Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and this year is significant because of the launch of the America 250 celebrations. July 4, 2026, will mark 250 years since the birth of our nation's founding, and throughout the country, the festivities have already begun. It started with Sunday's Rededicate 250 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and continues through Independence Day with America's Block Party events and other parades, fetes, displays, and historical reenactments across the fruited plain.
On Thursday, here in the great state of Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey (R) kicked off the America 250 celebrations at the Montgomery state capital, with performances from the 151st Army band, four F-35 fighter jets flying over the event, and the unveiling of a massive commemorative American flag which will fly between the columns of the capitol throughout the Summer.
Americans For Prosperity (AFP) and their sister organization Concerned Veterans For America (CVA) are doing their part for America's 250 with an initiative called “One Small Step.” Its goal is for Americans to renew their reverence and awe for our country, its founding, and accomplishments, as well as to reignite a fire in the belly to defend those principles and renew the American Dream.
AFP and CVA are spotlighting stories of American visionaries, inventors, and entrepreneurs who had the courage to pursue their dreams and, in the process, transformed the landscape of our nation. But the freedoms we take for granted must be defended and maintained, so AFP is focused on reminding Americans that freedom isn't free, and that all of us must pick up that mantle to remind, reinforce, and further the founding principles that made our nation, and us, great.
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As RedState's Bob Hoge so beautifully documented the weight of sacrifice and the history embodied at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California, as they kick off their America 250 events, Salem Radio host Mike Gallagher invited John Vick, executive director for CVA, to discuss One Step. Vick is an Iraq War veteran in both the Marines and the Navy, so he also reflected upon how Memorial Day now hits differently.
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Gallagher asked Vick about the polarization of our nation and mused on why so many Americans have become all but dismissive of the importance of these days of commemoration and celebration.
"It's largely because people feel so disconnected from the process," Vick said. He also made the point that only a small percentage of people choose to serve in the military, and this has resulted in fewer and fewer Americans having any relationship to, or appreciation of their service.
Vick surmised:
I feel like a lot of Americans feel disconnected not just from their government, but from those things that unite us. And so, we do a lot of stuff at CVA, but one of the things I'm most proud of and most passionate about is reminding people what we have to fight for and why we should be united.
Gallagher asked Vick whether he found it difficult to stay true to that mission.
Vick was direct in his response.
We're not just focused on veterans. We're veterans who fight for things that matter for all of America. And I'd say, look, the way to approach it is persistently.
CVA, Concerned Veterans For America, we're not a rage-bait machine, even though we're always in the fight. We fight for American principles, and we understand that there is literally nothing wrong with America that cannot be solved by what is right with America. And I think it's about reminding people that we all share the same incredible gift, which is that we're American citizens. Right? That gift was not free. And our unalienable rights have to defended by every generation. And that is something that veterans uniquely understand. So, we're in the business of growing the team, so to speak, around reminding people that you possess the single greatest gift in the world and you can be a part of preserving it.
Spot on. I have never understood or appreciated people who find everything wrong with a country that afforded them the ability and opportunity to achieve their goals and dreams. Equally angering is when people choose to focus on what divides us rather than what unites us. That America has made it 250 years, produced individuals and groups that have achieved things that have transformed not just the fabric of the nation, but of the world, has produced generations of people who went on to perform acts of greatness, and that has transcended many of the stains of our past, is a testament to our founding principles, our faith, and the young men and women who fought and died to secure the freedoms we enjoy.
As an entrée to Memorial Day weekend, Gallagher asked Vick to talk about what makes this commemorative day distinct.
Vick responded:
More special as I get older, for sure. More and more. So, of course, Memorial Day commemorates those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Meaning that they died in defense of our nation. And that death, of course, is catastrophic, I mean, everybody from the time since you were a kid, understands that. But I think the truly sobering loss you come to understand as you get older, is the loss of potential. I mean, I saw a lot of violence not just in Iraq, but also Africa. But I eventually came home. Right? I got married. I started a family. I took my son to his Little League game two weeks ago. I took my mom to lunch for Mother's Day last weekend. Memorial Day does not just honor a death, it honors the unfathomable sacrifice of someone's entire future, and the countless moments, the contributions that that service member is never going to get to make.
Vick expounded upon this and the weight and responsibility of older men and women sending their younger men and women into battle.
I definitely did not think of it like that in my 20s. It certainly reframes the cost of war and the decision to go to war. It's also why Concerned Veterans for America reminds people that Congress needs to find its courage and be a part of the decision to go to war, and debate it and vote on it. Because that sacrifice should never be made lightly, and Americans deserve to be a part of that choice via their member of Congress.
As AFP/CVA and other organizations, as well as local and state governments, pull out all stops for America 250 celebrations, it's a powerful reminder that it is good and right to not only honor those who have secured our freedoms, but to make it a point to participate in this momentous time in our nation's history. But it is equally imperative to praise the bridges of history that have carried us over, and do our part to secure and defend our liberties and to instill this mindset into the next generation of Americans.
Mike Gallagher's full interview with John Vick is below.
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It's time to get off the sidelines, get engaged, and fight for this country 🔥
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 21, 2026
With Memorial Day and the 250th Anniversary of our nation just around the corner, @JohnVickFL, Executive Director of @ConcernedVets, the sister organization of @AFPhq, recently joined @GallagherShow… pic.twitter.com/F3FiKDvtsr
It's time to get off the sidelines, get engaged, and fight for this country 🔥
With Memorial Day and the 250th Anniversary of our nation just around the corner, @JohnVickFL, Executive Director of @ConcernedVets, the sister organization of @AFPhq, recently joined @GallagherShow to discuss his organization's efforts to remind us all that being an American citizen is a gift that needs defending:
"That gift was not free, and our inalienable rights have to be defended by every generation."
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