4th of July

I know this is late in coming--but I finally got my new laptop so I can blog away and add pictures! This is a collage of the pics over the 4th of July with my family. It is a Lerdahl family tradition to go to the drive-in over the 4th and the movies we usually see during this time are absolutely horrible. This time we saw Year One and Land of the Lost. Stupid and gross. Don't see them. But it's fun to go all the same. Morgan and I laid in the back of the truck on an air mattress while Mom and Dad enjoyed the lawn chairs.

The next day, Mom, Dad, Morgan and I drove to Delta to visit the Topaz Internment Camp site. (Dane was at the cabin with friends till later that afternoon). It was a long drive but we had fun. For those of you who don't know, during WWII, Japanese-Americans from around the United States were relocated to different internment camps, one of them being Topaz in Delta. Sound familiar? Yes, it's not unlike what the Germans did, however the Japanese-American's weren't forced to work. They were forced to leaved their homes and live in cramped shacks in the boiling hot summers and freezing winters of central Utah with no explanation other than it was "for their protection against angry citizens." We know it was also to prevent any attacks from the Japanese on American soil. However, not one case of espionage was ever found among the Japanese-Americans and many of their brave sons faught in the war. The 442nd RCT and 100th Battalian which was made up entirely of young Japanese-American boys went on to become the United States' most highly decorated combat unit in it's history. Sadly, not enough has been done to memorialize this camp to those who suffered persecution in a free land. I'd love to donate my time to make it a place where people come to learn about these brave people beyond the small placards and bare wasteland. As one of the placards says, "The memory of Topaz remains a tribute to a people whose faith and loyalty was steadfast--while America's had faltered."

After our enlightening trip, we brightened up the day with a barbeque outside and watched a movie together as a family. It was great to spend time with one another and learn about a part of our nation's history on its Independence Day!