Looking closely at the month of April reaching all the way back to the beginning of this country and the many significant events bringing us to 2026. We find a great many events that were monumental to the United States of America. The first being the musket volley at Concord Bridge on April 19, 1775. This event was the very first in our country under the idea that we would be free from British rule. This moment was the actual first shot fired beginning the American Revolution.

As years passed by and we grew into the country being envied by every other nation around the globe, certain policy decisions in Washington, D.C., led a portion of the country to seek division from the union by firing on Fort Sumter in South Carolina on April 12, 1861, and the civil war raged for several years until the rebel forces were quelled and a humble Robert E. Lee Supreme Commander of the confederate army, surrendered to Union forces at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia on April 9, 1865.

The Spanish American War in 1898 was begun in the month of April. As was our declaration of war against the Germans in World War One after the indiscriminate sinking of the US ship Lusitania. One year later, United States Marines were gassed with chemical weapons along the front lines in France, this was the first use of mustard gas in combat along those lines during World War I.

During World War II, on April 18, 1945, our Army pushed and surrounded the German Defense Group B in the battle of the Ruhr Pocket leading to one of the largest troop surrenders of the war. On April 25 of the same year the US First Army linked with the Soviet forces from the Eastern Front effectively dividing Germany in half and forcing the end of the Second World War in Europe.

In 1962, the use of helicopter assault was deployed by the USMC in Vietnam, starting a new chapter in modern warfare. And in 1991, the cease fire was announced in the Gulf War against Iraq.

Many other notable events occurred in the month of April like the Battle of Durne 1805, that saw a five-hundred-mile march through brutal conditions in the Libyan desert, by U.S. Marines, that led to the creation of the Marine Corps Hymn. And now we find ourselves poised on possibly seeing our single longest enemy fall to their knees in surrender. In a short time period, we have witnessed American Military Might along with help from several allies to reduce the Iranian military infrastructure and ballistic missile capabilities to a fraction of their prior strength.

We have returned to our former position of establishing peace and stability around the world. Through this current condition we have observed our brave warriors sacrifice for our country even with the ultimate sacrifice, their lives. Along with this time we have also experienced some terror attacks within our homeland.

Our local, state and federal law enforcement within the interior has done remarkable jobs thwarting these actions and identifying most prior to feeling their wrath. Surely more attempts will come. The anger of certain zealots is even harder to dismiss when it’s occurring within our safe borders by those who may have lied about their intentions in coming to America or crossed our borders undetected to invoke such chaos.

Realizing such a possible objective all Americans no matter your position should be more aware and be of concern for your safety. As we have witnessed, the location doesn’t matter, nor does the time of day. Rain or shine we should all be prepared to save ourselves, and if you are prior service know that your oath with no expiration may lead you to once again defend the American People, from all enemies both foreign and domestic.

Our governmental leaders should take note and make recognition that the agencies that offer us such strong protection need to be in place and fully authorized to complete the mission they have been tasked with ensuring. The American Legion has in the past upheld such philosophy and has when needed stepped forward to fund the men and women who secure our land.

Several times when the United States Coast Guard fell under budget weaponization by our elected officials the American legion filled the bank to ensure their salaries and that they had the tools they needed to keep us safe. I am sure that if needed we would do it again. It is most discouraging that a not-for-profit organization has to step up and do what our government refuses to do.

This is happening in April also, but it should have been addressed months before. As readers of our local papers, it is now placed in your lap to urge your leaders to make an April 2026 worth adding to the list that began this story and fund our men and women of national defense. That way the monies collected by the American Legion can remain as promised to assist the honored veterans of our great nation.

Kirk L. Miller, past commander of the Chautauqua County American Legion, 8th District Department of New York.