Gen. North sees similarities between today's military, revolutionary soldiers Published June 29, 2006 By Lt. Gen. Gary North 9th Air Force and U.S. Central Command Air Forces commander SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- This week we will be celebrating America’s 230th year as an independent nation. As we remember the past and honor those Soldiers who fought for our freedom, I often wonder what the common soldier thought when he heard that Congress had declared independence. The thought that comes to my mind, and many historians, is those soldiers must have realized they were no longer fighting for their rights as English citizens but for the rights and privileges that come with being a free and independent nation. Today’s Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines are also fighting for independence. However, it is for the independence of two other nations, Iraq and Afghanistan. The people in both Iraq and Afghanistan are struggling to maintain their freedom from oppression and fear -- the type of oppression and fear caused by terrorists. They have already defied the terrorists by forming a national government, holding public elections and continuing to rebuild their lives. This is a fight that they cannot win on their own. We must help them to create stable nations. This is a fight that we must win for both the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. As we celebrate our independence, remember those who are fighting for the freedoms of other nations; those who are spending this holiday away from home in the U.S. Central Command area of operations and those who are supporting the warfighter from their home stations. For those people are the heroes of today much like those Soldiers who fought for our independence 230 years ago.