By Corpsman Don Mosbaugh

 HMCM USNR RET.

Don is the Twin Brother

of Doc Ron Mosbaugh

Hotel Company 66-67

                             GOD GAVE US AMERICA, THE LAND OF THE FREE 

As I took my hot shower this morning, I got to thinking that only 1% of the world has the means 

to enjoy this luxury. God has given America the best country in the world to live in: freedom of religion; look at all we have accomplished in the last 250 years. Im thankful for a plot of land and a house to call my own, churches, schools, a place to work, retirement, and stores where I can buy or sell anything from food to automobiles. I am grateful to Jesus for what America has achieved.  

Happy Independence Day (4th of July). I have been watching Fox News on the 250th Birthday. Seeing all the military might in our aircraft and ships from around the world was a sight I will never forget. My pride in this country is as great as it gets. Im reminded of our liberty and freedom. I also thank God for the blue sky in NYC today, which made our fantastic celebration possible.

My twin brother Ron and I joined the Joplin Navy Reserve in Joplin, Missouri, between our Junior and senior years of high school in 1962, and we retired from there in 1993. We ended up as E-9 Command Master Chiefs, the only twin Master Chiefs in the Department of the Navy to date. We served as Navy Corpsmen. (EMT) On Active duty, Ron was Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz head corpsman at Oakland Navy Hospital. Ten years later, they named an aircraft after him. (1975) It was celebrated today on the 250th birthday in NYC. It will retire in the near future. Ron also served in Vietnam, and I served as an instructor at Counter Guerrilla Warfare school in the jungles of Okinawa. I was the instructor for Marines heading to Vietnam; I taught combat first aid and survival there.

Ron and I made two Honor Flights to Washington, D.C. On our first trip, we were Guardians taking two WW11 veterans. Ron took Keith Fiscus, an intelligence officer in the 3rd Army. He worked directly under George Patton. On April 29, 1944, Keith was captured (POW) in Austria and was sent to Dachau concentration camp. He endured months of brutal interrogation at the hands of German SS soldiers; He was liberated in April 1945.  

I took Bob Close. He served as commander and gunner on a Sherman tank with the 69th Armored Division in Italy and Germany. He spent 27 months on the front line. It is people like this who have given their lives for the freedom we have.

Countries all over the world try to copy what America has done. Many of these countries have given it away to communism and socialism and ended up with a dictatorship. We are now seeing this as what the NYC mayor is trying to do. They are indoctrinating our youth. Why are we not teaching world history in our schools today? We need to teach them how great our nation is. Another serious problem in America is antisemitism. This is Gods Land!  

For me, Im going to live my life knowing that God has it all under His control. Im going to stay happy and proud of our blessed country and the best country in the world. Have a happy Independence Day and dont forget to thank the Lord for this celebration.

My Grandson Aidan sent me the picture. He attached Ron and me to the Oval Office in the White House. Its amazing what a freshman in high school can do on his cell phone. Wow!

Doc Don Mosbaugh