Freedom is more than a constitutional right – it is a lived experience shaped by opportunity, responsibility, and sacrifice.
Over my lifetime, I have been adjacent to and immersed in military culture. I am the proud granddaughter of a World War II veteran, and I married into the military, which led me to a career of serving those who serve. I’ve come to understand and respect that our freedoms are not guaranteed by chance or circumstance. They are secured through the enduring service of those who wear the cloth of our nation and protected by the generations who stand watch so the rest of us can think, act, and live the way we want.
In my current role at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum, where we celebrate service and honor sacrifice, I am surrounded by the daily reminder that freedom is not free. It is not abstract. It is personal. It is earned. And it endures only when each generation chooses to uphold it – not only in uniform, but in the way we treat others, contribute to our communities, and live our values.
Living in freedom is the ability to choose – our beliefs, our work, our futures. I can honor my values without restraint, speak candidly, and make decisions about how I engage with others. That is not the case everywhere in the world. I’m mindful that the simple act of casting a ballot, reading a free press, or disagreeing respectfully is something people in other nations still fight and die for. These freedoms are not accidental. They are hard won, often through the selfless service of those who raised their right hand to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Freedom is also the power to change – our minds, our laws, our direction as a people. One of the most hopeful and enduring aspects of America is that we are not bound by where we started. We are a nation that evolves, one that corrects course, reforms, and aspires toward a more perfect union. That arc of progress has been propelled by courageous citizens and visionary leaders, many of whom wore a uniform, returned home, and continued to serve as agents of change in their communities.
And, finally, freedom is the permission to love unconditionally – our families, our communities, and our country. Love is what compels us to serve something greater than ourselves. It’s what drives a soldier to protect their battle buddy, a veteran to advocate for fellow warriors, or a military family to sacrifice time together in service to the greater good. We are a nation built by those who put others first and uphold the freedoms we cherish.
This Independence Day, I reflect with gratitude on those who serve and those who have served. They are the living embodiment of freedom through service. Because of them, I am free to choose, to change, and to love unconditionally.
Marnie Holder is Vice President of Advancement of the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio
