George Washington’s birthday falls on Friday, Feb. 22, 2019, but is observed Feb. 18 which is listed as “President’s Day.”
Many citizens grow up today without a clear understanding of our national beginnings or the importance of knowing the early history and founding principles that make our nation unique in the world. Washington, the “Father of our country,” not only led a successful revolution against England, he established a great example for all future presidents and officials of our country.
It is a national disgrace the way we Americans fail to adequately teach our children about our nation’s history from its beginning.
I learned much of our early history in the first four grades held in a Baptist church building in Rabun County, Georgia. The lone teacher handling grades one through four stressed the unique nature and importance of our constitutional republic. I learned so much that when I was transferred to the school in Clayton, I was skipped over one grade. After college I served a career in the Air Force where I experienced wars in Korea and Vietnam.
I began with a patriotic belief in our country and feel the same as a senior citizen today. Whatever our politics we should insist the Constitution be obeyed.
Our founders were inspired to go to war against England, who had a mighty fleet and ruled many parts of the world. General Washington led armies made up of civilians who left farm and village to go face regimented professional soldiers of a nation that spanned the globe.
After independence was gained, General Washington resigned.
The deep feelings of his soldiers were summed up by Major Benjamin Tallmadge, who recorded, ”The simple thought that we were then about to part from the man who had conducted us through a long and bloody war, and under whose conduct the glory and independence of our country had been achieved, and that we should see his face no more in this world seemed to me utterly insupportable.”
