As a soldier in the United States Army, I find that the fourth of July carries an incredibly special meaning. The fourth of July is the celebration of our nation’s freedom and strength. We look back at the document signed 234 years ago and as we do we have to look over the battles that have been fought, the men who’ve stood for truth, the farmers who planted their fields, and the soldiers who went to war.

Often people talk about our founding fathers but I actually believe that each of us are founding fathers in a sense. We clearly understand that our nation was shaped by men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams but we fail to realize that the job of shaping our nation today is on our shoulders. It’s up to us to pay taxes, vote for the political side that we believe in, teach our children and our families what it means to work hard and live honestly.

In these ways we are shaping our nation today. In these ways we are founding fathers to our future generations.

So today let’s celebrate what we have. Let’s take a look through some highly inspirational images that I believe demonstrate the spirit of America as we enjoy this great fourth of July weekend.

As a side note, I’m actually in one of these pictures. Take a moment and see if you can figure out or guess which one I’m in. I’ll see you in the comments.