On July 4th, America celebrates Independence Day. But, July 4th is not just another day off. It's a time for reflection. Freedom at home and abroad is a result of the men and women who are willing to put their lives on the line for all of us. Support those committed to serving and protecting all of us. Please read this message from Arnie Schmeling, one of the most decorated police officers in the United States.

"Freedom has meant so many different things during different stages of my life. Today I would like to share with you a couple of my experiences so you understand what freedom means to me.

"I was born in 1930 and when I was a kid my family moved to Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands. My dad was a civil service employee for the Navy Department. As a kid, I learned to surf at Waikiki Beach from surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku, the honorary Sheriff of Honolulu. Hanging out at the beach swimming and surfing as a young boy... that to me was freedom.

"On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941 my definition of freedom changed. I was riding my bicycle, with my two-year-old brother on the handlebars, heading to Ford Island where we would watch the Navy ships at dock. In front of my eyes, enemy planes swooped in and I witnessed the destruction of the USS Arizona battleship. I grabbed my two year old brother and hid under the train tracks to avoid the first wave of enemy planes.

"I saw hundreds of survivors fighting to stay alive by trying to swim through the debris and oil slicked waters of Pearl Harbor. There were many dead bodies floating in the harbor and thousands of men were injured. That day I learned freedom comes with a price, and I will never forget the price paid for my freedom by those brave soldiers who gave their lives in service to our nation.

"Four years later, I enlisted in the Marines at age 16, and while this wasn't legal and I should not have lied about my age, I was determined to try and help my country. I served proudly and faithfully in the Marine Corps during the end of World War II and the Korean Conflict. I was just out there doing my job like hundreds of thousands of other men and women. I am absolutely thrilled that I can say I served my country and I served it in the best armed service that our nation has to offer. (I know I get a lot of argument on this but I have a lot of pride.) The motto of the Marine Corps is 'Semper Fidelis' which means 'Always Faithful'. It's more than a motto -- it's a way of life for me. And I have tried to be faithful to the things that I believe in.

"I had the freedom to choose my career. When I joined the Long Beach Police Department, I was trained by Warren Jordan, Long Beach's first African American police officer and my first partner. I patrolled the toughest districts of Long Beach, including the Pike section. As police officers on the beat, we had the freedom to make the decisions to help people. My police career included assignments to the Vice Squad, the Narcotics Squad, as a charter member of the SWAT Team and serving on the Honor Guard.

"While on the Honor Guard, I had to bury ten of my fellow officers who were killed in the line of duty. My second partner Rick Lefebvre was one of them. He was hit by a shotgun blast in the chest and he died in my arms. Several of us took Rick back to his hometown of Green Bay, Wisconsin to bury him. It still gives me goosebumps to think of how the whole town rallied around all of us at his funeral. The next week his father came out to Long Beach to pick up his sons personal belongings. At a service in Long Beach honoring his son, after telling us how much his son loved all of us at the Long Beach Police Department, Rick's father collapsed and was dead on arrival at the hospital.

"Police officers put their lives on the line every day, and over the last forty years I've worked hard to make sure police officers and their families are treated fairly. One of my proudest moments in law enforcement was to be present in the Governor's office in 1975 at the signing of the Peace Officers Bill of Rights. Prior to this landmark legislation, cops were second-class citizens. The Bill of Rights guaranteed every cop on the street would have the same constitutional freedoms of every other citizen. Today, we have the most professional law enforcement community in the nation, thanks to the Peace Officers Bill of Rights.

"Finally and most importantly, my freedom would be meaningless without the loving support I've received from my beautiful wife Linda, my three children and seven grandkids. I'm so proud of my entire family and thankful and blessed for having them in my life. My 17-year-old granddaughter who is a straight-A student has chosen to enlist in the Navy. She could do anything with her future but she is willing to give back to her country. If it weren't for the sacrifices our families make, we wouldn't have the freedom we have today.

"I've been known to shed a tear or two when I hear The Star-Spangled Banner and see the red, white and blue colors waving in the sky. Guys like me aren't supposed to cry but I make no apologies. Maybe it's because I've been there, I've seen it, I've done it and I know that I'm privileged to have served not only in the police department but in the Marines. Let's never take our freedom for granted. Let's be grateful for our freedom today and always try to give a little bit back to our great country.

"God bless you and God bless the United States of America."