How America Spoke About Sacrifice And Freedom

Memorial Day asks for more than a moment of silence, so we take a different path this week and sit with the words Americans once used when the stakes were life and death. I’m recording on Memorial Day weekend, thinking about the more than 1.3 million Americans who have died in service, and the debt that number represents: families, futures, and everyday people who never got to come home. If we want to understand freedom, we have to be willing to look straight at what it costs.

Transcript

Memorial Day And What It Costs

John Broer 0:13

A warm welcome to all of our good friends out there in The Boss hole Transformation Nation. This is your host, John Broer, and this particular episode is being published on Tuesday, May 26th, but I'm recording it on Monday, May 25th, 2026, Memorial Day of this year. In the almost six years that I've been doing The Boss hole Chronicles and we've been sharing more bosshole prevention stories with you, I've always felt that whenever we're around these really major and significant holidays, publishing one of our regular episodes seems a little misplaced, especially around a holiday like Memorial Day weekend. Now I hope all of you had an amazing weekend. I hope you were able to share time with family and friends. I'm sure there were a lot of cookouts, parades, and appreciation for a little time off. And at the same time, I hope all of us recognize the importance of this holiday. I mean, this holiday is to recognize and memorialize all the men and women in our nearly 250 years as a nation that paid the ultimate sacrifice, gave their lives for our nation, for our constitutional republic, that our freedoms and our liberty may be preserved. And that is pretty amazing because when you think about in the 250 years of our nation, a little bit more than 1.3 million Americans have given their lives for our country. Now think about that. Our true national treasure has been offered up so that we may move forward with our lives in a remarkable republic that in all of human history is the longest existing constitutional republic and has, in a very short period of time, when you think about human history, done remarkable things. And so it is through that lens that I wanted to share just a couple of stories and a couple of perspectives with you today, and we'll get back to our regular programming next week.

A Movie That Sparks Reflection

John Broer 2:23

I believe what really made me think more clearly about this was about a week ago, I was on an airplane heading down to speak at a conference, and one of the in-flight movies was National Treasure. And if you've never seen it, it's a great movie. Nicholas Cage was in it, and it's all about his family, the Gates family, that for multiple generations have been chasing down clues about this treasure that had been amassed over centuries, and the Knights Templar were given the responsibility to protect it and hide it, and so it's all about that. But one of the things that really took me about the movie was a reference to the Declaration of Independence. And of course, we're coming up on the 250th anniversary of that. And in the movie, they're looking at the Declaration of Independence while standing in the National Archives. And once again, if you've never been there, you really do need to go. They're looking at the Declaration of Independence, and Nicolas Cage's character says, You know, of all that is written here, there is one phrase that is unique among all of them, and it's this one. When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. And that's followed by we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. A most remarkable document. And even reading about all of the different drafts that Thomas Jefferson had of the Declaration of Independence, that's where it all began. But in the movie they said, people just don't speak like that anymore. And it's true. I mean, it was it was beautiful, it's historic, and it was truly revolutionary, not to overuse that word. And at that point I thought I wanted to make this particular episode a little bit different and share with you some different examples of some of this rhetoric, how people wrote and spoke differently in those days. Now,

Finding A WWI Letter At Home

John Broer 4:44

most recently, my wife and I have been going through a number of things in our basement. We need to clear things out. I'm sure you've all experienced that, the regular spring cleaning, but we have tons and tons of documents and memorabilia from my parents and her parents, and it's time for us to really winnow that down. We came across a box of the correspondence between my grandfather and my grandmother while he was stationed in Europe for World War I. And in World War I that was the war to end all wars. Of course it didn't, but that's what they called it, the Great War. Now he did not die in battle. Clearly, he didn't die in battle, otherwise I wouldn't be having this conversation with you. But I did find a letter that was from the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, John J. Pershing, and it was to my grandfather. And this was a form letter, but I thought it was really cool. And it begins by saying, My fellow soldiers, now that your service with the American Expeditionary Forces is about to terminate, I cannot let you go without a personal word. At the call to arms, the patriotic young manhood of America eagerly responded and became the formidable army whose decisive victories testify to its efficiency and its valor. With the support of the nation firmly united to defend the cause of liberty, our army has executed the will of the people with resolute purpose. Our democracy has been tested, and the forces of autocracy have been defeated. To the glory of the citizen soldier, our troops have faithfully fulfilled their trust and in a succession of brilliant offensives have overcome the menace to our civilization. And once again, that rhetoric I think is absolutely beautiful. And there's another part of it that says, with a consecrated devotion to duty and a will to conquer, you have loyally served your country. And again, I'm just amazed that in our nearly 250 years, over 1.3 million men and women have given their lives to the preservation of our liberty and our freedoms here in the United States, many of whom died in other parts of this world. And I came across another letter, and this is actually published

The Sullivan Brothers And A Nation’s Grief

John Broer 7:09

in a book called Letters of Note, an eclectic collection of correspondence deserving of a wider audience, compiled by Sean Usher. I just want to give a shout-out to the author because it is a remarkable book, and there are all kinds of different examples in here. But there was one in particular from a Mrs. Aletta Sullivan of Waterloo, Iowa, in 1943, and it was written in regard to her sons, five sons, who served in the Navy. And let me give you a little bit of context. In November of 1942, during the three-day naval battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, the USS Juno sank after being struck by two Japanese torpedoes. As a result, 687 men were killed, five of whom were the Sullivan brothers. My curiosity was piqued because it's like, well, why would they let brothers from the same family serve on the same ship? Well, that was actually a personal request of theirs. And she wrote a letter to the Navy, and it is as follows. Dear sirs, I am writing you in regards to a rumor going around that my five sons were killed in action in November. A mother from here in Iowa, in Waterloo, came and told me she got a letter from her son, and he heard that my five sons were killed. It is all over town now, and I am so worried. My five sons joined the Navy together a year ago, January 3rd, 1942, and are on the cruiser USS Juneau. The last I heard from them was November 8th, that is, it was dated November 8th, U.S. Navy. She gives the name of her five sons, and she says, Please help me to confirm this. It was so hard to give five sons all at once to the Navy, but I am proud of my boys and that they can serve and will help protect their country. I am so happy the Navy has bestowed the honor to me to christen the USS Tawassa. She was invited to christen a naval ship. My husband and daughter are going to Portland with me. I remain sincerely Mrs. Aleta Sullivan of Waterloo, Iowa. Then she gets a letter, not from the Naval Department, but from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. And this is the letter he wrote. My dear Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan, the knowledge that your five gallant sons are missing in action against the enemy inspires me to write you this personal message. I realize full well there is little I can say to assuage your grief. As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, I want you to know that the entire nation shares in your sorrow. I offer you the condolences and gratitude of our country. We who remain to carry on the fight must maintain spirit in the knowledge that such sacrifice is not in vain. The Navy Department has informed me of the expressed desire of your sons, George Thomas, Francis Henry, Joseph Eugene, Madison Abel, and Albert Leo, to serve on the same ship. I am sure that we all take heart in the knowledge that they fought side by side. As one of your sons wrote, quote, we will make a team together that can't be beat, end quote. It is this spirit which in the end must triumph. Last March, you, Mrs. Sullivan, were designated to sponsor a ship of the Navy in recognition of your patriotism and that of your sons. I understand that you are now even more determined to carry on as sponsor. This evidence of unselfishness and of courage serves as a real inspiration for me, as I am sure it will for all Americans. Such acts of faith and fortitude in the face of tragedy convince me of the indomitable spirit and will of our people. I send you my deepest sympathy in your hour of trial and pray that in Almighty God you will find the comfort and help that only He can bring. Very sincerely yours, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Can you even imagine? At a time in our history, multiple times in our history, our families were called to sacrifice our youngsters. Imagine that, 18, 19, 20-year-olds. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, if you read history, did his best to keep us out of World War II, in spite of all of the persuasive efforts from Winston Churchill to get us to engage in World War II. It didn't happen until the Japanese attacked us at Pearl Harbor. Then we were fully involved. I mean, we were we were providing armaments and we were supporting Great Britain in the effort of World War II, but we did not officially get into it until we ourselves were attacked. And then our American military, our men and women in service, stepped up. And of course, beginning with the landings in Normandy, we were successful in World War II, but not after huge sacrifices of so many amazing men and women in service. Now, in his letter to Mrs. Sullivan, President Roosevelt used the word a swage, and I think that's a really beautiful word, but it's also a very powerful word. And in that context, the definition of the word assuage is to make an unpleasant feeling less intense. But how could you possibly hope to do that to a mother and a father who sacrificed five sons to defend freedom? Well, that word assuage reminded me of another letter. And for any of

Lincoln’s Words On Unthinkable Loss

John Broer 12:56

you that ever watched Saving Private Ryan, by the way, another remarkable film, you may recall that when they were talking about going in and finding Private Ryan, who is, of course, a fictitious character, in the movie there was a scene where the actor portraying General George Marshall reads a letter that he has in his possession, or a copy of this letter, because actually the letter itself does not ex- Nobody knows where the original letter is. But it was a letter, the famous letter from President Abraham Lincoln sent to Lydia Parker Bixby of Boston, Massachusetts, because she lost five sons in the Civil War fighting for the Union. There is some question as to whether or not all five of her sons actually perished in battle, and that some actually survived, and there is some question as to whether or not she really, you know, supported President Lincoln. But it is arguably one of the most beautiful letters, pieces of correspondence ever written by a president. And I'll read that to you. And the word a swage from President Roosevelt's letter made me think of this one. Dear Madam, I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memories of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice on the altar of freedom. Yours very sincerely and respectfully, Abraham Lincoln. People just don't talk like that anymore, do they?

Gratitude For Service And Sacrifice

John Broer 15:12

And so I wanted to share those with you because on this Memorial Day weekend, one day past, we owe such a great debt of thanks to the sacrifice of over 1.3 million Americans who have preserved, protected, and defended our freedom to be able to live our lives as we do, to speak freely, to worship freely, to gather freely, to defend ourselves against all enemies. And it is a remarkable thing that we will be celebrating this July 4th, 2026. So I thank you very much for allowing me some time to share these reflections with you and take this particular episode in a slightly different direction. We appreciate all of you that listen to the Boss Hole Chronicles, and we will be back next week. We'll see you then.