Freedom focus in Steubenville

STEUBENVILLLE - What others have given for freedom was the focus of a speech Sunday by Air Force veteran Wes Hudson during Veterans Day services at the Louis and Sandra Berkman Amphitheater in Historic Fort Steuben Park.

Hudson of Burgettstown was in Air Force security police during his service from 1982 to 2003, retiring as a chief master sergeant.

The ceremony also included the traditional laying of the wreaths by AMVETS Post 275, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 80 and American Legion Posts 33 and 274 to honor veterans and the playing of taps.

MARKING VETERANS DAY Linda Lancia played taps Sunday during Veterans Day services at the Louis and Sandra Berkman Amphitheater in Historic Fort Steuben Park. The ceremony included Air Force veteran Wes Hudson as the guest speaker and the traditional laying of wreaths to remember veterans. - Mark Law

"As I like to say, our country was founded by people who left or were forced to leave perfectly good countries," Hudson said. "The driving force behind the earliest immigrants was the desire to be free. Freedom from dictators, freedom from religious persecution, freedom from economic oppression and freedom from slavery, to mention a few."

Hudson said the earliest immigrants risked their lives on a long ocean voyage in which many died.

"Rarely did they have a full and complete knowledge of what they would be required to give for this chance at freedom. But they valued it so highly, that they were ready to face the unknown to achieve their goal, and, in doing so. founded a nation that would coalesce diverse cultures under a unifying banner we know as freedom, and lead a nation which valued freedom above all else," Hudson said.

He said the country's leaders wrote the Declaration of Independence.

"Like all good writing, the declaration has an introduction that explains the reason for the declaration, and also begins to define our American views of freedom," he said, including the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. "The declaration then lists the many specifics which the colonies have found to be objectionable. Most of which define the freedoms and rights which were later embodied in the Constitution."

Hudson said after winning their independence, the colonies crafted a Constitution, which he believes embodies three guiding principles that both define and provide the guidance to maintain what the country knows as freedom.

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Freedom focus in Steubenville