Big dreams

By John Brieden

By his very nature, the 40th president of the United States was an optimist. To Ronald Reagan, "America is too great for small dreams."

As we celebrate our nation's 228th birthday, it seems a fitting time to renew our optimism with the spirit of dedicated Americans who continue to put themselves in harm's way to bring freedom to the oppressed.

We read with regularity stories of bombings, mortar attacks and deaths in Iraq.

But seldom are we provided reports that tell of the great strides being made every day by a new generation of men and women who proudly wear the uniforms of our nation's military.

Despite work that is dangerous and difficult, in scorching heat, through long family separations, the loss of comrades -- despite everything -- the cause of peace and self-government continues to advance in Iraq.

It is an astounding testimony to the spirit and determination of our troops and the vast majority of Iraqi citizens.

As the new Iraqi government takes over, they do so with electric production that exceeds prewar levels and continues to steadily increase. As one military officer said recently, "Iraq has more electrical capacity than the country has seen in a generation, and it gets better every day."

The majority of Iraq's canals have been cleared of weeds and debris allowing thousands of farms to be irrigated.

Seven major water treatment projects are in-progress.

More than a dozen major sewer projects are underway in critical population centers.

Iraqis who left work when the violence escalated in the spring are returning to work, realizing they have a large role to play in building the Iraq of the future.

And, while all of this was going on in Iraq, a moving ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery slipped past late in May without much notice. Seven Iraqi merchants placed new prosthetic hands over their hearts while laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. They were honoring all U.S. service members who died in the effort to liberate Iraq. Each of the seven lost his own hands by the brutal enforcers of Saddam Hussein's regime.

To be certain, much work remains to be done. Yet America's successes are far ahead of post-World War II efforts in Europe and Japan. That's a fact made possible by the sacrifices of young Americans in uniform who are in Iraq while their families pray and wait anxiously for them here at home.

They are America's newest veterans, keeping alive the tradition of their World War II predecessors, helping to rebuild a nation on the other side of the globe after liberating its people.

On July 6, when your weekend of picnics and fireworks is over and you return to work, say a prayer of thanks for having the honor of living free as an American. Let us renew the magnificent gift of optimism given to us all by our 40th president.

As we conclude our 30-day period of national mourning and Old Glory returns to the top of flagpoles across the land, let us recall the words of Ronald Reagan's final farewell from office:

"After 200 years, two centuries, she [the shining city upon the hill] still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom."

John Brieden is national commander of the American Legion.