American Author Reminds Nation To Give Thanks This Memorial Day

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - As Americans prepare to celebrate Memorial Day amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and the ever-present threat of terror, it is important to stop and give thanks to the men and women serving our nation with distinction, reminds author Jane Hampton Cook.

"It's important to thank those who are serving," Cook explained in an interview with AHN. "Saying I completely understand what you're going through to a military family is probably one of the worst things that you can say, but simply saying thank you for your service is one of the best things you can say. So I'd say this Memorial Day, we should all say thank you to our veterans, our servicemembers and their families."

Cook, who served as President George Bush's White House webmaster from 2001-03, compiled and edited "Battlefields & Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War" (Living Ink Books). The book is a collection of writings that includes original manuscripts, letters and speeches and is designed for daily devotional use. The writings come from a wide selection of Revolutionary authors, ranging from historical figures such as George Washington and Abigail Adams to unknown soldiers and ministers who shared the stage with America's founding fathers.

The book debuted in October and examines the nexus between faith and courage. "A lot of books on the Revolutionary War give you the military and political perspectives, and that's certainly what this book does, but this book also gives you the pulpit perspective. With excerpts from things like sermons and it helps you take a closer look at what people of faith were struggling with," Cook said.

Designed to also serve as a history and faith lesson for families with young children, the book provides a different lesson for each day. A section called "The Revolution Today" also takes a look at what Cook calls a modern-day struggle against tyranny: the war on terror.

"I see a parallel between the founding principles that America fought for during the Revolutionary War and what we're fighting for today. Terrorism is at its root a tyranny and I think that philosophically our fight for freedom and liberty today isn't any different from George Washington's fight," Cook said.

"I hope everyone who reads the book will realize that the men and women we identify with as patriots - all they really wanted was to live a quiet life, pursue happiness, run their businesses and then die quietly. But instead of dying quietly, they lived loudly for liberty. And the men and women in our military today, and our veterans, are carrying on that heritage of living loudly for liberty," Cook explained.

Now, over two centuries later, Cook sees the same perseverance in President Bush that she found examining the life and work of America's first Commander in Chief.

"George Washington didn't know how the story was going to end when he was in the middle of it; all he could do was press forward and make practical decisions based on the facts on the ground. And I think that's what the generals are doing now and I think that's very much what President George Bush is doing - he doesn't know how the story's going to end but he's pressing forward based on his core beliefs in what is right," Cook said.

The book is part of a series that already includes a look at faith from the American Civil War. Cook, who also authored "The Faith of America's First Ladies" (AMG, Living Ink Books), is currently working with two coauthors on a book that examines the faith among soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.