INDEPENDENCE DAY: NATION OBSERVES 219 YEARS OF FREEDOM

Flags will fly high Tuesday as American citizens celebrate the 219th birthday of their nation.

Independence Day has been celebrated since 1776, although it didn't become a national holiday until 1941.

According to the World Book Encyclopedia, Founding Father John Adams said the holiday should be celebrated as an anniversary festival.

"It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations," he said.

And that's just exactly how people around Southeast Missouri plan to celebrate. Many area towns will hold fireworks displays, picnics and other festivals to commemorate the Fourth of July.

But some area veterans think the holiday means more than just seeing a fireworks display or attending a barbecue.

"It means an awful lot to everyone in the U.S.," said Navy veteran Glenn Kaiser, who lives at the Missouri Veteran's Home.

He said there have always been parades and fireworks, but flags are more important in the celebrations now.

People should "always remember that we live in the best country," Kaiser said. "In the back of their mind, they are thankful they live in a country such as America."

Hoyt Martin, who also lives at the Veteran's Home, said people are more patriotic now. He served for two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict.

He said for most people, the holiday is a time for celebration.

"The youngsters shoot fireworks," he said. He will celebrate his first Fourth of July at the Veteran's Home this year.

Charles P. Woodford, 70, has seen a lot of changes in the way the Fourth of July holiday is celebrated.

"It's a lot less dangerous now than when I was a child," he said. "There weren't as many restrictions about fireworks."

The holiday was more exciting when there were town celebrations, he said.

"It was a great, great sport," said Woodford, who is active in the American Legion. "Now it's exciting but it can't surpass the feeling of patriotism and fun we had a long time ago."

Many Americans take their freedoms for granted, so the celebrations are different now, Woodford said. Only when their freedoms are jeopardized do people dwell on it.

The American Legion and other veterans groups try to build patriotism by setting good examples, he said.

The group also places flags on display for certain holidays, like Independence Day and Memorial Day.

Members of the Joint Veterans Council will place flags at area cemeteries, and line the driveway at the Missouri Veteran's Home on July 4.

Students at Cape Central High School also try to promote patriotism through the Patriotic Club.

Sponsor Brenda Woemmel said the club is trying to become more active in the community.

"We help students register to vote," she said. "We try to make them realize that patriotism takes all sorts of forms."

She hopes students will get active in election campaigns, voting and other local programs throughout the year.

The group had about 15 active members this year, Woemmel said. But she said students aren't apathetic or unpatriotic.

"They are just reflecting what we see in the nation and community at large," Woemmel said.