On this day in 1917, a hero is born. Jimmie W. Monteith Jr. was among those brave Americans who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. He would go on to receive a Medal of Honor for his actions at Omaha Beach.
“Monteith’s heroism was so apparent,” the National D-Day Memorial website concludes, “that both General Dwight D. Eisenhower and General Omar Bradley personally recommended Monteith posthumously receive the nation’s highest honor for valor in combat.”
Did anyone think that the college dropout would go on to be a war hero?
The story continues here: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-jimmie-monteith-moh
On this day in 1776, the Continental Congress adopts our Declaration of Independence. It had already resolved on July 2 that “these United Colonies are, and, of right, ought to be, Free and Independent States . . . .” Now it formally adopted a written document, too.
It took nearly a month to write the Declaration. You may know that Thomas Jefferson was the primary author, but he had help, too.
What is the rest of the story?
On June 11, Congress nominated a “Committee of Five” to draft a declaration. This committee did not leave a written record of its deliberations. Instead, the accounts we have were written many years later, when memories had faded. Many of them were conflicting. We may never know exactly how our Declaration was drafted, but we can get a general idea of the series of events.
The story continues here: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-independence-day
On this day in 1986, Ronald Reagan delivers a message in observance of America's 210th birthday.
The full quote is even better. He said: "[The Founding Fathers’ vision was] of a striving, God-fearing, self-reliant people living in the sunlight of justice and breathing the bracing air of liberty. As the years unrolled, generations of Americans painted that vision across the broad canvass of the continent. It has always been the secret of our progress, our power, and our prosperity. Whenever we have allowed it to fade we have done so at our peril. Whenever it has burned bright we have amazed the world with our inventiveness, our daring, our achievements, and our magnanimity."
So true, don't you think?
On this day in 1776, the Continental Congress declared America’s independence! Did you know that this vote actually occurred on July 2, not July 4?
“That these United Colonies are,” congressional delegates resolved, “and, of right, ought to be, Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown . . . .”
There would be no more attempts to reconcile with Great Britain.
John Adams was elated, and he thought that July 2 would be celebrated as a memorable day in American history. He wrote Abigail: “The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.”
The story continues here: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-july2nd
