THAT WE MIGHT CELEBRATE

Some Gave All

Though we enjoy the 4th of July as a national holiday with all the summer fun we can muster, it is also a holiday that didn't come easy. Repeatedly men and women have given time (& often their lives) to preserve our freedoms. This memorial is in Oak Harbor, Washington, home to Whidbey Island Naval Station. It commemorates men who never returned from ship hunting and bombing patrols during WW II.

Oak Harbor was one such base for those who flew these patrol planes. Formally called PBY Catalina, they had several nicknames. Since it flew many night missions against Japanese shipping, it was called the "Black Cat". When used for rescue at sea, many crewmen called it "Flying Dumbo". Though the Navy retired these planes after WW II, many can still be found flying mail and supplies along the Amazon, used for fish tracking in the Pacific and all around the world as fire retardant bombers.

If the occasion arises today, thank a service man for helping to preserve those freedoms we celebrate today. Happy Fourth Of July to Colby VanCamp and his fellow Navy crewmen and women.