I​ wanted to introduce a series within my blog called “Stories of Grit and Glory.” In it, I wanted to highlight certain outstanding individuals who endured incredible hardship, overcame the impossible, and/or displayed astounding levels of courage, honor, and virtue. Sometimes stories, real or fiction, can add a little perspective into our own lives. When we face a trial or hardship, when we feel down or depressed, we can remember stories like the ones I hope to bring to light in this series, and they can be the encouragement we need to keep fighting the good fight.

This week, in honor of Independence Day, I wanted to highlight one of my favorite World War II stories. It is the story of a dentist from Milwaukee who joined the United States Army in 1942. He entered as an infantry private and after proving his skills with a rifle and pistol he was awarded “Best all-around soldier.” Eventually, he was made captain of the 105th Infantry Regiment by 1944.

The 105th was sent to Saipan, a Pacific Island in the Marianas where the Japanese had occupied. The regular field surgeon had been wounded so Salomon was taking his place. He found himself in the medic tent operating on soldiers in active battle, just 50 yards from the front lines. The Japanese were employing a new infantry strategy of simply penetrating through the American forces and kill 10 American troops before dying themselves, like a ground level kamikaze. It was not long before the Japanese had overrun the American foxhole line and made it to the medical tent.

Out of nowhere, a Japanese soldier burst into the tent and bayonetted a wounded soldier. Salomon picked up an M1 Garand and shot the enemy down. One after another, more and more Japanese soldiers kept making their way into the tent. Being close quarters, Salomon often had to use his rifle as a club, hitting one enemy solider with the butt of the gun and ramming the bayonet into another. After running out of ammo, he fought off more still with only a knife. He noticed that there was no other way out. He ordered his staff and able-bodied soldiers to evacuate the wounded out of the tent while he held off further advancements…

The next day, the battle was over. American forces went to assess the damage. In a foxhole bent over the barrel of a Browning M1917 heavy machine gun was a body riddled with 76 bullet wounds on top of many bayonet stab wounds. It was Salomon. The day before, during his heroic last stand, he jumped into a foxhole where the heavy machine gun was mounted where he immediately began firing upon the enemy. He had to move the position of the machine gun four different times because the bodies of enemy soldiers kept piling up, blocking his field of fire. When they found his body the next day, it lay before 98 dead Japanese soldiers that died at his hand. Due to his heroic actions, so many American lives were saved. He was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2002.

This happened on July 7, 1944; 168 years and three days after America declared its independence. Thousands upon thousands of heroic men have paid for that independence with their lives for years to come. The point of these stories is to look back into our own lives with a new perspective. We might be working a job that we hate, or your kids have gotten your last nerve, or maybe you are struggling financially, whatever it may be, we can be thankful we are not in a foxhole right now fighting for our life. We can be thankful for courageous men like Benjamin Salomon, who loved their countryman so much, they were willing to lay their life down for the sake of freedom back home, (John 15:13). I don’t know if Benjamin had kids, but if he did, I bet he would have given anything to see them again. If you are dealing with a difficult teen, or perhaps you are in the toddler trenches, we have to be thankful that we get to see them every day, and parent them like we are so thankful for them. Each day you get with your loved ones is a gift given to you by the heroes who were willing to leave their loved ones in order to fight for us to stay free.

We have seen this heroic act of someone laying their life down in order to save the masses; that is, the life and death of Jesus Christ. Christ lived the perfect life and obediently went to the cross that we may have true freedom. “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1 ESV. Do not submit to the yoke of bitterness, or depression, or anxiety, or anger, or lustfulness, or sloth. Don’t do it because you don’t have to; you are free! Take joy in that! Celebrate! Launch fireworks in recognition of it! Eat hot dogs! Have plenty of beer in the cooler! Not too much, but enough. Get together with friends and family and celebrate your freedom; both the freedom bought and paid for by men like Benjamin Salomon, and the true, eternal freedom we have in Christ.

Happy Independence Day!