Congrats to Teri from Haines City, Florida for winning the ?#?JMIGiveaway?! She was drawn at random, but her answer happened to be amazing. We’re so pleased to have permission to share it with you. Thank you for all you’ve done for America, Teri!What I Most Value About Being an American:I never realized how much I loved being an American until I was given the honor of wearing the uniform of the United States Army. It all happened one hot July day in 1977 at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina – the first time I saluted the flag, with the national anthem played in the background, wearing the uniform of a private in the Army. I still remember that day and I still get goose bumps every time I hear the Star Spangled Banner or say the Pledge of Allegiance.What I truly love about being an American is that I was given the opportunity to serve my country, no matter my sex, religious affiliation, skin color, or heritage. I stood beside my fellow soldiers who represented all walks of life and we all had one thing in common – we were Americans every one and we were proud of living in, and serving, our country. We weren’t conscripted like many of our ancestors. We were all standing at attention clothed in olive drab of our own will. Nowhere else in the world can that be said more freely than in the United States. Our freedom, granted to us by God, allows us the opportunity to serve, in several different capacities, and our freedom still allows us the opportunity to speak our minds without fear of reprisal, to practice our religion without being persecuted, and to protect our homes and those we hold dear. Living in a country that allows you to be free is the best gift any living person could ask for.-Teri, Haines City, Florida
