The war for our independence took eight years. Oftentimes, the Revolutionary War is spoken of as a short war, summarized into bullet points and key moments. That kind of recall fails to bring forth the understanding of the true struggle and hardship our forefathers, who fought there, actually endured.

The war itself took eight years. When General Washington took over the Continental Army in 1775 he mounted his horse and virtually did not get off of it until 1783 when he returned control of the army back to Congress. The time in between, was mostly desperate, and American forces were always one loss away from crushing defeat.

Imagine being deployed for eight years straight, constantly on the move, with little food, without basic clothing, basic supplies or proper weapons. Imagine marching for miles at a time without shoes, sharing weapons with the man next to you, without enough ammunition to fight. Now imagine doing it through the cold northern winters and without medical care available. Now consider that your enemy is well supplied with everything you lack and with proper doctors.

Our Army was on the run for eight years and they didn't outright beat the British as our lore leads us to believe. We beat the British with patience and by surviving. We outlasted the British and made the war too costly for them. With the help of French allies and a few key victories (at York and Saratoga) we broke the British backbone and scattered the remaining British troops. Our military forefathers would laugh at us and how we live today. They were impoverished in ways we cannot imagine, and let's not forget they volunteered to fight that fight. They were survivors.

Whether we understand their plight and real struggle, we owe our liberty and freedom to those that came before us, and those who continue to protect our borders. They endure.

We thank you today, and every day, with our Gratitude. We will endure.

(The only AI content is the photo)