As our nation celebrates its birth next month, I want to recognize the legacy of our Founding Father, General George Washington, who fought the battles for freedom on his knees in prayer to our Almighty Heavenly Father.

The legacy of our nation’s fathers and their service truly began with the Founding Fathers of our country. When I reflect on the journey of faith and leadership, I think of what our first President of the United States sought to achieve through independence, liberty, and freedom. These enduring principles formed the foundation of our nation, and today, our leaders remain entrusted with defending them on the battlefield of freedom.

General George Washington’s steadfast faith and leadership helped shape a nation founded on sacrifice, conviction, and trust in God. His example as both general of the Army and then president of the United States reminds us that true leadership is built upon character, courage, and unwavering purpose.

Recognizing the life of George Washington, our nation’s first president, and his powerful faith, which led to freedom, the following can be told from the best-selling author, Ron Chernow, in his book titled “Washington, A Life.”

“During the French and Indian War, Col. Washington had 4 bullets through his coat and 2 horses shot from under him and yet escaped unhurt. The heroic youth was being groomed by God for higher things, for some important service to his country.

“With a sovereign faith in leadership by example, Washington believed that courage and cowardice originated from the top of an army.

“On July 2, 1776, Washington tried to rouse his men with impassioned words. ‘The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves… The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage of this army.’

“He made Solomon-like solutions, making him the first chief executive a dozen years before he was officially elected to the post.

“At Valley Forge, PA, Washington addressed the ‘essential rights and liberties of the present generation and of millions yet unborn.’ General and then President Washington was continually concerned about the ‘generations yet to come.’

“Washington’s job as commander in chief was much a political as a military task, and he performed it brilliantly, functioning as de facto president of the country. His stewardship of the army had been a masterly exercise in nation building. In defining the culture of the Continental Army, he had helped to mold the very character of the country. In the end, he had managed to foil the best professional generals that a chastened Great Britain could throw at him.

“An American planter was chosen by us to command our troops and continued during the whole war. This man sent home to you, one after another, five of your best generals, baffled, their heads bare of laurels, disgraced even in the opinion of their employers.

“After taking the oath at the first inauguration, Washington, with devout fervency, in reverential manner, bowed down and kissed the Bible, adding ‘So help me God.’

“The fact remains that the ‘Almighty Being’ had overseen America’s birth. ‘No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand, which conducts the affairs of men, more than the people of the United States.’

“Just as Washington had proved at the end of the war that he did not lust for power, so his departure from the presidency elevated his moral standing in the world.”

George Washington proved that our nation’s strongest trailblazers also bowed their heads in reverence and humility to God. It is paramount that today’s leaders learn from the leaders of our past.

With this, I am reminded of the powerful hymn that was written during the Civil War and is still used today, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and the lyrics “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword: His truth is marching on.”

These powerful words not only ring true yesterday, but they also remain true now and will continue to ring true forever. They serve as a powerful reminder that the faithful fathers of this nation have always led on the battlefield of freedom, the battlefield of faith, and the battlefield of family.

Honoring our nation’s heritage does not just mean respecting those who came before us. It also provides a roadmap for future generations.

Having watched my grandfather and my father-in-law, the love of God and the love of service continue to leave a lasting legacy today. My grandfather told stories about his service in the United States Army during World War II, and my father-in-law told stories of service in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War era, an era in U.S. history that was not regarded or respected by the American people for service in a war that was dismissed and unwelcome.

My grandfather finished his furlough and reported to a center in Washington, D.C., where he was processed and prepared to deploy overseas. From there, he traveled to New York, where he was, with very little ceremony, herded aboard a troop transport, a “Liberty Ship.”

Down in the hold of the ship, he made ready, as best he could, for the trip to Europe. He was classed as one of the “replacements.” That meant he was to fill the ranks made vacant by the wounded and dead. His hammock was in a tier of four or five. He was somewhere in between, with one hammock above and two below. He had just enough room to swing himself and his duffel bag in under the one above. They were too crowded to turn over. The hold, built originally to haul other commodities, was filled to capacity with American GIs. The whistle sounded, and they felt the ship quiver as it pulled away from the dock. Up on deck, as they watched the New York City skyline slowly disappear over the horizon, a lonely feeling settled over them. They settled down, sprawling on the deck wherever they could find a place, and, at dusk, made their way, one by one, below to the hammocks in the hold which would be “home” for the next 14 days.

After arriving in Europe, my grandfather wandered through town looking for his half-track and something to eat. Finally, he found it parked along the street, but the driver was nowhere to be seen. He hunted down a “K” ration, debated a moment whether he should sit in the half-track and eat it and then catch a catnap among the blankets that were strewn all over the floor, or whether he should hunt down the driver. He decided upon the latter course.

After looking in several houses, he found the driver asleep on a bed in one of the bedrooms of a brick house. After recounting to him the escapades of the squad since they left him, he ate a bite and flopped on another bed in another room. Before long, they were rudely interrupted by an explosion just outside the house, which shook the house and sent him sprawling on the floor. After regaining composure, my grandfather crept to the window and peeked out. In the street sat the half-track, split almost in two. The shell that landed on the vehicle had lit in the driver’s seat on fire and all but demolished the vehicle. As it was examined closer later, he shuddered to think what he would have looked like if he had followed his first inclination to take a nap there. The steel armor plating on the sides of the machine was peppered with shrapnel holes, and the blankets where he would have been lying were torn to shreds.

This is just one of untold many instances where service men and women were faced with death and harm during World War II but escaped by the hand of God’s Providence.

The stories that bound our country together in the past must now be remembered and retold to bring unity once again.

Today, America faces division within our homes, workplaces, communities, and even our churches. We are searching for leaders who will not compromise truth for popularity. We are searching for fathers this Father’s Day who will boldly lead their families, defend their faith, and instill a love for the red, white, and blue.

Yet that generation of steadfast leadership is becoming increasingly rare. As many of our friends who served on the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan came home to their families and their children, however, many did not return home from the battlefields, and it is our duty to carry their stories, their legacy, and their hope for a better future for their children. As we raise our children, let us raise the American flag and remember their footsteps so their sacrifice will never be in vain. It is our duty to carry their stories, their legacy, and their hope for a better future for their children.

Now more than ever, our nation needs faithful fathers, courageous leaders, and patriots willing to stand firm for faith, family, and freedom. The legacy they leave behind will shape the future of this nation for generations to come.

Eden Gordon Hill is founder and owner of Eden Gordon Media, LLC, as well as a weekend radio host at WMAL’s “The All-American Book Club,” veteran spouse, former Trump appointee, and advocate for faith, family, and freedom.

James E. Gordon, of Oxford, Pa., is a former local elected official and historian.