Reflections on Fourth of July
Published on July 2nd, 2003
STONEHAM, MA - They were there when the first red-streaks of musket fire exploded upon the fields of Lexington and Concord, the rising plumes of smoke masking the first casualties of the Revolutionary War.
Answering President Abraham Lincoln's call for help exactly 86 years later, they marched to our nation's capitol through the barricaded streets of Baltimore, barely escaping with their lives as thousands of Pro-Confederacy rioters showered them with bricks and rocks from the rooftops and windows above.
They pushed through the plains of Europe against Nazi aggression, endured the cruel winters of Korea, and trekked through the twisted canopy jungles of Vietnam, some never to return.
Since the very birth of the United States, Stoneham men and women have dutifully answered the call to fight for our nation's independence. And as the Fourth of July draws near, some veterans and their family members reflected on what Independence Day means to them.
"I have to say that I think the meaning of Independence Day is lost and I don't think that's through any other fault but time," said Stoneham American Legion member Mike Flynn, who served in Guam during the Vietnam War era.
"I think the Forth of July is kind of like Memorial Day. It signifies the beginning of the barbecue season. And that's okay. That's what we fought for. People don't have to sit around all day and ponder the meaning of the Fourth of July. They just have to pause for a second and think about it," said Flynn.
According to Leo Herlihy, a decorated veteran who served with the 8th Armored Division, 88th Tank Battalion during World War II, the Forth of July has taken on two separate meanings for him.
"It all depends on how you want to look at it. As a family man, Independence Day was always a day filled with parades and family cookouts. As a veteran...well, that's what we fought for," commented Herlihy.
Herlihy, whose brother dropped out of high school at 17 and a half years old and memorized an eye-chart so that he could join the Army during World War II, spoke little about his years fighting in Europe.
"I was in the tank core and spent a year and a half in Louisiana and the rest of my time in Europe. Those are the days that you try to forget. I just want to live right now," the Battle of the Bulge veteran humbly remarked.
However, Herlihy did comment on what he sees as a decline of patriotism in the country, saying that many Americans don't truly appreciate the significance of holidays such as Independence Day.
"You're old-fashioned if you think that way and still want to go to parades...You're an old-fart like me," he joked with a laugh. "People nowadays just want to go out and spend money or go to a ball game," he added.
According to Herlihy, who still remembers the serial numbers of his tank crew, schools should attempt to instill a greater sense of patriotism.
"I think it all starts right back in the schools. When I was a kid, you didn't see a Veteran's Day without a filled auditorium," said the Stoneham American Legion member.
Although Flynn agrees with Herlihy that Americans don't appreciate Independence Day in the same manner as veterans, he feels that there's been a resurgence of patriotism since September 11 and the recent Iraqi Conflict.
"With 9/11, if there was any one good thing that came out of it, it's that patriotism is back. And this country really needed it, a newfound respect for their flag," Flynn explained.
"I think with the war in Iraq, you just have to watch the news and see how other people on the other side of the globe live to realize what we have...This is just the greatest country in the world and it's based on next door neighbors who answer their call and take pride in their country," he added.
Sitting at their kitchen table next to a refrigerator plastered with photos of their grandson dressed in military garb, Albert and Josephine Marzino commented on their feelings about Independence Day.
Their grandson, Marine Lance Corporal James Riordan, just recently returned from a Saudi Arabian air base that serviced EA-6B Prowlers returning from bombing runs over Iraq.
"I'm just so proud. I think most Americans appreciate the Fourth of July. I certainly do now," remarked Albert Marzino.
Marzino, a World War II Navy Veteran, also spoke about how he dealt with his grandson's recent stint of service overseas.
"We didn't know he was over there. None of my children told me," explained Marzino. "They told me the week before he came home. Thank God. I would have died," Marzino reflected, quivering with the thought.
"He did a lot of good things in the service. But thank God, I didn't know," added Josephine Marzino, shedding tears that seemed to be a mix of grandmotherly pride and sheer terror at the thought of her grandson overseas.
According to the couple, they were overwhelmed with pride when Riordan returned to his Raymond, N.H. home and served as grand marshal of the town's Memorial Day Parade.
"It made us so proud just to see him there standing at attention and everybody yelling at him saying, 'Hey Jimmy!'. It just made you shiver," said Albert Marzino.
Riordan has one-year of service left in the Marine Corps. Before joining the Marines, the youth had hoped to serve the community as a police officer.
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