November 12, 2025 • 19 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, before the United States had a flag or a White House, it had George Washington. He led a band of farmers and tradesmen against the most powerful empire on earth and earned their loyalty by sharing in their struggle and fighting by their sides.
When the war was won, the world waited for him to take the throne they assumed was his. Instead, he laid down his sword and went home, setting a precedent for term limits that lasted until FDR took office almost 150 years later. Vince Benedetto, the CEO of Bold Gold Media Group, tells the story of a man who shaped a nation by choosing humility over glory.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
And we returned to our American stories. Up next, a
story from Vince Benedetto, a friend and a veteran and founder,
president and CEO of Bold Gold Media Group, which owns
and operates radio stations throughout Pennsylvania and New York. Today,
Vince shares with us the story of who he considers
to be America's first true superhero. Take it away, Vince.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Over the past several years, I've been invited to be
the Veterans Day speaker at area public high schools and
middle schools throughout northeast Pennsylvania. As a graduate of the
Air Force Academy and a former Air Force Captain and
OSA Special Agent, I'm frequently asked to speak at events
honoring our military. However, speaking to teenagers is an altogether
different and terrifying experience. During more typical speaking engagements, the
(01:12):
audience are there to hear what I have to say. Specifically,
speaking at a high school, well, they have to be
there once. Thoughts immediately go to how to say things
differently to them in a way that will connect, keep
their attention, and hopefully illuminate something that will contribute to
their lives during their most formidable years in my most
(01:36):
recent remarks, I decided to go big to challenge the
very notions, whatever they may be, of why they should
even care at all about our veterans preceding my remarks,
and to set the mood, I asked that a short
clip from Ronald Reagan's first inaugural address be played. It's
the part where the newly sworn in president is essentially
giving his audience a tour of the Washington Mall. He's
(01:58):
pointing out the major monuments, presenting the giants from our history.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Standing here, one faces a magnificent vista. At the end
of this open mall. Are those shrines to the giants
on whose shoulders we stand directly in front of me.
A monument to a monumental man, George Washington, father of
(02:23):
our country, a man of humility who came to greatness.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Reluctantly those to Washington, to Jefferson, and to Lincoln. But
shortly after he turns his attention to those quote sloping
hills just beyond, you know, to Arlington National Cemetery.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
With its row upon row of simple white markers bearing
crosses or stars of David. They add up to only
a tiny fraction of the price that has been paid
for our freedom.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
From amongst those thousands upon thousands of white markers, he
resurrects the story of Martin Trepptel.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Under one such marker lies a young man who left
his job in a small town barbershop in nineteen seventeen
to go to France with the famed Rainbow Division. There
on the Western Front, he was killed trying to carry
a message between battalions under heavy artillery fire.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
On his person was found a diary under the words
my pledge. Martin had written these.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Words, America must win this war. Therefore, I will work,
I will save, I will sacrifice, I will endure, I
will fight cheerfully and do my utmost as if the
issue of the whole struggle depended on me alone.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Strikingly, during this tender moment of his remark and in
front of the whole world, Reagan's voice cracks as he's
fighting back tears during the telling of this remarkable young hero.
So upon the completion of this clip, the hundreds of
teens in the audience are paying attention, some even have
some tears in their eyes, along with nearly all of
(04:19):
the teachers in attendance. Now that I feel the mood
has been said. It's my turn to begin my Veterans
Day remarks, and I ask them some blunt questions that
surprise them. I ask, why do we celebrate our military
and our veterans? Why do you even care that I
am a veteran? And for that matter, why do we
honor and celebrate Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day? I
(04:42):
probe them for some audience participation, and a few hands
go up. Some of the students answer with, quote, they
serve their country, quote our military protects our freedom, and
freedom isn't free. And I'm pleased with these responses, as
they are all excellent answers to my questions. I then
ask another question. I ask who here has seen an
(05:03):
American soldier in uniform? Every hand in the room goes up,
every single one. I ask, well, what did you feel
when you saw those soldiers in uniform? And I kind
of prod them to shout out some answers, and some
said pride, patriotism, safety. I proceed with my line of questioning,
(05:27):
so I say, who here has seen an American soldier
and felt afraid? Not one hand goes up, But I
prod them a little more. I say, no one, I mean,
our soldiers are very powerful people. They are trained to fight,
they have guns. No one here has ever felt fear
in their hearts upon seeing a uniform American soldier, and
(05:49):
still not one hand was raised. And at that moment
I tell them, I said, this, this is why we
celebrate Veterans Day. This is why we celebrate our military
in America. And I share with them that in much
of the world, people do not celebrate their military. They
(06:10):
fear it. In much of the world, the military is
viewed as a tool of the government to oppress them,
not to serve them. I tell them that in order
to understand all this, we need to have a short
American history lesson. I asked them to imagine the world
as it was on July third, seventeen seventy six. At
(06:34):
this time, everyone alive on the planet lived under some
form of a dictatorship. But on July fourth, seventeen seventy six,
it all changed. Suddenly, Americans had declared their independence, and
more importantly, Americans had declared that they were free. However,
this still did not fully answer the question of why
(06:55):
we do not fear our military in America. To understand this,
I told them we would have to turn to a
person who is often considered our first American soldier and
a real life superhero, George Washington to Washington in seventeen
seventy five, having been appointed as the commander in chief
of the Continental Army, and I reminded them, this is
(07:18):
an army that for the most part didn't even exist
at that moment, had the enormous task of building and
leading a fighting force against the British Empire, the most
powerful military force in the world at that time. As
I began to share with them the story of General
George Washington. On the screen behind me was an image
of Washington's command flag during the American Revolution, as an
(07:40):
early testament to his brilliant leadership instincts. The flag has
thirteen equally sized, six pointed white stars against the blue field.
Washington well understood the parochial and rivalrous mindset of those
who would now need to unite under seemingly impossible odds.
In the eighteenth century, most Americans never traveled outside of
their city, let alone their state. Told his battle flag
(08:02):
did not represent him, it represented them as a soldier
in this new army under this bold Virginian As they
marched into battle behind him. Whether you were from a
small state or one of the large states, you knew
that one of those stars on his flag represented you
and your home. I asked these young kids, I said,
to further, try and imagine something else. To imagine that
(08:25):
after the war, having won our independence, George Washington was
now one of the most famous people in the world
throughout not only Britain, but also the halls of Europe.
It was assumed that Washington would now become a king
in America. This was just the way it always had been.
The general of the victorious army becomes the new ruler.
It was of course assumed by King George the Third,
(08:45):
who reportedly believed that the Americans were merely changing quote
one King George for another. The King, having learned that
Washington was to resign his commission and return to his
home at Mount Vernon, believed Washington was the greatest man
in the world and the greatest character.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Of the age.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
And when we come back more from Vince Benedetto on
the story of George Washington. Here on our American stories.
(10:09):
And we returned to our American stories. When we last
left off, Vince Benedetto was tasked with telling a group
of school students why we respect and love our veterans
here in this country. He mentioned that to understand why,
we have to look back to who, and that's to
George Washington. Let's continue with the story.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
I then asked the students to travel with me in
their minds to another moment and place and time in
the final days of the Revolutionary War, to Newburgh, New York,
seventeen eighty three. The new nation was financially struggling and
the Congress was unable to meet its payment obligations to
the Continental Army. This was leading to severe unrest amongst
the officers and soldiers. A plan was actually hatched amongst
(10:56):
some high ranking officers to use the military to take
over or threatened the government until their demands were met. However,
one indispensable man would stand in their way, George Washington.
Learning of the growing plans within his army, Washington called
for a meeting of his officers at their headquarters in Newburgh.
(11:17):
Washington indicated that he would not himself be in attendance,
essentially deferring to the commander below him, General Horatio Gates,
therefore started off the meeting feeding into the growing frenzy
for hostile action against the Congress, and suddenly General Washington
walked into the room and took command of the events
in progress. Many of the officers had not seen the
(11:40):
general for some time. They noticed that he had aged,
and the General then did something profound. He explained to
them that this was the moment at the end of
the war where their example was most important. Washington told
them they were men of honor, and this precious moment
would require their greatest patriot to in virtue. In essence,
(12:02):
this was their ultimate test. Washington then assured them he
was working on their behalf to resolve their grievances. He
pulled a letter from Congress out of his vest. He
began to read it to them, but his eyesight was
failing him and he was struggling to see the letter.
Perhaps sensing his officers noticed this moment of vulnerability, he paused.
(12:23):
He then reached into his pocket and pulled out his eyeglasses.
The general then looked solemnly at his military family and
said to them, gentlemen, you must pardon me, for I
have not only grown gray, but almost blind in service
to my country. By all accounts, at that very moment
(12:45):
the coup was over, there were tears in the eyes
of his officers. They loved their general, and Washington, who
himself had sacrificed so much, and who at all times
had placed the principles for which they thought above himself,
was holding true, and his example at that moment became
their example. Once again, Washington had saved the revolution. Later
(13:08):
that same year, Washington would do what the whole of
the world doubted would ever have been done. On December
twenty third, seventeen eighty three, one of the greatest days
in recorded history, General George Washington, the most popular and
powerful person in the United States, resigned his commission before
the Continental Congress and returned to his home at Mount Vernon.
(13:30):
The world was stunned. This had not and does not
happen until now. Of course, this would not even be
the last time Washington would willingly walk away from power.
When he later went on to be our first president.
The rulers of other nations again assumed he would serve
until his death, But once again Washington defied the forces
(13:52):
of history and of human nature, and after his second
term he stepped away and retired again to his beloved
Mount Vernon. Sensing that the students were gaining a new
respect for their history and the father of our country,
I desired to make some final points about what underlines
this sense of trust and love that Americans have for
(14:14):
our veterans. I shared with them that every American who
joins our armed forces takes an oath. Of course, taking
an oath prior to joining a military is not all
that special, But the oath we take to join the
American military is very, very different. I explained to them
that in our oath, our soldiers do something quite peculiar.
(14:37):
We swear an oath not to the president or the government,
and not even to the country itself. We swear an
oath to a certain thing, the Constitution. I pointed out
the historical significance and beauty of swearing to quote, support
and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies,
(14:58):
foreign and domestic. Again, we as Americans sense and feel
that our military is not to be feared, but loved,
for they are a powerful force that represents our rights
as Americans. Our sense that government serves the people and
not the other way around as commonplace. But I had
to tell them throughout most of the world and throughout
(15:20):
almost all of history, this was not the case. What
we have here in America is quite miraculous, and all
of this would not be if not for George Washington.
It was George Washington who defied the way of things.
It was George Washington who enabled the feeling that our
(15:41):
military represents the entirety of the nation. It was George
Washington who started the tradition of the military being subservient
to the people's elected civilian representatives. It was George Washington
who had unwavering fidelity to representative government and our eventual
constitutional order. It was George Washington who successfully was able
(16:02):
to help the American people transfer their love and trust
in him into faithfulness to our constitution and its principles.
It was George Washington who said, quote, the Constitution is
the guide which I never will abandon. It was George
Washington who, more than any other American, was able to
(16:22):
get the people to begin to look beyond their parochial
visions and to think continentally as a union. It was
George Washington who showed us the virtue of the powerful
being the servants of the people, and not the other
way around. Upon Washington's death, John Adams wrote, quote, his
example is now complete, and it will teach wisdom and
(16:44):
virtue to magistrates, citizens and men, not only in the
present age, but in future generations as long as our
history shall be read. It was always Washington. He was
America's rock upon which our nation could be built. He
is America's real life superhero. So why do we honor
(17:10):
and celebrate our veterans and our military? I pose this
question to them again. We celebrate them because they have
fought and stand ready to fight, not just to defend
us here and now the living, but also for all
future generations. They defend our important traditions and customs that
must go on if individual liberty is to go on.
(17:30):
We honor our veterans because they signed on the dotted
line to defend with their very lives if necessary, the
idea that, as Abraham Lincoln said in his Gettysburg Address,
government of the people, by the people, and for the people,
shall not perish from the earth. And it is true
that without America the world would be a very very
dark place. Without the American soldier, without our veterans, civilization,
(17:55):
at least civilizations we know it, would have perished. The
light of individual liberty would have long since been extinguished.
It has frequently been remarked, I told them that the
words of Thomas Jefferson would mean little without the sword
of George Washington. Stated similarly, all of the words of liberty, freedom,
and American exceptionalism would not be without the heroes who
(18:18):
defended it all. And every person who joins the American
Armed Forces takes that oath and they become part of
the long unbroken line of military service in America that
began with George Washington. To today we can trace it
(18:41):
all back to our real life superhero George Washington.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
And a special thanks to Monty Montgomery for producing the piece.
A Hillsdale graduate and a proud one, and a special
thanks to Vince Benedetto, who built the Hillsdale Radio station.
And if you're ever in Central Michigan, visit Hillsdale College,
you will be so impressed. The words of Thomas Jefferson
would have meant little without the sword of George Washington.
(19:11):
And today we celebrate, as Vince put it, the long
unbroken line of civilian military service and heroism to defend freedom,
not just here but across the globe. On our American stories,
And we returned to our American stories. Up next, a
story from Vince Benedetto, a friend and a veteran and founder,
president and CEO of Bold Gold Media Group, which owns
and operates radio stations throughout Pennsylvania and New York. Today,
Vince shares with us the story of who he considers
to be America's first true superhero. Take it away, Vince.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Over the past several years, I've been invited to be
the Veterans Day speaker at area public high schools and
middle schools throughout northeast Pennsylvania. As a graduate of the
Air Force Academy and a former Air Force Captain and
OSA Special Agent, I'm frequently asked to speak at events
honoring our military. However, speaking to teenagers is an altogether
different and terrifying experience. During more typical speaking engagements, the
(01:12):
audience are there to hear what I have to say. Specifically,
speaking at a high school, well, they have to be
there once. Thoughts immediately go to how to say things
differently to them in a way that will connect, keep
their attention, and hopefully illuminate something that will contribute to
their lives during their most formidable years in my most
(01:36):
recent remarks, I decided to go big to challenge the
very notions, whatever they may be, of why they should
even care at all about our veterans preceding my remarks,
and to set the mood, I asked that a short
clip from Ronald Reagan's first inaugural address be played. It's
the part where the newly sworn in president is essentially
giving his audience a tour of the Washington Mall. He's
(01:58):
pointing out the major monuments, presenting the giants from our history.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Standing here, one faces a magnificent vista. At the end
of this open mall. Are those shrines to the giants
on whose shoulders we stand directly in front of me.
A monument to a monumental man, George Washington, father of
(02:23):
our country, a man of humility who came to greatness.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Reluctantly those to Washington, to Jefferson, and to Lincoln. But
shortly after he turns his attention to those quote sloping
hills just beyond, you know, to Arlington National Cemetery.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
With its row upon row of simple white markers bearing
crosses or stars of David. They add up to only
a tiny fraction of the price that has been paid
for our freedom.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
From amongst those thousands upon thousands of white markers, he
resurrects the story of Martin Trepptel.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Under one such marker lies a young man who left
his job in a small town barbershop in nineteen seventeen
to go to France with the famed Rainbow Division. There
on the Western Front, he was killed trying to carry
a message between battalions under heavy artillery fire.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
On his person was found a diary under the words
my pledge. Martin had written these.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Words, America must win this war. Therefore, I will work,
I will save, I will sacrifice, I will endure, I
will fight cheerfully and do my utmost as if the
issue of the whole struggle depended on me alone.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Strikingly, during this tender moment of his remark and in
front of the whole world, Reagan's voice cracks as he's
fighting back tears during the telling of this remarkable young hero.
So upon the completion of this clip, the hundreds of
teens in the audience are paying attention, some even have
some tears in their eyes, along with nearly all of
(04:19):
the teachers in attendance. Now that I feel the mood
has been said. It's my turn to begin my Veterans
Day remarks, and I ask them some blunt questions that
surprise them. I ask, why do we celebrate our military
and our veterans? Why do you even care that I
am a veteran? And for that matter, why do we
honor and celebrate Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day? I
(04:42):
probe them for some audience participation, and a few hands
go up. Some of the students answer with, quote, they
serve their country, quote our military protects our freedom, and
freedom isn't free. And I'm pleased with these responses, as
they are all excellent answers to my questions. I then
ask another question. I ask who here has seen an
(05:03):
American soldier in uniform? Every hand in the room goes up,
every single one. I ask, well, what did you feel
when you saw those soldiers in uniform? And I kind
of prod them to shout out some answers, and some
said pride, patriotism, safety. I proceed with my line of questioning,
(05:27):
so I say, who here has seen an American soldier
and felt afraid? Not one hand goes up, But I
prod them a little more. I say, no one, I mean,
our soldiers are very powerful people. They are trained to fight,
they have guns. No one here has ever felt fear
in their hearts upon seeing a uniform American soldier, and
(05:49):
still not one hand was raised. And at that moment
I tell them, I said, this, this is why we
celebrate Veterans Day. This is why we celebrate our military
in America. And I share with them that in much
of the world, people do not celebrate their military. They
(06:10):
fear it. In much of the world, the military is
viewed as a tool of the government to oppress them,
not to serve them. I tell them that in order
to understand all this, we need to have a short
American history lesson. I asked them to imagine the world
as it was on July third, seventeen seventy six. At
(06:34):
this time, everyone alive on the planet lived under some
form of a dictatorship. But on July fourth, seventeen seventy six,
it all changed. Suddenly, Americans had declared their independence, and
more importantly, Americans had declared that they were free. However,
this still did not fully answer the question of why
(06:55):
we do not fear our military in America. To understand this,
I told them we would have to turn to a
person who is often considered our first American soldier and
a real life superhero, George Washington to Washington in seventeen
seventy five, having been appointed as the commander in chief
of the Continental Army, and I reminded them, this is
(07:18):
an army that for the most part didn't even exist
at that moment, had the enormous task of building and
leading a fighting force against the British Empire, the most
powerful military force in the world at that time. As
I began to share with them the story of General
George Washington. On the screen behind me was an image
of Washington's command flag during the American Revolution, as an
(07:40):
early testament to his brilliant leadership instincts. The flag has
thirteen equally sized, six pointed white stars against the blue field.
Washington well understood the parochial and rivalrous mindset of those
who would now need to unite under seemingly impossible odds.
In the eighteenth century, most Americans never traveled outside of
their city, let alone their state. Told his battle flag
(08:02):
did not represent him, it represented them as a soldier
in this new army under this bold Virginian As they
marched into battle behind him. Whether you were from a
small state or one of the large states, you knew
that one of those stars on his flag represented you
and your home. I asked these young kids, I said,
to further, try and imagine something else. To imagine that
(08:25):
after the war, having won our independence, George Washington was
now one of the most famous people in the world
throughout not only Britain, but also the halls of Europe.
It was assumed that Washington would now become a king
in America. This was just the way it always had been.
The general of the victorious army becomes the new ruler.
It was of course assumed by King George the Third,
(08:45):
who reportedly believed that the Americans were merely changing quote
one King George for another. The King, having learned that
Washington was to resign his commission and return to his
home at Mount Vernon, believed Washington was the greatest man
in the world and the greatest character.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Of the age.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
And when we come back more from Vince Benedetto on
the story of George Washington. Here on our American stories.
(10:09):
And we returned to our American stories. When we last
left off, Vince Benedetto was tasked with telling a group
of school students why we respect and love our veterans
here in this country. He mentioned that to understand why,
we have to look back to who, and that's to
George Washington. Let's continue with the story.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
I then asked the students to travel with me in
their minds to another moment and place and time in
the final days of the Revolutionary War, to Newburgh, New York,
seventeen eighty three. The new nation was financially struggling and
the Congress was unable to meet its payment obligations to
the Continental Army. This was leading to severe unrest amongst
the officers and soldiers. A plan was actually hatched amongst
(10:56):
some high ranking officers to use the military to take
over or threatened the government until their demands were met. However,
one indispensable man would stand in their way, George Washington.
Learning of the growing plans within his army, Washington called
for a meeting of his officers at their headquarters in Newburgh.
(11:17):
Washington indicated that he would not himself be in attendance,
essentially deferring to the commander below him, General Horatio Gates,
therefore started off the meeting feeding into the growing frenzy
for hostile action against the Congress, and suddenly General Washington
walked into the room and took command of the events
in progress. Many of the officers had not seen the
(11:40):
general for some time. They noticed that he had aged,
and the General then did something profound. He explained to
them that this was the moment at the end of
the war where their example was most important. Washington told
them they were men of honor, and this precious moment
would require their greatest patriot to in virtue. In essence,
(12:02):
this was their ultimate test. Washington then assured them he
was working on their behalf to resolve their grievances. He
pulled a letter from Congress out of his vest. He
began to read it to them, but his eyesight was
failing him and he was struggling to see the letter.
Perhaps sensing his officers noticed this moment of vulnerability, he paused.
(12:23):
He then reached into his pocket and pulled out his eyeglasses.
The general then looked solemnly at his military family and
said to them, gentlemen, you must pardon me, for I
have not only grown gray, but almost blind in service
to my country. By all accounts, at that very moment
(12:45):
the coup was over, there were tears in the eyes
of his officers. They loved their general, and Washington, who
himself had sacrificed so much, and who at all times
had placed the principles for which they thought above himself,
was holding true, and his example at that moment became
their example. Once again, Washington had saved the revolution. Later
(13:08):
that same year, Washington would do what the whole of
the world doubted would ever have been done. On December
twenty third, seventeen eighty three, one of the greatest days
in recorded history, General George Washington, the most popular and
powerful person in the United States, resigned his commission before
the Continental Congress and returned to his home at Mount Vernon.
(13:30):
The world was stunned. This had not and does not
happen until now. Of course, this would not even be
the last time Washington would willingly walk away from power.
When he later went on to be our first president.
The rulers of other nations again assumed he would serve
until his death, But once again Washington defied the forces
(13:52):
of history and of human nature, and after his second
term he stepped away and retired again to his beloved
Mount Vernon. Sensing that the students were gaining a new
respect for their history and the father of our country,
I desired to make some final points about what underlines
this sense of trust and love that Americans have for
(14:14):
our veterans. I shared with them that every American who
joins our armed forces takes an oath. Of course, taking
an oath prior to joining a military is not all
that special, But the oath we take to join the
American military is very, very different. I explained to them
that in our oath, our soldiers do something quite peculiar.
(14:37):
We swear an oath not to the president or the government,
and not even to the country itself. We swear an
oath to a certain thing, the Constitution. I pointed out
the historical significance and beauty of swearing to quote, support
and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies,
(14:58):
foreign and domestic. Again, we as Americans sense and feel
that our military is not to be feared, but loved,
for they are a powerful force that represents our rights
as Americans. Our sense that government serves the people and
not the other way around as commonplace. But I had
to tell them throughout most of the world and throughout
(15:20):
almost all of history, this was not the case. What
we have here in America is quite miraculous, and all
of this would not be if not for George Washington.
It was George Washington who defied the way of things.
It was George Washington who enabled the feeling that our
(15:41):
military represents the entirety of the nation. It was George
Washington who started the tradition of the military being subservient
to the people's elected civilian representatives. It was George Washington
who had unwavering fidelity to representative government and our eventual
constitutional order. It was George Washington who successfully was able
(16:02):
to help the American people transfer their love and trust
in him into faithfulness to our constitution and its principles.
It was George Washington who said, quote, the Constitution is
the guide which I never will abandon. It was George
Washington who, more than any other American, was able to
(16:22):
get the people to begin to look beyond their parochial
visions and to think continentally as a union. It was
George Washington who showed us the virtue of the powerful
being the servants of the people, and not the other
way around. Upon Washington's death, John Adams wrote, quote, his
example is now complete, and it will teach wisdom and
(16:44):
virtue to magistrates, citizens and men, not only in the
present age, but in future generations as long as our
history shall be read. It was always Washington. He was
America's rock upon which our nation could be built. He
is America's real life superhero. So why do we honor
(17:10):
and celebrate our veterans and our military? I pose this
question to them again. We celebrate them because they have
fought and stand ready to fight, not just to defend
us here and now the living, but also for all
future generations. They defend our important traditions and customs that
must go on if individual liberty is to go on.
(17:30):
We honor our veterans because they signed on the dotted
line to defend with their very lives if necessary, the
idea that, as Abraham Lincoln said in his Gettysburg Address,
government of the people, by the people, and for the people,
shall not perish from the earth. And it is true
that without America the world would be a very very
dark place. Without the American soldier, without our veterans, civilization,
(17:55):
at least civilizations we know it, would have perished. The
light of individual liberty would have long since been extinguished.
It has frequently been remarked, I told them that the
words of Thomas Jefferson would mean little without the sword
of George Washington. Stated similarly, all of the words of liberty, freedom,
and American exceptionalism would not be without the heroes who
(18:18):
defended it all. And every person who joins the American
Armed Forces takes that oath and they become part of
the long unbroken line of military service in America that
began with George Washington. To today we can trace it
(18:41):
all back to our real life superhero George Washington.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
And a special thanks to Monty Montgomery for producing the piece.
A Hillsdale graduate and a proud one, and a special
thanks to Vince Benedetto, who built the Hillsdale Radio station.
And if you're ever in Central Michigan, visit Hillsdale College,
you will be so impressed. The words of Thomas Jefferson
would have meant little without the sword of George Washington.
(19:11):
And today we celebrate, as Vince put it, the long
unbroken line of civilian military service and heroism to defend freedom,
not just here but across the globe. On our American stories,
Host
Lee Habeeb
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