Prelude:
Although this was written by General James, similar words could have been written by patriots in other countries. It is a cry for all countries and nationalities to be proud of who and what they are, regardless of the mistakes of their pasts. Such decisions are made by men who are not perfect, who truly are flawed, but who also have a desire to see something better for future generations. And because they are human and flawed, there will be among those who strive to be noble and pure, many evil and power-hungry men who will extort the virtues of patriotism, twist words and ideals, to better suit their personal agendas. It is the unending task, nay, duty of those who strive for the betterment of Mankind, to fight on and thwart those who would destroy the very foundations of the world, in order to succeed in their evil quests.

“I Am An American”
By General Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr.
America’s First African-American Four-Star General

(This is the text of I Am An American, the famous narration done by General James with the New Orleans Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra and with the United States Air Force Band on two different occasions.

“I am an American
Listen to my words!
Listen well, for my country
Is a strong country
And my message is a strong message
I am an American!
And I speak for Democracy
And the dignity of the individual!

“I am an American
And my ancestors have given their blood
for freedom –
On the green at Lexington
And the snow at Valley Forge
And the fields at Gettysburg!
On the waters of the Marne
And in the shadows of the Argonne!

“On the beaches of Salerno
And Normandy, and the sands of Okinawa
On the bare, bleak hills called
Pork Chop and Old Baldy
And Heartbreak Ridge.
A million and more of my
Countrymen have died for Freedom!
I am an American!
And my country is their eternal monument!

“I am an American!
And my ancestors have bequeathed to me
The laughter of a small boy
As he watches the circus clown’s antics,
The sweet, delicious cold bite
Of peppermint ice cream
On the Fourth of July . . .
The intenseness of a baseball crowd
As the umpire calls, “Batter Up!”
The high school’s rendition
Of the Stars and Stripes Forever
In the Memorial Day Parade!
The clear, sharp ring of a school bell
On a crisp morning.
These, and many more things
The fought for and left for me.

I am an American!
And the fruits of my heart and labor
Are mine to enjoy.

“I am an American
And my country is a land of many realms
And mansions –
It is the land of Ohio corn
And potatoes and pasture;
It is the realm of thousands of acres
Of golden wheat
Stretching across the flat miles of Kansas.
It is the land of precision,
Assembly lines in Detroit.
It is the realm of milling cattle
In the stockyards of Chicago.
It is the land of glowing skylines
Of Pittsburgh and Birmingham
Of San Francisco and New York
And in my churches and homes
Are mansions of heaven.

“I am an American
And in my churches and homes
Everyone worships God in his own way!
The young Jewish boy saying:
‘Here, Oh Israel, the Lord is One!’
The Catholic girl praying:
‘Hail Mary, full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee!’
The Protestant boy singing:
‘A mighty fortress is my God!’
Each one believing and praying as he must
And all joining in the universal prayer
‘Our Father, who art in Heaven’
With the voice and the soul
Of every human being
That cries out to be free!

“I am an American
And I believe that America
Has answered the voice
I am an American
And my country offers Freedom
And opportunity
Such as no land before her
Has ever done!

"Freedom to work
As mechanic and farmer,
Merchant or truck driver—
Freedom to think
As chemist or lawyer
As doctor or priest.
Freedom to love,
As a parent, as child,
Sweetheart, husband, wife!

"Freedom to speak,
To pray, to read, to argue,
To praise, to criticize!
Freedom to eat and sleep!
To work and play without fear!
Freedom to live one or two million
Different lives.

“I am an American!
And my heritage is
Of the land and of the spirit—
Of the heart and of the soul
Show me now
A country greater than my country
For I am an American!
I speak for Democracy
And the dignity of the individual!”

In 1954 an Akron, Ohio, high school girl, Elizabeth Ellen Evans, wrote a prize-winning essay titled “I Speak for Democracy.” Carmon Dragon, conductor-composer of the School Broadcast, and Adrian Michaels, the Broadcast’s program manager, read the essay and were impressed by its sincere patriotic feeling. Michaels developed and adapted the words for musical presentation and Dragon composed the choral-orchestral background for a dramatic narration. The result: “I Am An American.” It was first heard on The Standard Hour, broadcast on “I Am An American Day,” September 12, 1954, from the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. (Narrator: Edmond O’Brien)

As a personal footnote, General James’ epic poem holds some personal memories, because it was while in the fifth grade at an elementary school in California, that the fifth-grade classes got together and learned this, and recited it for a special assembly. There were several other special moments involved with this effort, but suffice it to say that General James wrote this wonderful poem, and it stands as true today, as it did those many years ago. If our country gets back on the right path, in the right direction, it will continue to remain true. God Bless America!