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Lewis K. Billings
Several years ago, on the evening of July 3, I got a call from a frustrated resident who lives along the Freedom Festival Grand Parade route. He was frustrated by the noise created by the people camped out in front of his home. I told him how to contact the police department, and he did, but after all the police department could do, he was still frustrated. So I got in my car and went down personally.
As I approached the north end of the parade route, what I encountered was incredible and almost magical. There were literally thousands of people lining the route. Some were sitting on couches watching television (one had a satellite dish deployed), others were seated around tables playing games, dancing or eating. The fragrance from barbecue grills and fireworks filled the air. At one point along the parade route, hundreds had assembled to watch a movie on the huge wall of a home in their neighborhood. It was a grand and marvelous celebration that would rival almost anything anywhere. I was immediately caught up in the excitement and momentum of all that was taking place. It was truly incredible and it seemed that no one had any thoughts or inclination of sleeping anytime soon.
When I arrived at the home of the good Provo resident who had beckoned me, I could clearly understand the dilemma he was dealing with. We have since implemented "time, place and manner" rules and restrictions for those who wish to assemble along the parade route, intended to substantially soften the impacts on those with private residences along the parade route, but also to preserve this wonderful opportunity for our residents to assemble, to celebrate and to remember freedom and those who have made it possible for us to enjoy all that we take delight in.
As we celebrate, it is so important to remember those who have made it all possible. The Freedom Festival Awards Gala is one of my favorite festival events because it provides an opportunity to reflect on the real substance of our celebration. Two years ago at the Awards Gala, I had the privilege of sitting near the widow of a recently fallen serviceman and her young family. When this young mother left the table to participate in a special presentation honoring her husband and children's father, I watched as this soldier's 12- or 13-year old son sat there alone, listening to words intended to honor his father's service. As we listened to the presentation, the young man was overcome with emotion. I tried to reach out to him, but he politely resisted. It was clear that he was carrying a heavy burden and that he intended to do it with honor and dignity out of respect for a father he will never see or embrace again in this life.
I was deeply moved and impressed by how difficult it is not only for those who go off to war, but also for those who remain behind. Losing a loved one as a casualty of war is a huge sacrifice. We must never forget the heroes who go off to war and who never return, but we also must never fail to remember the families who support them and who carry many of the scars and much of the pain associated with wartime military service.
Many other cities also celebrate the Fourth of July with a variety of great activities and events, but few if any do so with the same fervor and feeling of heart as the people of Provo. When you look at the duration of our celebration, the number of events and the number of volunteers involved in making all that happens possible, you quickly realize there is something very unique and special about the Fourth of July in Provo. We are a people who remember and who are grateful. Like most Americans, we are also a people willing to sacrifice, if needed, to preserve all that we enjoy as Americans!
• Lewis K. Billings is mayor of Provo.
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