ALL VETERANS DESERVE TRIBUTE ON THIS HOLIDAY

This Fourth of July will be different. The celebrations will go beyond the routine fireworks displays and picnics. In large cities and small townships, the nation will honor the men and women who served in Operation Desert Storm. America will welcome our troops home with all the pomp and ceremony they richly deserve.

Not everyone agrees with the parades and welcoming ceremonies for those who served in Operation Desert Storm. Some may feel that too much celebration has surrounded the victory in the Persian Gulf.

But nothing could be farther from the truth. These soldiers traveled to the Gulf ready to put their lives on the line, ready to pay the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. No one could have predicted the overwhelming victory with minimal allied bloodshed.

They answered the call of duty, just as our forefathers did. Those original signers of the Declaration of Independence risked much to launch a fledgling nation. Nearly one out of every five men who signed that declaration died in the war. With freedom comes responsibility. Our forefathers understood that fact just as the soldiers of Desert Storm did.

Most area communities will host Fourth of July celebrations to pay tribute to our veterans. One of the largest celebration will be held in the city of Jackson, sponsored by the Jackson Jaycees, local veterans groups and the United Way Desert Storm Task Force.

Festivities will kick off with an old-fashioned parade at 9 a.m. Desert Storm troops and other veterans will parade to the cheers of areas residents. A program will follow in the Jackson city park, featuring a number of veterans, including Desert Storm veterans.

The local Vietnam veterans were instrumental in organizing the Jackson event - making sure that Desert Storm troops get a better homecoming than they had.

In a way, these warm receptions are a healing process for America - a time to appreciate all veterans, especially those forgotten when they returned from Vietnam.

In fact, these Desert Storm ceremonies should take nothing away from other veterans. All veterans regardless of which war deserve our gratitude.

So let us all join in these Fourth of July celebrations as we pay tribute to our veterans. These ceremonies are not a tribute to war, but to the men and women who put their lives on the line to ensure that freedom still rings in America and around the world.