CALDWELL COUNTY, MO. – Highlighting the importance of remembering our nation’s rich history, U.S. Senator Kit Bond today joined Mayor Joe Kipp of Kingston, Caldwell County Commissioners and other local officials to celebrate the first annual Civil War Days reenactment and pay tribute to the 65^th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Normandy.

 

“We live in a county that has produced great history, but unfortunately too many of us suffer from not knowing much of that history,” said Bond.  “History helps us understand how much has been overcome by those who have gone before us. The sacrifices of men and women from the Civil War through World War II, and in the wars between and since are the reason for the opportunities we and our children enjoy.” 

 

            Just before the re-enactment, Bond praised the event staff and told them he was delighted that one of the most important events in American history is being taught and experienced first-hand in Caldwell County.  He stressed that while dates, sequences, names, locations and events are of value, the lessons learned are the most critical.

 

            In his remarks, Bond described America during the Civil War noting that millions of lives were at risk, the meaning of our Constitution was on trial and the very existence of our country was under attack.  He explained that despite all odds, the war provided a basis for the American way, preserved the Union and gave the Constitution meaning. 

 

            Bond emphasized that America’s wartime history reveals the resilience and true nature of American character.  He noted that during the four-year course of the Civil War, an average of 400 people died every single day and by the war’s end, two-thirds of a million Americans were killed.  Bond pointed out that today this is the equivalent of 4,000 Americans dying each day. In recognition of the 65^th anniversary of D-Day, he also noted that the eventual victory against Hitler arrived at a tremendous cost to many lives from the U.S. and Allied forces, but it saved Western Civilization.                

 

            “Each generation has a test,” said Bond. “As we face our own, imagine the weight on the shoulders of those who suffered and sacrificed so greatly.  Having this helps us confront the challenges of our time whether it is 9-11, the ongoing War on Terror, the latest financial crisis or the crises around the bend, which are largely unknown.”

 

            Caldwell County’s Civil War Reenactment, A Country, A County—Divided, occurs in Kingston northeast of Liberty, Missouri.  The reenactment provides the public with a historical “period-authentic” representation of the events that transpired during the Civil War in Caldwell County. For more information regarding the event, please visit http://www.caldwellcountymissouri.com/civilwar/.

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