Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Monday, July 4, 2016
Mahalo for your service
By Rep Charles Djou @ 7:06 PM :: 4312 Views :: Military

July 4, 2016

The 4th of July is always bittersweet for me.  Stacey and I feel blessed to raise our children in such an amazing country, but are saddened by the sacrifices made by so many Americans in service to our country. 

On my mind today is 1LT Timothy Steele.  We served with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division in Kandahar, Afghanistan.  1LT Steele was leading a patrol in Kandahar when he got a bad feeling about a bridge up ahead. He stopped his men, and courageously without thought to his own life, went to check the area.  Taliban were lying in wait and set off an improvised explosive device or IED killing 1LT Steele.  He left behind a wife and young daughter named Liberty.  But he remains forever in my mind an example of the courage and sacrifice of so many men and women who put on the uniform to serve our country.

Above: Afghanistan in 2011 with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry). 

Our country began as a bold "experiment" on July 4, 1776 with the idea that the government shall only govern with consent of the governed.  This American experiment has been through many trials in our history.  Today this democracy rests in our hands to nurture and strength for the next generation.

On July 4, 1861, when America was engulfed in a terrible Civil War, Abraham Lincoln recalled that the meaning of American Independence Day, "is a struggle for maintaining in the world that form and substance of government whose leading object is to elevate the condition of men; to lift artificial weights from all shoulders; to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all; to afford all an unfettered start and a fair chance in the race of life."

Mahalo to all of our men and women who put on the uniform in service to our country and to those police, fire and EMS who serve our city. 

May God Bless you, your family and the United States of America.

Aloha,

Charles Djou

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT