Happy 4th of July to all the yanks!

[Farang1]

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors,and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants,
Nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free!

The Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games.

[Astana]

The American State learnt well then...

The history of warfare is replete with examples of atrocities, and the American experience offers no exception. Americans have been the perpetrators as well as the victims of atrocities. Sometimes referred to as war crimes, atrocities have usually involved torture, maiming, or killing of civilians and noncombatants; destruction of nonmilitary targets; maltreatment and killing of wounded and prisoners of war; and use of weapons to cause superfluous damage or injury.

Many atrocities committed by Americans have occurred during guerrilla counterinsurgent wars, such as the American Indian wars, the Philippine Insurrection, and the Vietnam War. Colonial Indian wars, such as the Pequot War (1637) and individual Philip'S War (1675–1676), decimated or annihilated entire Indian societies in New England. Callous military tactics characterized the pacification of the Seminole tribe in Florida and the forced removal of the Five Civilized Tribes from the southern states. Massacres such as those suffered by the Cheyenne at Sand Creek (1864) and at Summit Spring (1868), by the Piegan Blackfoot Indians in Montana (1870), and by the Sioux at Wounded Knee (1889) are flagrant examples of atrocities by the U.S. Army on the frontier. Neither women nor children were spared; many victims were sexually mutilated, disemboweled, and inflicted with other indignities, while the survivors were treated with indifference and their crops and herds destroyed. Revenge and retaliation for atrocities of equal brutality committed by the Indians often motivated such massacres.

More of this article can be found at:

http://www.answers.com/topic/atrocities-in-war

[BobHelm]

I would suspect that the 42 who escapade with their lives (plus many others who just happened to be living in the wrong area) should have been eternally grateful that Bush & Rumsfeld were not in charge of Britain & dealing with these terrorists....

[jimboLV]

I would suspect that the 42 who escapade with their lives (plus many others who just happened to be living in the wrong area) should have been eternally grateful that Bush & Rumsfeld were not in charge of Britain & dealing with these terrorists....

Or another way of looking at it, Bob, is that if men of the caliber of Bush and Rumsfeld had been in charge of Britain at the time, America would still be a British colony.

[Farang1]

I will agree that there were many atrocities and genocide were committed by the white man in the name of expanding "civilization". But, isn't that a little off topic?


That certainly didn't take long.....

[jimboLV]

Isn’t selective quoting wonderful? Astana you learned well from your commie friends at the Daily Worker, oops… sorry… The Morning Star”. You seemed to have left out some of the relevant text.

Colonial Indian wars, such as the Pequot War (1637) and individual Philip'S War (1675–1676), decimated or annihilated entire Indian societies in New England.

First of all, in the time period of the above-mentioned atrocities, the American continent was under British rule. We didn’t kick your sorry butts out until the late 1700’s.

You also left out this little gem from the referenced article:

American military operations in South Vietnam were characterized by conditions similar to those in the Philippines, and allegations were made of similar atrocities perpetrated by American soldiers. The majority of the allegations concerning Vietnam atrocities were proved false......The number of proven atrocities in American military history is small in relation to the large number of men who have participated in the nation's wars.

The bottom line is, War is Hell. People get hurt. And it will continue that way until the day comes that nations (and individuals) can resolve their differences peacefully.

[BRIAN1874]

Anyway . . HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO ALL AMERICANS AND ALL WHO CELEBRATE THE 4TH. . . .

[BobHelm]

Or another way of looking at it, Bob, is that if men of the caliber of Bush and Rumsfeld had been in charge of Britain at the time, America would still be a British colony.

I thought that was the problem a mad man was in charge of Britain at the time!!!

I have no problem with wishing all Americans a Happy Independence Day & do so.
I do have a large problem with anybody that looks at history through such rose coloured glasses however....

[Astana]

Isn’t selective quoting wonderful? Astana you learned well from your commie friends at the Daily Worker, oops… sorry… The Morning Star”. You seemed to have left out some of the relevant text.

Colonial Indian wars, such as the Pequot War (1637) and individual Philip'S War (1675–1676), decimated or annihilated entire Indian societies in New England.

First of all, in the time period of the above-mentioned atrocities, the American continent was under British rule. We didn’t kick your sorry butts out until the late 1700’s.

You also left out this little gem from the referenced article:

American military operations in South Vietnam were characterized by conditions similar to those in the Philippines, and allegations were made of similar atrocities perpetrated by American soldiers. The majority of the allegations concerning Vietnam atrocities were proved false......The number of proven atrocities in American military history is small in relation to the large number of men who have participated in the nation's wars.

The bottom line is, War is Hell. People get hurt. And it will continue that way until the day comes that nations (and individuals) can resolve their differences peacefully.

Nothing was left out as the source was provided for further reading, which you did. But thank you for letting us know that the source was a gem, thanks for your endorsement.

My quote used the first paragraph to save space, however it is illustrative that the last use of the text (yours) is clearly the manipulator of the quoted text and you have exposed your own political bias by doing so and I thank you enlightening me to that.

However, if we're talking horses for courses one of the most flagrant atrocities committed by Americans was of course the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nakasaki.

[Aardvark]

Careful now, that act saved countless lives wether you like it or not. Unless your Japanese of course

[tigerryan]

I love these stories. I can read them in the context of the their time and it warms my heart. Great men did bold and honorable things and suffered greatly for my freedom. God bless America, Happy 4th =D>

[jackspratt]

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors,and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants,
Nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free!

The Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games.

Nice "story" Farang - but unfortunately a lot of it is untrue, or only half true. You just can't trust anything that is signed off with the word "patriots"

http://www.snopes.com/history/american/pricepaid.asp

Anyway, good luck to the British colonists who kicked out the redcoats all those years ago. On balance, the result has been pretty positive =D>

[ULICK MC GEE]

[Irish Alan]

Happy 4th of July to all our American brothers. Hey it is 4th July on my watch and it is a genuine Franck Muller (400 Baht in the night market) but only the 3rd on here. Anyway enjoy your day chaps and... Be careful out there!

[konstabel els]

I quite like the yanks , I only have two issues with them - why does it it take them so long to elect a president? (super tuesday and all that Zzz..) and they do need to learn how to brew a decent pint of beer, apart from that their alright

[Prenders88]

Our American cousins can brew beer, fine cask conditioned ales.
The Lost Abbey Brewery bought over their beers to much aclaim at the Great British Beer Festival last August at Londons Earl's Court.

http://www.lostabbey.com/

[konstabel els]

I shall 'Investigate' and maybe sample - purely for Investigation purposes only - I'm sure you understand prenders88 , if it is good,- expect loads of comment's on this site - ' warnings' and angry replies' then you'll know - it's good beer!!

[uncle tom]

Thanks to the British and others who are wishing us Yanks a happy 4th of July. Your well wishes are greatly appreciated by me.

May our countries always continue to be close friends.

I feel sorry for Astana and for all the hate that he feels he must live with. I know from experience that people like that are very unhappy individuals should be ignored like the sick person he is.

My real question is why have the moderators permitted this hateful trolling. Does Astana have a special trolling license for anti American statements on our National Day ?

[Stantheman]

Uncle Tom, people like Astana are, as you say, the ones we must feel sorry for, as they always try to bring down special days or events for everyone. But as this is a free forum, with certain limitations, the moderators must allow desent, within the agreed limitations. I cannot wait for Guy Fawkes Day, November 5, to see what major complaint Astana will thrust upon us for that special Brithish holiday.

[Aardvark]

The American 7th Fleet is in town here in Perth at the moment for a few days R+R. Businesses and individuals all over town are putting on Thanks Giving Feasts to help the guys and girls celebrate their special day. Five Thousand service personnel spending up big and having fun the Town should be jumping tonight. Happy 4th of July and to the locals, lock up your daughters