Timothy H. Darnell, 32°
2364 Poplar Springs Drive, NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30319-3942
timdarnell@atlantacracker.com

Our nation's revolutionary path continues to this very day.

American National Military Cemetery in Luxembourg
Photos: Bro. Timothy H. Darnell, 32°

Patriotism has never been in short supply in Freemasonry. Even in our nation's darkest hours, when her own citizens have been suspicious of her dominance as a world leader, Freemasons have continued to fly her rugged colors of self-reliance and liberty. But if you've ever truly wanted to know what it really feels like to be an American, here's how.

Live in a European country for a while. Learn enough of their language to get by and drive on their streets. Listen to their radio, watch their television shows, visit their markets, shop where they shop, and learn their currency. Live in an apartment in their cities, ride their trains and buses, eat in their rest-aurants and cafes, and make your own dinner with their stoves and ovens from their staples. Immerse yourself in their daily routine.

Then, visit an Amer-ican cemetery in Europe. See the thousands buried there who died freeing a continent from tyranny. Then see the flag of your country flying high above those honored dead. That's what we did.

My wife and I had the good occasion to work and live in Germany for more than three months late last year. We visited six countries while there, saw countless breathtaking sights, enjoyed a wonderful wide variety of food, and learned why Europe truly is, "the old country."

During one particular weekend outing, we visited Luxembourg, one of the world's smallest nations. In the years leading up to World War Two, tiny Luxembourg was swallowed in a matter of hours as Adolf Hitler and his armies terrorized the continent. But later, as Allied forces slugged their way across Europe in their valiant quest to terminate the Nazi tyranny, Luxem-bourg became the scene of history.

Burial place of American troops who fought the German army at the "Battle of the Bulge."

In 1944, armies under U.S. General Anthony McAuliffe had liberated Bastonge, Belgium, from the Axis powers. But late in the year, around Christmas, German armies began a last, desperate attempt to stem the tide of pending defeat by strategically positioning their forces in the surrounding Ardennes forest and mountain regions. This offensive created a massive "bulge" in the Allied lines, allowing Germany to lay one last, terrible siege to McAuliffe's troops.

Besides the German armies, McAuliffe also faced another enemy: the weather. Bitter December cold buffeted his region, and airborne relief supplies were made impossible. Virtually surrounded, McAuliffe was asked by his German counterpart to surrender. Today, his answer is universally known as the ultimate defiance in the face of overwhelming odds and certain doom: "Nuts."

Learning of his desperate situation, U.S. General George Patton and his Third Army raced to McAuliffe's rescue. Marching hundreds of miles through brutal winter weather, with little rest or food, Patton reached McAuliffe just in time. Then, as the Germans launched counter attack after counter attack, the rest of the Allied invasion not only repelled their assaults but continued their march toward Germany, eventually liberating the rest of Belgium, Luxembourg, and Europe from the terror known as the Third Reich.

General Patton's grave site

Today, General Patton and 5,000 other American troops who died in the Battle of the Bulge are buried outside of Luxembourg City, in the American National Military Cemetery. While Patton actually met his fate after the war was over, he rests at the front of the burial ground, symbolically leading his men even in death. We visited the site on a cloudless, crisp winter day, and saw 5,000 white marble crosses lining a field of bright green grass. A flag of red, white, and blue flew overhead, silhouetted against a deep blue sky.

Our schools teach us that the American Revolution ended when Cornwallis and his British troops surrendered at Yorktown more than 200 years ago. But witnessing the role of American involvement in the liberation and reconstruction of a continent on the other side of the planet brings the realization that our nation's revolutionary path continues to this day. Humankind has never witnessed a nation like ours, one founded on liberty and independence as spelled out in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Our duty remains a constant vigil over those principles, lest they become lost in the dust of history's discarded wisdoms.

Timothy H. Darnell is an Atlanta-based free-lance writer and martial arts instructor. He is a member of the Atlanta Scottish Rite Bodies, a Past Master of Chamblee-Sardis Lodge No. 444, Chamblee, Ga., and Promotions Coordinator for the Georgia DeMolay Foundation. He has 20 years of journalistic experience and authored the only book ever written about the minor league Atlanta Crackers. Formerly the owner of a professional baseball team himself, Darnell is currently at work on a book about Georgia Tech, as well as the first-ever full-length work about the life of Jacques DeMolay, a project he was inspired to undertake while visiting Templar castles in Europe. Bro. Darnell and his wife, Susan, are expecting their first child in December.