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National Parks anchor America's history
By Tommy R. Franks
07/04/2006
Of course Americans love the Fourth of July. We celebrate the birthday of our nation with family outings, parades, picnics, thunderous fireworks and the enthusiasm of a nation that has enjoyed tremendous good fortune in its history. The holiday is about pride and about people from all walks of life joining together in celebration of freedom, democracy, opportunity, heroism and everything it means to be American.
Although I have seen people make magnificent sacrifices on behalf of our country, I still am moved by the power of this simple national celebration, and I sometimes wish it could continue all summer long.
In fact, it can, and it does. There is no richer or more eloquent expression of America than our national parks, which were established so that we forever would have direct access to our history in the places where it actually happened. In a world that more readily celebrates the fleeting and the famous, these great places speak with quiet authority of eternal truths, of the triumph of human will, of patriotism and self-sacrifice, our worst moments and our finest.
We are as connected to our parks as we are to the stars and stripes because they preserve the core of what it means to be American. Today -- with many of us so deeply wired to the present that we grow more disconnected from the past and from the natural world -- it is time to reawaken our commitment to embrace and support America's enduring great places.
For many of us, the term "national parks" evokes glorious visions of Yosemite, Denali, Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Wild and natural America, the backdrop of our sprawling saga, is the stuff of myth and legend. To stand in South Dakota's Badlands or to take in the volcanic mountains rising out of the vast expanse of Chihuahuan desert at Big Bend in Texas is to understand that the truth of these places is grander than myth and the places themselves greater than legend. You begin to imagine what Americans must have felt upon seeing these places for the first time: a sense of awe, of majesty and even a sense of responsibility to protect the land as pristine.
But the significance of our national parks goes beyond the vistas of the Grand Canyon. It includes the iconic statue in New York harbor that appeared as a beacon to countless new citizens, the rolling Virginia countryside where a nation nearly tore itself apart in its darkest hours, the soaring stainless steel Arch in St. Louis that marks the gateway to exploration in the American West and even Little Rock's Central High School, scene of a pivotal battle in the fight for equal rights and desegregation.
Our 390 national parks, monuments and historic sites are as rich and diverse as America itself. They embody what we celebrate today: of the people, by the people and for the people. It was ordinary Americans who urged Congress to declare Yellowstone a national park to be preserved for "the betterment and enjoyment of the people." It was landowners in Maine who donated Acadia's rugged and striking wilderness -- over 80 percent of today's park -- with the intent that it be protected. Earlier this year, when the replica of Fort Clatsop burned to the ground six weeks shy of the 200th anniversary of Lewis and Clark's arrival on the West Coast, local citizens were there with funding and willing hands to rebuild not merely a replacement, but a far more accurate replica based on the latest historical research.
In the great tradition of service to country, Americans have organized, mobilized and generously given their time and resources to expanding and improving the park system for more than a century. Our country has been given a tremendous gift and an irreplaceable inheritance to share with all future generations so that they may learn from the past and help shape the future.
To celebrate America's birthday and honor our tradition of building on the past, I encourage you to become involved in the preservation of the American story through our national parks. Experience them with your family. Contribute through volunteer programs. Support the charitable organizations that keep the parks vital. What is required of us pales in comparison to the priceless treasure we will ensure for our children.
Gen. Tommy R. Franks, U.S. Army (Ret.), is a member of the board of the National Park Foundation and a former commander in chief of U.S. Central Command.
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Franks and Ridge Join Flight 93 Fundraising Efforts
Former General and Former Pennsylvania Governor to Serve as Honorary Co-Chairs
Washington D.C. (August 16, 2005) - The Flight 93 National Memorial fundraising campaign leadership team announced today that retired General Tommy Franks and former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge will join the team as honorary co-chairs .
"The passengers and crew of Flight 93 live on in our hearts as true heroes," said Governor Ridge. "I am honored to be a part of this historic national memorial project and look forward to working with General Franks to ensure that the sacrifices these men and women made for our country will not be forgotten."
"Our country has been called upon to demonstrate character, courage and leadership in the past and on September 11 the 40 passengers and crew members of Flight 93 exemplified these attributes. Their efforts encouraged us all to rethink our approach on life and liberty," said General Franks. "I am certainly honored to work with Governor Ridge and help in any way that I can to memorialize these fine individuals of immense character."
The Families of Flight 93 launched a $30 million dollar fundraising campaign in May to support the Flight 93 National Memorial Project. The campaign has been supported in the Pittsburgh region with the first financial gift of $1 million committed by Fed Ex.
The partner organizations of the National Memorial are the Flight 93 Advisory Commission, Families of Flight 93, Flight 93 Memorial Task Force and the National Park Service. The Families of Flight 93 will work with the National Park Foundation to manage all donations and gifts presented throughout the campaign.
In addition to the fundraising campaign, the Flight 93 National Memorial project is in the final stages of its international design competition. The selected memorial design will be announced during a news conference on September 7, 2005 in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Hall of Flags. The five final designs are currently on display until September 25, 2005 at The Shops at Georgian Place in Somerset, Pennsylvania and at www.flight93memorialproject.org.
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Following the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Governor Ridge served as the first Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Before that, Ridge was twice elected Governor of Pennsylvania, serving from 1995 to 2001. He was elected to Congress in 1982 and was overwhelming re-elected six times. Previously, he was the Assistant District Attorney in Erie County, Pennsylvania.
Since his retirement from the military in 2003, General Franks has traveled the world speaking on leadership and character. In addition to his various speaking engagements, the General serves on the Board of Directors of the National Park Foundation and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes and is a spokesman for the Salute America's Heroes Foundation and the Southeastern Guide Dogs Organization.
About the Flight 93 National Memorial
On September 24, 2002, Congress passed the Flight 93 National Memorial Act. The Act created a new national park unit to "commemorate the passengers and crew of Flight 93 who, on September 11, 2001, courageously gave their lives thereby thwarting a planned attack on our Nation's Capital." The memorial will reside at the Flight 93 crash site in Shanksville, PA.
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