MINNEAPOLIS – The 4th of July is the day Americans celebrate freedom and all that comes with it.
Every American finds what works best for them to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day. It’s a day typically full of family gatherings, parades and barbecues.
But for many who served, it’s a day of reflection and continued work to ensure the freedoms we celebrate are never lost.
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“The sacrifice of past generations and the building of our country,” said veteran William Kettle.
Retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Kettle served in Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraq. His service is his way of honoring the country he loves and the people who fought to make it great.
“I just got out on the East Coast and so just seeing a lot of battlefields and cemeteries and things like that, there’s a long legacy of service to our nation and building what we have today,” he said.
William Kettle
He believes the 4th of July is an important day to remember how far we have come as a nation. Kettle says the celebration of the political separation of the 13 American colonies from Great Britain on July 4, 1776 should be the focus of every gathering.
“It’s really just a time to reflect and appreciate what you have,” veteran Sebastian Campbell-Gandia said.
Sgt. Campbell-Gandia served in Kuwait and Afghanistan. In his young career he has seen a lot. He says that what he sees in our country now, the political division, is not what he and many service colleagues want for us.
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“I think the whole premise of the United States of America is just working to get better, well, working together. And I think everybody needs to remember that a little bit more,” Campbell-Gandia said.
Both veterans say more than at any time in history, it’s important that we never forget it.
“We’re all on the same team,” Kettle said. “We have to do a better job of supporting each other and making things work.”
Both Kettle and Campbell-Gandia continue their service to the country by supporting other veterans and the community through their work at VFW Post 246 in Uptown.
Reg Chapman
