Have you heard The July 3 Message?

It's one of the most transformative war stories ever told: The 3 day Battle of Gettysburg.

On the 4th of July, 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg ended.

The North and the South had battled fiercely on July 1, 2 and 3.

Today - July 3 - was the unbelievable event that sunk that battle for the South, Pickett's Charge. It's the best scene by far in the film, Gettysburg.

The North and South armies, or what was left of them, retreated.

On ... the 4th of July.

Oh, the awful irony.

It was the northern most battle of the Civil War.

It was the bloodiest battle of the war.

More than 50,000 died there. Fifty. Thousand. People.

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Photos of Fields:

I photographed these fields in 2017.

With a heavy heart, I just gazed across the land.

These fields were soaked in blood that day in 1863. Bodies were strewn as far as the eye could see. The stench, in part due to the heat, is said to have been horrific.

The recovery effort took years.

Visiting Gettysburg is a spiritual experience.

I found it sobering.

My in-laws lived there for 15 years. As a result, we were fortunate to go back numerous times. We could absorb the battlefields a little at a time - slower than one might in a 1 or 2 day stopover on a vacation.

Communication Counts:

We could read about the many, many stories of the heroes who were there, and interestingly - the MANY communications blunders that led to certain parts of the battle.

Communication - actually the lack thereof - played a KEY role in the outcome of the battle.

Those blunders changed the course of the battle and how it was fought. This fascinates me.

July 3, the final battle of Pickett's Charge:

We visited the fields where Pickett's Charge took place.

Every time we'd go, you could just FEEL the sorrow of the fields.

The sacredness, the holy ground - it was palpable.

It made my heart heavy. And simultaneously grateful.

What it must take for a person to die for one's country.

It really is a question to ponder today.

To all who have fought and died for these United States of America.

To all who are uniformed this very day, we honor and thank you.

May God Bless your 4th of July Celebrations. Freedom is not free.

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