There are a couple of different Revolutionary War emblems put on the graves of the American heroes, and this is one of them. The soldier wears the tricorne (the three-cornered hat), popular during the Revolutionary War era. As a soldier’s hat, it would have been made of wool felt. A wealthier man would have worn one made from animal hide. He holds a musket behind him with a bayonet at the tip. At his left foot is a cannon. In the background, there appear to be houses.
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| A Son of Liberty. |
This was a Son of Liberty, a famous secret society that was
formed to protect the rights of the American colonists. The 13 stars surrounding the soldier on the
emblem stand for the original 13 colonies:
Connecticut, Delaware,
Georgia, Maryland,
Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina,
Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, South Carolina, and Virginia. At the time, Maine
was not yet a state but a territory of
Massachusetts, although Maine was first settled
in 1607 and certainly shared in the plight of the Sons of Liberty.
We look at it all now as some sort of romanticized
television show. Nothing could be
further from the truth. The Sons of
Liberty were famous for their violent acts--tarring and feathering, burning
buildings, etc. Today some would call
them terrorists. Again, nothing could be
further from the truth. But I guess it
all depends on how you look at it. I
look at it as a movement for freedom for the colonists, freedom from taxation
without representation, freedom from being under the thumb of King George III,
as well as the right of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Would you call Paul Revere, Patrick Henry, John Hancock, or
Samuel Adams a terrorist? I sure
wouldn’t. They were all members of the
Sons of Liberty. I wouldn’t romanticize
their lives, though, not even at this “late” date.
And I don’t want to forget them, either.
I don’t want to forget the sacrifices they made, the dangers they faced,
and the fears they conquered. I sit
where I am today because of them, and that means I owe them a lot.
The least I could do is show a photo of one of their graves
now and then, which I have done, and remind people that America is
filled with heroes--then and now. Heroes
walked our shores then, and they walk them now.
Remembering our roots gives us strength in time of need, and I believe
we are presently in one of those times of need.
Remembering our roots gives us purpose and guidance. Don’t ever be afraid to speak your mind. Don’t ever be afraid to say “NO!” Don’t ever be afraid to stand up for the
ideals in which you believe.
It’s true that we have some rather large “shoes to fill” if
we are to be as brave as the Sons of Liberty.
But we’re Americans, hooligans, desperados, troublemakers, punks,
rascals, racketeers, bruisers, and ruffians.
At least, to some people we are.
We are also generous, naïve, fun-loving, loyal, patriotic, steadfast,
and reliable. We are Sons and Daughters
of Liberty. Let us act that way.
