Huck wrote:
Independence day 1935
Fourth of July 1935, arriving just a couple months sort of my sixth Birthday, is the first 4th I remember celebrating. Our country was in the middle of one of the greatest depressions it had ever experienced, but the country still celebrated our Independence Day with great excitement and enthusiasm. Ive written about this Fourth of July in my book, Huckleberry Heart, the boys of Halloran Avenue.
The day before the Fourth our Mother had given my brother, Marvin and me, fifty cents each to go to Harpkeys grocery store on north Central Avenue in Roxana, Illinois to buy our fireworks. I realize that by todays standard that doesnt sound like a lot of cash, but I can assure you that during the great depression years, you could buy a lot of BANG for a buck. We painstakingly made our se******n with the assistance of Mr. Harpkey. Although Marvin was now an educated first grader, he like me, still needed a lot of help with the high finance involved.
I can still remember the torture of having to wait for the next day before Mother would let us shoot off any fireworks. That sack of goodies stored under my bed was like a magnet that kept pulling me back probably a dozen of times to check its contents to make sure everything was still there since the last time Id checked.
July 4, 1935 arrived for me about 5:00am with a start. Realizing where I was and what day it was caused me to jump from the bed directly into my bibbed overalls, no shirt or shoes, grabbed my precious sack and the box of farmers matches made handy the night before, and headed out the door and across the street to an empty lot that served as our playground. I hastily ripped open my first package of firec*****rs and in the silence of the early morning started my celebration of our Independence Day 1935, with little, actually no regard, to any adult neighbors that may have hoped to get a little extra sleep on this holiday.
That first exploding firec*****r sounded like the whole world had exploded and it actually startled me. I knew that any minute all the kids in the neighborhood would be pouring out of their houses and I was right; Marvin was the first.
Fast forward eighty years. July Fourth 2015 will be celebrated in a different America than the one of 1935. Today we are living in a divided America; an America that has been torn apart by the progressive/ liberal movement over the past decades; an America that will no longer tolerate Christianity on public display; an America that must destroy all vestiges of monuments and symbols that were once honored and recognized for their historical value.
I can hear it now; those responding with their normal Yes But analogies that always come up short by comparing our society today as better than our society of yesteryear. Maybe its the circle of friends and family I associate with, but I dont think I will hear anyone over this Fourth of July Holiday that will say or believe that we are better off today under this America destroying administration of President Obama, the Democrat Party and our dysfunctional Supreme Court. However, just for today, lets celebrate the greatness of this country as it was and intended as our founding father sacrificed their lives and sacred honor to create. However, the fact that all citizens that own handguns should be armed this Fourth of July is proof of how we must now celebrate this most cherished Holiday. Some will still try to tell us things are getting better. God Bless America and them too!
Huck
Independence day 1935 br Fourth of July 1935, arri... (
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I couldn't have said that any better. As an ole retired Marine, I just want to thank you for being patriotic and the love you have for this great nation of ours. It makes me feel a little prouder to have served in the military to protect our freedoms. But there is one thing I'd like to add to your post: Not only God Bless America, but America, Bless God again.