandmother’s family raised cattle. Water was important to everyone and everything.  Unless you were fortunate enough to have a live creek on your land, you had a windmill.

    May 14, 2013

  • Inhofe comments evidence of larger political problem

    There is no denying that global warming is one of the most disputed and politicized issues of the last two decades. Broach the subject with anyone that has an opinion on climatology, and that person transforms into a highly educated scientist with years of experience conducting weather related experiments.

    May 8, 2013