JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
My mom taught me long ago that every day was special in its own way and we should be thankful for the days we have on this Earth. In our own way, each of us affects specific events or people with our words and actions, but we don't always know what the results will be or how much our actions matter. It would take me many years before I was able to have a better understanding of what my mother was teaching me so long ago. I now have a much greater appreciation for the significance of daily events when my two-year-old daughter sings me a new song she learned or when my six-month-old son cut his first two teeth just a couple of days ago. Each day is special indeed.
As I thought about my topic for this week's paper, I decided to focus on why April 18 has been an important date in our nation's history. I chose the date simply because it falls on the date our taxes are due this year. I'm a student of history and have my undergraduate degree in the subject. I believe we should all know some of the more memorable and important events of this date. Rest assured, I had to rely on the assistance of Google to go back in history to find out what happened on April 18.
Until I researched this date, I had no idea that on this date in 1775, three men set out on horseback to warn that "the British are coming!" Paul Revere, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott left Boston on their way to Lexington and Concord, Mass., to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock of the British coming to arrest them. Revere and Dawes were captured by the British but Prescott escaped capture and carried out the mission. What an important day for our budding nation!
Another pivotal day for the nation was April 18, 1861 ... the day Gen. Robert E. Lee turned down the offer to command the Union armies just days after the first shots of the Civil War. We can only imagine how different the outcome of that great conflict might have been had General Lee commanded the federal armies. One more day defined by decisive actions that had a huge impact to the direction of the nation.
More recently, on April 18, 1942, Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle led his B-25 Bombers from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet to bomb Tokyo demonstrating the reach of airpower and the resolve of the United States. The events of the day set in motion the Battle of Midway and a few years later, the defeat of the Japanese Empire. Everyone involved understood the importance and danger of the mission, but often it's very difficult to fully grasp the potential impact of certain actions on certain days.
Throughout our history, April 18 has proven to be a day of great significance, whether the event was full of joy, sorrow or helped shape the identity of the greatest nation the world has ever known. Yankee fans know it as the day Yankee stadium opened and scientists pause and reflect on it as the day Albert Einstein died. In the end, the day is a precious commodity and how you spend it and the choices you make have a big impact on your friends and family, your coworkers, your service and your community.